d with unrequited love he wasted away and was changed into a flower which bears his name the laminaeides or metonyms resemble the naeides and are usually represented dancing hand in hand in a circle the hyades who in appearance are somewhat similar to the oceanides are cloudy divinities and from the fact of their being variably accompanied by rain are represented as incessantly weeping the melliades were the nymphs who presided over fruit trees before concluding this subject attention should be drawn to the fact that in more modern times this beautiful idea of animating all nature in detail reappears under the various local traditions extant in different countries thus do the oceanides and naeides live again in the mermaids whose existence is still believed in by mariners whilst the flower and the metonyms assume the shape of those tiny elves and fairies who were formally believed to hold their midnight revels in every wood and on every common indeed even at the present day the Irish peasantry especially in the west firmly believe in the existence of the fairies or good people the winds according to the oldest accounts Eolus was a king of the Eolian islands to whom Zeus gave the command of the winds which he kept shut up in a deep cave and which he freed at his pleasure or at the command of the gods in later times the above belief underwent a change and the winds came to be regarded as distinct divinities whose aspect accorded with the respective with which they were identified they were depicted as wind youths in full vigor in the act of flying through the air the principal winds were Boreus the north wind Eurus the east wind Zephyrus the west wind and notice the south wind who were said to be the children of Eos and Astreus there are no myths of interest connected with these divinities Zephyrus was united to Chloris Flora the goddess of flowers of Boreus it is related that while flying over the river Elysis he beheld on the banks Eurythia the charming daughter of Rhaethys king of Athens whom he carried off to his native Thrace and there made her his bride Boreus and Eurythia were the parents of Zetis and Calais afterwards famous in the expedition of the Argonauts there was an altar erected at Athens in honour of Boreus in commemoration of his having destroyed the Persian fleet sent to attack the Greeks on the Acropolis at Athens there was a celebrated octagonal temple built by Pericles which was dedicated to the winds and on its sides were their various representations the ruins of this temple are still to be seen Pan Pan was the god of fertility and the special patron of shepherds and huntsmen he presided over all rural occupations was chief of the satyrs and head of all rural divinities according to the common belief he was the son of Hermes and a wood nymph and came into the world with horns sprouting from his forehead a goat's beard and a crooked nose pointed ears and the tail and feet of a goat and presented all together so repulsive an appearance that at the sight of him his mother fled in dismay Hermes however took up his curious little offspring wrapped him in a hair skin and carried him in his arms to Olympus the grotesque form and merry antics of the little stranger made him a great favourite with all the immortals especially Dionysus and they bestowed upon him the name of Pan all because he had delighted them all his favourite horns were grottoes and his delight was to wander in uncontrolled freedom over rocks and mountains following his various pursuits ever cheerful and usually very noisy he was a great lover of music singing, dancing and all pursuits which enhanced the pleasures of life and hence in spite of his repulsive appearance we see him surrounded with nymphs of the forests and dales who loved to dance around him to the cheerful music of his pipe the syrinx the myth concerning the origin of Pan's pipe is as follows Pan became an amour of a beautiful nymph called syrinx who appalled at his terrible appearance fled from the pertenacious attentions of her unwelcome suitor he pursued her to the banks of the river Laidon when seeing his near approach and feeling escape impossible she called on the gods for assistance who in answer to her prayer transformed her into a reed just as Pan was about to seize her whilst the lovesick Pan was sighing and lamenting his unfortunate fate the winds gently swayed the reeds and produced a murmuring sound as of one complaining charmed with the soothing tones he endeavoured to reproduce them himself and after cutting seven of the reeds of unequal length he joined them together and succeeded in producing the pipe which he called the syrinx in memory of his lost love Pan was regarded by shepherds as their most valiant protector who defended their flocks from the attacks of wolves the shepherds of these early times have no penfolds we're in the habit of gathering together their flocks in mountain caves to protect them against the inclement of the weather and also to secure them at night against the attacks of wild animals these caves therefore which were very numerous in the mountain districts of Arcadia, Boatia etc. were all consecrated to Pan as it is customary in all tropical climates to repose during the heat of the day Pan is represented as greatly enjoying his afternoon sleep in the cool shelter of a tree or cave and also as being highly displeased at any sound which disturbed his slumbers for which reason the shepherds were always particularly careful to keep unbroken silence during these hours whilst they themselves indulged in a quiet siesta Pan was usually loved by huntsmen being himself a great lover of the woods which afforded to his cheerful and active disposition full scope and in which he loved to range at will he was regarded as the patron of the chase and the rural sportsmen returning from an unsuccessful day's sport he was spoken of their displeasure the wooden image of Pan which always occupied a prominent place in their dwellings all sudden and unaccountable sounds which startled travellers in lonely spots were attributed to Pan who possessed a frightful and most discordant voice hence the term Panic Terror to indicate sudden fear the Athenians ascribed their victory at Marathon to the alarm which he created the Persians by his terrible voice Pan was gifted with the power of prophecy which he is said to have imparted to Apollo and he possessed a well known and very ancient oracle in Arcadia in which state he was more especially worshipped the artists of later times have somewhat toned down the original very unattractive conception of Pan as above described and merely represent him as a young man by the exposure to all weathers which a rural life involves and bearing in his hand the shepherds crook and syrinx these being his usual attributes whilst small horns project from his forehead he is either undraped or wears merely a light cloak called the Clemis the usual offerings to Pan were milk and honey in shepherds bowls cows, lambs and rams were also sacrificed to him after the introduction of Pan into the worship of Dionysus we hear of a number of little Pan's Penisci who are sometimes confounded with the satyrs Faunus the Romans had an old Italian divinity called Faunus who as the god of shepherds was identified with the Greek Pan and represented in a similar manner Faunus is frequently called Ineous or the fertilizer and Lepercus or the one who wards off wolves like Pan he possessed the gift of prophecy and was the presiding spirit of the woods and fields he also shared with his Greek prototype the faculty of alarming travellers in solitary places bad dreams and evil apparitions were attributed to Faunus and he was believed to enter houses stealthily at night for this purpose Fauna was the wife of Faunus and participated in his functions the satyrs the satyrs were a race of woodland spirits who evidently personified the free, wild and untrammeled life of the forest their appearance was both grotesque and repulsive they had flat broad noses pointed ears and little horns sprouting from their foreheads a rough shaggy skin and small goat's tails they led a life of pleasure and self-indulgence followed the chase reveled in every description of wild music and dancing were terrible wine-bibers and addicted to the deep slumbers which follow heavy potations they were no less dreaded by mortals than by the gentle woodland nymphs who always avoided their coarse, rough sports the satyrs were conspicuous figures in the train of Dionysus and as we have seen Selenus, their chief was tutored to the wine god the oldest satyrs were called Silens and are represented in antique sculpture as more nearly approaching the human form in addition to the ordinary satyrs artists delighted in depicting little satyrs, young imps frolicking about the woods in a marvellous variety of droll attitudes these little fellows greatly resemble their friends and companions the Pinesci in rural districts it was customary for the shepherds and peasants who attended the festivals of Dionysus to dress themselves in the skins of goats and other animals and under this disguise they permitted themselves all kinds of playful tricks and excesses to which circumstance by some authorities attributed in Rome the old Italian wood divinities the fawns who had goats feet and all other characteristics of the satyrs greatly exaggerated were identified with them Priapus Priapus the son of Dionysus and Aphrodite was regarded as the god of fruitfulness the protector of flocks, sheep goats, bees, the fruit of the vine and all garden produce his statues which were set up in gardens and vineyards acted not only as objects of worship but also as scarecrows the appearance of this god being especially repulsive and unsightly these statues were formed of wood or stone and from the hips downwards were merely rude columns they represent him as having a red and very ugly face he bears in his hand a pruning knife and his head is crowned with a wreath of vine and laurel he usually carries fruit in his garments or a cornucopia in his hand always however retaining his singularly revolting aspect it is said that Hera wishing to punish Aphrodite sent her this misshapen and unsightly son and that when he was born his mother was so horrified at the sight of him that she ordered him to be exposed on the mountains where he was found by some shepherds who taking pity on him saved his life this divinity was chiefly worshipped at Lamp Sacus his birthplace Assas were sacrificed to him and he received the first fruits of the fields and gardens with a libation of milk and honey the worship of Priapus was introduced into Rome Aphrodite and was identified with a native Italian divinity named Metunus Asclepius Asculapius Asclepius the son of the healing art was the son of Apollo and the nymph Cronus he was educated by the noble centaur Chiron who instructed him in all knowledge but more especially that of the properties of herbs Asclepius searched out the hidden powers of plants and discovered cures for the various diseases which afflict the human body he brought his art to such perfection that he not only succeeded in warding off death but also restored the dead to life it was popularly believed that he was materially assisted in his wonderful cures by the blood of the Medusa given to him by Palis Athene it is well to observe that the shrines of this divinity which were usually built in healthy places on hills outside the town or near wells which were believed to have healing powers offered at the same time means of cure for the sick and suffering thus combining religious with sanitary influences the custom for the sufferer to sleep in the temple when if he had been earnest in his devotions Asclepius appeared to him in a dream and revealed the means to be employed for the cure of his malady on the walls of these temples were hung tablets inscribed by the different pilgrims with the particulars of their malades the remedies practised by the gods a custom undoubtedly productive of most beneficial results groves, temples and altars were dedicated to Asclepius in many parts of Greece but Epidorus the chief seat of his worship where indeed it is said to have originated contained his principal temple which served at the same time as a hospital the statue of Asclepius in the temple at Epidorus was formed of ivory and gold and represented him as an old man with a full beard leaning on a staff round which a serpent is climbing the serpent was the distinguishing symbol of this divinity partly because these reptiles were greatly used by the ancients in the cure of diseases and partly also because all the prudence and wisdom of the serpent were deemed indispensable to the religious physician his usual attributes are a staff, a bowl a bunch of herbs a pineapple a dog and a serpent his children inherited for the most part the distinguished talents of their father two of his sons Machaeon and Prudelyris accompanied Agamemnon to the Trojan War in which expedition they became renowned not only as military heroes but also as skillful physicians their sisters Hygia, Health and Penacea or Healing had temples dedicated to them and received divine honours the function of Hygia was to maintain the health of the community which great blessing was supposed to be brought by her as a direct and beneficent gift from the gods Asculapius the worship of Asculapius was introduced into Rome from Epidaurus whence the statue of the god of healing was brought at the time of a great pestilence grateful for their deliverance from this plague the Romans erected a temple in his honour on an island near the mouth of the Tiber End of section 17 Section 18 of Myths and Legends This is a Librivox recording All Librivox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit Librivox.org Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E. M. Barons Roman Divinities Janus From the earliest ages Janus was regarded by the Romans with the utmost affection and veneration as a divinity who ranked only second to himself and through whom all prayers and petitions were transmitted to the other gods He was believed to preside over the beginnings of all things hence it was he who inaugurated the years, months and seasons and in course of time came to be considered as specially protecting the beginnings of all human enterprises The great importance which the Romans attached to an auspicious commencement as contributing to the ultimate success of an enterprise accounts for the high estimation that Janus was held as the god of beginnings This divinity would appear to have been the ancient sun god of the Italian tribes in which capacity he opens and closes the gates of heaven every morning and evening hence he was regarded as the doorkeeper of heaven and also as the presiding deity over all gates, entrances, etc on earth The fact of his being the god of city gates, which were called Jani after him, is ascribed however to the following myth After the abduction of their women by the Romans the Sabines, in revenge invaded the Roman state and were already about to enter the gates of the city when suddenly a hot sulfur spring which was believed to have been sent by Janus for their special preservation gushed forth from the earth and arrested the progress of the enemy See footnote 179 In his character as guardian of gates and doors he was also regarded as a protecting deity of the home for which reason little shrines were erected to him over the doors of houses which contained an image of the god having two faces Janus possessed no temples in the ordinary acceptation of the world but all the gates of cities were dedicated to him Close to the forum of Rome stood the so called temple of Janus which however was merely an arched passage closed by massive gates This temple was only open in time of war as it was supposed that the god had then taken his departure with the Roman army over whose welfare he personally presided It is worthy of notice as an evidence of the many wars in which the Romans were engaged that the gates of this sanctuary were only closed three times during 700 years As the god who ushers in the new year the first month was called after him and on the first of January the most important festival was celebrated on which occasion all entrances of public and private buildings were decorated with laurel branches and garlands of flowers His sacrifices consisting of cakes wine and barley were offered to him at the beginning of every month and before sacrificing to the other gods his name was always invoked and a libation poured out to him Janus is usually represented with two faces In his special function as doorkeeper of heaven he stands erect bearing a key in one hand and a rod or scepter in the other It is supposed that Janus was the most ancient king of Italy who during his life governed his subjects with such wisdom and moderation that in gratitude for the benefits conferred upon them his people deified him after death and placed him in the foremost rank among their divinities We have already seen in the history of Cronus that Saturn, who was identified as the Greek Cronus, god of time was the friend and colleague of Janus Anxious to prove his gratitude to his benefactor Cronus endowed him with the knowledge of past and future events C footnote 180 which enabled him to adopt the wisest measures for the welfare of his subjects and it is on this account that Janus is represented with two faces looking in opposite directions the one to the past the other to the future Flora was the goddess of flowers and was regarded as a beneficent power who watched over and protected the early blossoms She was held in the highest estimation by the Romans and a festival called the Flora Lea was celebrated in her honor from the 28th of April to the 1st of May This festival was a season of universal merriment in which flowers were used profusely in adorning houses, streets, etc and were worn by young girls in their hair Flora, who typified the season of spring is generally represented as a lovely maiden garlanded with flowers Robigus In opposition to Flora we find an antagonistic divinity called Robigus a worker of evil who delighted in the destruction of the tender herbs by Mildew and whose wrath could only be averted by prayers and sacrifices when he was invoked under the title of Averuncus or the Avertor The festival of Robigus the Robigalia was celebrated on the 25th of April Pomona Pomona was the goddess of orchards and fruit trees who according to Ovid cares not for woods or streams but loves her gardens and the boughs that bear the thriving fruit Pomona, who typifies autumn is represented as a lovely maiden with branches of fruit trees See footnote 181 Vertumnus Vertumnus was the god of garden and field produce He personifies the change of seasons and that process of transformation in nature by means of which the leaf buds become developed into blossoms and the blossoms into fruit The change of seasons is symbolized in a myth which represents Vertumnus as metamorphosing himself into a variety of different forms in order to gain the affection of Pomona who so loved her vocation that she abjured all thoughts of marriage He first appears to her as a plowman typifying spring then as a reaper to represent summer afterwards as a vine gatherer to educate autumn and finally as a grey-haired old woman symbolical of the snows of winter but it was not until he assumed his true form that of a beautiful youth that he succeeded in his suit Vertumnus is generally represented crowned with wheat sheaves and bearing in his hand a cornucopia Hales Hales, a very ancient Italian divinity, is represented sometimes as a male sometimes as a female power as a male divinity he is more particularly the god of shepherds and flocks as a female deity Hales presides over husbandry and the fruitfulness of herds her festivals the Pallilia were celebrated on the 21st of April the day on which the city of Rome was founded during this festival it is customary for shepherds to ignite a mass of straw through which they rushed with air flocks believing that this ordeal would purify them from sin the name Palatine which originally signified a pastoral colony is derived from this divinity her offerings were cakes and milk Seafoot note 182 Picus Picus, the son of Saturn and father of Phalmas was a woodland divinity gifted with prophetic powers an ancient myth relates that Picus was a beautiful youth united to a nymph called Canons the sorceress Circe infatuated by his beauty and his love but he rejected her advances and she in revenge changed him to a woodpecker under which form he still retained his powers of prophecy Picus is represented as a youth with a woodpecker perched upon his head which bird became henceforth regarded as possessed of the power of prophecy Picumnes and Pailunus Picumnes and Pailunus were two household divinities of the Romans who were the special presiding deities of newborn infants Sylvanus Sylvanus was a woodland divinity who like Phalmas greatly resembled the Greek pan he was the presiding deity of plantations and forests and specially protected the boundaries of fields Sylvanus is represented as a hail old man carrying a cypress tree for according to Roman mythology the transformation of the youth Cyparasus into the tree which bears his name to him his sacrifices consisted of milk, meat, wine grapes, wheat ears and pigs Terminus Terminus was the god who presided over all boundaries and landmarks he was originally represented by a simple block of stone which in later times became surmounted by a head of this divinity Seafoot note 183 Numo Pompilius the great benefactor of his people with respect for the rights of property specially enjoined the erection of these blocks of stone as a durable monument to mark the line dividing one property from another he also caused altars to be raised to Terminus and instituted his festival the Terminalia which was celebrated on the 23rd of February upon one occasion when Tarquin wished to remove the altars of several deities in order to build a new temple it is said that Terminus and Juventus alone were subjected to being displaced this obstinate refusal on their part was interpreted as a good omen signifying that the city of Rome would never lose her boundaries and would remain ever young and vigorous Consis Consis was the god of secret council the Romans believed that when an idea developed itself spontaneously within the mind of an individual it was Consis who had prompted the suggestion this applied however more particularly to plans which resulted satisfactorily an altar was erected to this Divinity on the Circus Maximus which was kept always covered except during his festival the Consiulia which was celebrated on the 18th of August Libertina Libertina was the goddess who presided over funerals this Divinity was identified with Venus possibly because the ancients considered that the power of love extended even to the realms of death her temple in Rome which was erected by Servius Tullius contained all the requisites for funerals and these could either be bought or hired there a register of all deaths which occurred in the city of Rome was kept in this temple and in order to ascertain the rate of mortality a piece of money was paid by command of Servius Tullius on the demise of each person See footnote 184 Libertina Libertina was the presiding goddess of thieves and of all artifice and fraud there was an altar erected to her near the Porta Levernalis which was called after her and she possessed a sacred grove on the Via Salavia Comus Comus was the presiding genius of banquets, festive scenes, revelry and all joyous pleasures and reckless gaity he is represented as a young man crowned with flowers his face heated and flushed with wine leaning against a post in a half sleepy and drunken attitude with a torch falling from his hand the Caymane the Caymane were prophetic nymphs held in high veneration by the ancient Italians they were foreign number the best known of whom are Carmenta and Egeria Carmenta was celebrated as being the mother of Evander who led an Arcadian colony into Italy and founded a town on the river Tiber that came afterwards incorporated with the city of Rome Evander said to have been the first who introduced Greek art and civilization into Italy and also the worship of Greek divinities a temple was erected to Carmenta on the capital line hill and a festival called the Carmentalia was celebrated in her honor on the 11th of January Egeria is said to have initiated Duma Pompilius in the forms of religious worship and worshiping his people she was regarded as the giver of life and was therefore invoked by women before the birth of their children see footnote 185 the Caymane are frequently identified by Roman writers with the muses Genii a comforting and assuring belief existed among the Romans that each individual was accompanied through life from the hour of his birth to that of his death by a protecting spirit called his genius who prompted him to good and noble deeds and acted towards him as a guardian angel comforting him in sorrow and guiding him throughout his earthly career in the course of time a second genius was believed to exist of an evil nature who as the instigator of all wrong doing was ever at war with the beneficent genius and on the issue of the conflict between these antagonistic influences depended the fate of the individual the genii were depicted as winged beings greatly resembling our modern representations of guardian angels every state, town, or city as well as every man possessed its special genius the sacrifices to the genii consisted of wine, cakes, and incense which were offered to them on birthdays the genius which guided a woman was called after the queen of heaven Juno beings called daemons were regarded as exercising similar functions to those of the Roman genii they were believed to be the spirits of the righteous race which existed in the golden age who watched over mankind carrying their prayers to the gods and the gifts of the gods to them the mains were the spirits of the departed and were of two kinds these would be lemurs and laurice see footnote 186 the lemurs were those mains who haunted their former abodes on earth as evil spirits appearing at night under awful forms and hideous shapes greatly to the alarm of their friends and relatives they were so feared that a festival called the lemuralia was celebrated in order to propitiate them it appears extremely probable that the superstitions with regard to spirits, haunted houses etc which exist even at the present day owe their origin to this very ancient pagan source the laurice familiaris were a much more pleasing conception they were the spirits of the ancestors of each family who exercised after death a protecting power over the well being and prosperity of the family to which they had in life belonged the place of honor beside the hearth was occupied by the statue of the laur of the house who was supposed to have been the founder of the family this statue was the object of profound veneration and was honored on all occasions by every member of the family a portion of each meal was laid before it and it was believed to take an active part in all family affairs and domestic events whether of a sad or joyful nature before starting on any expedition the master of the house saluted the statue of the laur and on his return a solemn thanksgiving was offered to this the presiding deity of his hearth and home in grateful acknowledgement of his protection where upon the statue was crowned with garlands of flowers these being the favorite offerings of the laurice on all occasions of a special family rejoicing the first act of a bride on entering her new abode was to do homage to the laur in the belief that he would exercise over her a protecting influence and shield her from evil in addition to those above enumerated there were also public laurice who were guardians of the state high roads, country and sea their temples were always open for any pious worshipper to enter and on their altars public sacrifices were offered for the welfare of the state or city see footnote 187 penates the penates were deities selected by each family and frequently by its individual members as a special protector various causes led to this selection if for instance a child were born on the festival of Vesta it was thought that that deity would hence forward act as its special guardian if a youth possessed great business talents he adopted Mercury as his tutelary deity should he on the other hand develop a passion for music, Apollo was selected as his patron god and so forth these became regarded as the special divinities of the household small images of them adorned the surroundings of the hearth and honors similar to those paid to the laurice were accorded to them just as there were public laurice so there were public penates which were worshiped by the Roman people under the form of two youthful warriors who in later times were regarded as identical with castor and Pollux they are generally represented on horseback with conical caps on their heads and bearing long spears in their hands the footnote 188 end of section 18 recorded by Anthony Wilson section 19 of myths and legends this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org myths and legends of ancient Greece and Rome by E. M. Barons public worship of the ancient Greeks and Romans temples in very remote times the Greeks had no shrines or sanctuaries devoted to public worship but performed their devotions beneath the vast and boundless canopy of heaven in the great temple of nature itself believing that their divinities thrown above the clouds pious worshipers naturally sought the highest available points in order to place themselves in the closest communion possible with their gods hence the summits of high mountains were selected for devotional purposes and the more exalted the rank and importance of the divinity invoked the more elevated was the site selected for his or her worship but the inconvenience attending this mode of worship gradually suggested the idea of erecting edifices which would afford means of shelter from the inclemancy of the weather these structures were of the most simple form and without decoration but when with the progress of civilization the Greeks became a wealthy and powerful people see footnote 189 temples were built and adorned with the greatest splendor and magnificence talent, labor and wealth being lavished unsparingly on their erection and decoration indeed so massively were they constructed that some of them have to a certain extent withstood the ravages of time the city of Athens especially contains numerous remains of these buildings of antiquity on the acropolis we may still behold among other monuments of ancient art the temple of Athena Palaeus and that of Theseus the latter of which is the most entire ancient edifice in the world in the island of Delos also are to be seen the ruins of the temples of Apollo and Artemis both of which are in a wonderful state of preservation these ruins are most valuable being sufficiently complete to enable us to study by their aid the plan and character of the original structure among the Lacedemonians however we find no vestiges of these stately temples for they were especially enjoined by a law of Lysergis to serve the gods with as little outlay as possible when the great law giver was asked the reason of this injunction he replied that the Lacedemonians being a poor nation might otherwise abstain altogether from the observance of their religious duties and wisely added that magnificent edifices and costly sacrifices were not so pleasing to the gods as the true piety and unfaimed devotion of their worshippers the most ancient temples known to us served a double purpose they were not only consecrated to the service of the gods but were at the same time venerable monuments in honor of the dead thus for instance the temple of Palaeus Athenae the tower of the city of Larissa served as the sepulcher of Acricias and the acropolis at Athens received the ashes of sea crops founder of the city a temple was frequently dedicated to two or more gods and was always built after the manner considered most acceptable to the particular divinities to whom it was consecrated for just as trees, birds, and animals of every description were held to be sacred to certain deities see footnote 190 so almost every god had a form of building peculiar to himself which was deemed more acceptable to him than any other thus the Doric style of architecture was sacred to Zeus, Aris, and Heracles the Ionic to Apollo, Artemis, and Dionysus and the Corinthian to Hestia in the porch of the temple stood a vessel of stone or brass containing holy water which had been consecrated by putting into it the burning torch taken from the altar with which all those admitted to take part in the sacrifices were besprinkled in the inmost recess of the sanctuary was the most holy place into which none but the priests were suffered to enter temples in the country were usually surrounded with groves of trees the solitude of these shady retreats naturally tended to inspire the worshiper with awe and reverence added to which the delightful shade is peculiarly grateful in hot countries indeed so general did this custom of building temples and groves become that all places devoted to sacred purposes even where no trees existed were called groves that this practice must be of very remote antiquity is provided by the biblical injunction having for its object the separation of the Jews from all idolatrous practices thou shalt not plant the agrova trees near unto the altar of the Lord by God and the statues the Greeks worshipped their gods without any visible representations of them until the time of sea crops the most ancient of these representations consisted of square blocks of stone upon which the name of the deity intended to be represented was engraved the first attempts at sculpture were rude stocks with a head at one end and a shapeless trunk at the other tapering slightly down to the feet which however were not divided being in no way defined but the artists of later times devoted all their genius to the successful production of the highest ideals of their gods some of which are preserved to this day and are regarded as examples of purest art see footnote 191 on a pedestal in the center of the edifice stood the statue of the divinity to whom the temple was dedicated surrounded by images of other gods all of which were fenced off by rails altars the altar in a Greek temple which stood in the center of the building and in front of the statue of the presiding deity was generally of a circular form and constructed of stone it was customary to engrave upon it the name or distinguishing symbol of the divinity to whom it was dedicated and it was held so sacred that if any mal factor fled to it his life was saved from his pursuers and it was considered one of the greatest acts of sacrilege to force him from this asylum the most ancient altars were adorned with horns which in former times were emblems of power and dignity as wealth and consequently importance consisted among most primitive nations in flocks and herds in addition to those erected in places of public worship altars were frequently raised in groves on highways or in the marketplaces of cities the gods of the lower world had no altars whatever ditches or trenches being dug for the reception of the blood of the sacrifices offered to them priests in ancient times the priests were recognized as a special social caste and were distinguished not only by their sacerdotal vestments but also by their piety wisdom and blameless life they were the chosen mediators between gods and men and offered prayers and sacrifices in the name of the people whom they also instructed as to what vows gifts and offerings would be most acceptable to the gods see footnote 192 every deity had a different order of priests consecrated to his worship and in every place a high priest was appointed whose duty it was to superintend the rest of his order and also to carry out the more sacred rights and religious observances priests and priestesses were permitted to marry but not a second time however voluntarily adopted a life of celibacy sacrifices there is no doubt that a feeling of gratitude to the gods for their protecting care and the abundance with which they were believed to bless mankind has induced men of all nations and in all countries to feel a desire to sacrifice to their divinities some portion of the gifts so generously lavished upon them among the Greeks sacrifices were of various kinds they consisted of free will offerings propitiatory offerings etc free will offerings were grateful acknowledgments for benefits received and usually consisted of the first fruits of the field or the finest of the flocks and herds which were required to be without spot or blemish propitiatory offerings were brought with the object of appeasing the anger of the gods in addition to those above enumerated sacrifices were made either with excess in an enterprise about to be undertaken or in a fulfillment of a vow or at the command of an oracle every sacrifice was accompanied by salt and also by a libation which usually consisted of wine the cupping always filled to the brim indicating that the offering was made without stint when sacrificing to the infernal gods the cup containing the libation was filled with blood the animals offered to the Olympian communities were white whilst those to the gods of the lower world were black when a man offered a special sacrifice for himself or his family it partook of the nature of his occupation see footnote 193 thus a shepherd brought a sheep a vine grower his grapes and so forth but in the case of public sacrifices the supposed individuality of the deity was always consulted for instance to Demeter who was offered because that animal is apt to root up the seed corn to Dionysus a goat on account of its being destructed to vineyards etc the value of offerings depended greatly upon the position of the individual it being regarded as a contempt of the gods for a rich man to bring a sordid offering whilst from a poor man the smallest oblation was considered acceptable Hecateums consisted of a hundred animals and were offered by entire communities or by wealthy individuals who either deserved or had obtained some special favor from the gods when a sacrifice was to be offered a fire was kindled on the altar into which wine and frankincense were poured in order to increase the flame in very ancient times the victim was laid upon the altar and burned whole but after the time of Prometheus portions only of the shoulders thighs and trails etc were sacrificed the remainder becoming the perquisites of the priests the officiating priests wore a crown composed of leaves of the tree sacred to the deity they invoked thus when sacrificing to Apollo the crowns were of Laurel when to Heracles of Poplar this practice of wearing crowns was at a later period adopted by the general public at banquets and other festivities on occasions of special solemnity the horns of the victim were overlaid with gold and the altars decked with flowers and sacred herbs the mode of conducting the sacrifices was as follows all things being prepared a salt cake a sacrificial knife and the crowns were placed in a small basket and carried to the sanctuary by a young maiden where upon the victim was conducted into the temple frequently to the accompaniment of music if a small animal it was driven loose to the altar if a large one it was led by a long trailing rope in order to indicate that it was not an unwilling sacrifice see footnote 194 when all were assembled the priest after walking in solemn state around the altar be sprinkled it with a mixture of meal and holy water after which he also be sprinkled the assembled worshipers and exhorted them to join with him in prayer the service being ended the priest first tasted the libation and after causing the congregation to do the like poured the remainder between the horns of the victim after which frankincense was strewn upon the altar and a portion of the meal and water poured upon the animal which was then killed if by any chance the victim escaped the stroke or became in any way restless it was regarded as an evil omen if on the contrary it expired without a struggle it was considered auspicious at the sacrifices to the aerial divinity's music was added whilst dances were performed around the altar and sacred hymns sung these hymns were generally composed in honor of the gods and contained an account of their famous actions their clemency and beneficence and the gifts conferred by them on mankind in conclusion the gods were invoked for continuance of their favor and when the service was ended a feast was held oracles the desire to penetrate the dark veil of futurity and thereby to avert if possible threatened danger has animated mankind in all ages of the world prophetic knowledge was sought by the Greeks at the mouth of oracles whose predictions were interpreted to the people by priests specially appointed for the purpose the most famous of these institutions was the oracle of Apollo at Delphi which was held in general repute all over the world people flocked from far and near to consult this wonderful mouth piece of the gods one month in the year being specially set apart for the purpose see footnote 195 the priestess who delivered the oracles was called the Pythia after the serpent Python which was killed by Apollo having first bathed in the waters of the Castilian spring she was conducted into the temple by the priests and was seated on a sort of three-legged stool or table called a tripod which was placed over the mouth of a cave once issued sulfurous vapors here she gradually became affected in a remarkable manner and fell into an ecstatic condition in which she uttered wild and extraordinary phrases which were held to be the utterance of Apollo himself these the priests interpreted to the people but in most cases in so ambiguous a manner that the fulfillment of the prediction could not easily be disputed during the ceremony clouds of incense filled the temple and hid the priestess from the view of the uninitiated and at its conclusion she was reconducted in a fainting condition to her cell the following is a striking instance of the ambiguity of oracular predictions Croesus the rich king of Lydia before going to war with Cyrus king of Persia consulted an oracle as to the probable success of the expedition the reply he received was that if he crossed a certain river he would destroy a great empire interpreting the response as being favorable to his design Croesus crossed the river and encountered the Persian king by whom he was entirely defeated and his own empire being destroyed the prediction of the oracle was said to have been fulfilled soothsayers augurs in addition to the manifestation of the will of the gods by means of oracles the Greeks also believed that certain men called soothsayers were gifted with the power of foretelling future events from dreams from observing the flight of birds the entrails of sacrificed animals and even the direction of the flames and smoke from the altar etc see footnote 196 augurs the Roman soothsayers were called augurs and played an important part in the history of the Romans as no enterprise was ever undertaken without first consulting them with its ultimate success festivals festivals were instituted as seasons of rest rejoicing and thanksgiving and also as anniversaries to commemorate events of national importance the most ancient festivals were those held after the in-gathering of the harvest or vintage and were celebrated with rejoicings and merry makings which lasted many days during which time the first fruits of the fields were offered to the gods by prayers and thanksgiving the festivals held in cities in honor of special divinities or in commemoration of particular events were conducted with an elaborate ceremonial gorgeous processions games chariot races etc were conspicuous features on these occasions and dramatic performances representing particular episodes in the lives of the gods and heroes frequently took place we subjoin a few of the most interesting of the greek and roman festivals end of section 19 recording by anthony wilson section 20 of myths and legends this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E. M. Barons Greek Festivals Elysinian Mysteries One of the most ancient and important among the festivals observed by the Greeks was that of the Elysinian Mysteries which was celebrated in honor of Demeter and Persephone the name was derived from Elusis a town in Attica where the mysteries were first introduced by the goddess herself they were divided into the greater and lesser mysteries and according to the general account were held every five years the greater which were celebrated in honor of Demeter and lasted nine days were held in autumn the lesser dedicated to Persephone who at these festivals was affectionately called Cora or the Maiden were held in spring it is supposed that the secrets taught to the initiated by the priests the expounders of the mysteries were moral meanings elucidated from the myths concerning Demeter and Persephone but the most important belief inculcated was the doctrine of the immortality of the soul that the lessons taught were of the highest moral character is universally admitted the souls of those who participated in them were filled with the sweetest hopes both as to this and to the future world and it was a common saying among the Athenians in the mysteries no one is sad the initiation into these solemn rites which was originally the exclusive privilege of the Athenians was accompanied with awe-inspiring ceremonies and secrecy was so strictly enjoined that its violation was punished by death at the conclusion of the initiation great rejoicings took place chariot races wrestling matches, etc. were held and solemn sacrifices offered the initiation into the lesser mysteries served as a preparation for the greater Thesmaphoria the Thesmaphoria was another festival held in honor of Demeter in her character as presiding over marriage and social institutions resulting from the spread of agriculture this festival was celebrated exclusively by women Dionysia a joyous spring festival was held in honor of Dionysius in the month of March and lasted several days this festival which was called the Greater Dionysia was celebrated with a particular splendor at Athens when strangers flocked from all parts of the world to take part in the ceremonies the city was gaily decorated the houses were garlanded with ivy leaves crowds perambulated the streets everything wore its holiday garb and wine was freely indulged in in the processions which took place during these festivities the statue of Dionysus was carried and men and women crowned with ivy and bearing the Thersis were dressed in every description of grotesque costume and played on drums pipes, blutes, cymbals, etc. some representing Silanus rode on asses others wearing fawn skins appeared as pan or the sadders and the whole multitude sang pions in honor of the wine-god public shows, games, and sports took place and the entire city was full of revelry what lent additional interest to these festivals was the custom of introducing new comedies and tragedies to the public representations of which were given and prizes awarded to those which elicited the greatest admiration the lesser Dionysia were vintage festivals celebrated in rural districts in the month of November and were characterized by drinking, feasting and joviality of all kinds in connection with some of the festivals in honor of Dionysus were certain mystic observances into which only women, called Menides or Bacchantes, were initiated clad and fawn skins they assembled by night on the mountain sides some carrying blazing torches others Thersi and all animated with religious enthusiasm and frenzy they shouted, clapped their hands, danced wildly and worked themselves up to such a pitch of passion and fury that in their mad frenzy they tore in pieces the animal brought as a sacrifice to Dionysus under the name of Bacchanalia these mystic rites were introduced into Rome where men also were allowed to participate in them but they were attended with such frightful excesses that the state authorities at length intervened and prohibited them Panathena the Panathena was a famous festival celebrated in Athens in honor of Athenipoleus, the guardian of the state there were two festivals of this name the lesser and the greater Panathenaia the former was held annually and the latter which lasted several days was celebrated every fourth year for the greater Panathenaia a garment embroidered with the gold called the peplus was specially woven by Athenian maidens on which was represented the victory gained by Athena over the giants this garment was suspended to the mast of a ship which stood outside the city and during the festival which was characterized by a grand procession the ship with the peplus on its mast was impelled forward by means of invisible machinery and formed the most conspicuous feature of the pageant the whole population bearing olive branches in their hands took part in the procession and amidst music and rejoicings this imposing pageant wended its way to the temple of Athenipoleus where the peplus was deposited on the statue of the goddess at this festival Homer's poems were declaimed loud and poets also introduced their own works to the public musical contests foot and horse races and wrestling matches were held and dances were performed by boys in armor men who had deserved well of their country were presented at the festival with a crown of gold and the name of the person so distinguished was announced publicly by a herald the victors in the races and athletic games received as a prize a vase of oil supposed to have been extracted from the fruit of the sacred olive tree of Athena the daffnophoria the daffnophoria was celebrated at Thebes in honor of Apollo every ninth year the distinguishing feature of this festival was a procession to the temple of Apollo in which a young priest the daffnophorus of noble descent splendidly attired in wearing a crown of gold was preceded by a youth carrying an emblematic representation of the sun, moon, stars and days of the year and followed by beautiful maidens wearing laurel branches and singing hymns in honor of the gods End of Section 20 Section 21 of Myths and Legends This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Kirsten Ferrari Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E. M. Barons Section 21 Roman Festivals Saturnalia The Saturnalia a national festival held in December in honor of Saturn was celebrated after the in-gathering of the harvest and lasted several days it was a time of universal rejoicing cessation from labor and merry-making school children had holidays friends sent presents to each other the law courts were closed and no business was transacted from the surrounding country flocked to Rome for this festival attired in every variety of masquerade dress practical jokes were given and received with the utmost good humor shouts of exultation filled the air all classes abandoned themselves to enjoyment and unrestrained hilarity reigned supreme social distinctions were for a time suspended or even reversed and so heartily was the spirit of this festival entered into that masters waited upon their slaves at banquets which they provided to them the slaves being dressed upon these occasions in the garments of their masters there appears little doubt that the modern carnival is a survival of the ancient Saturnalia Cerealia this festival was celebrated in honor of Ceres it was solemnized exclusively by women who dressed in white garments wandered about with torches in their hands to represent the search of the goddess for her daughter proserpina during this festival games were celebrated as maximus to which none were admitted unless clothed in white Vestalia the Vestalia was a festival held in honor of Vesta on the 9th of June and was celebrated exclusively by women who walked barefooted in procession to the temple of the goddess the priestesses of Vesta called Vestales or Vestal Virgins played a conspicuous part in these festivals they were 6 in number and were chosen between the ages of 6 and 10 from the noblest families in Rome their term of office was 30 years during the first 10 years they were initiated in their religious duties during the second 10 they performed them and during the third they instructed novices their chief was watch and feed the ever-burning flame on the altar of Vesta the extinction of which was regarded as a national calamity of ominous import great honors and privileges were accorded to them the best seats were reserved for their use at all public festivals and even the consuls and praetors made way for them to pass if they met a criminal on his way to execution they had the power to pardon him provided it could be proved that the meeting was accidental the Vestales were vowed to Chastity a violation of which was visited by the frightful punishment of being buried alive End of section 21 Section 22 of Myths and Legends This is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Graham Redman Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E. M. Behrens Legends Cadmus The following is the legendary account of the founding of Thebes after the abduction of his daughter Europa by Zeus a gena, king of Phoenicia unable to reconcile himself to her loss dispatched his son Cadmus in search of her desiring him not to return without his sister for many years Cadmus pursued his search through various countries but without success not daring to return home without her he consulted the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi and the reply was that he must desist from his task and take upon himself a new duty i.e. that of founding a city the site of which would be indicated to him by a heifer which had never borne the yoke and which would lie down on the spot where on the city was to be built Scarcely had Cadmus left the sacred vein when he observed a heifer who bore no marks of servitude on her neck walking slowly in front of him he followed the animal for a considerable distance until at length on the site where Thebes afterwards stood she looked towards heaven and gently lowing lay down in the long grass grateful for this mark of divine favor Cadmus resolved to offer up the animal as a sacrifice and accordingly sent his followers to fetch water for the libation of the neighboring spring this spring which was sacred to Ares was situated in a wood and guarded by a fierce dragon who at the approach of the retainers of Cadmus suddenly pounced upon them and killed them after waiting some time for the return of his servants Cadmus grew impatient and hastily arming himself with his lance and spear set out to seek them on reaching the spot the mangled remains of his unfortunate followers met his view and near them he beheld the frightful monster dripping with the blood of his victims seizing a huge rock the hero hurled it with all his might upon the dragon but protected by his tough black skin and steely scales as by a coat of mail he remained unhurt Cadmus now tried his lance and with more success for it pierced the side of the beast who furious with pain sprang at his adversary when Cadmus leaping aside succeeded in fixing the point of his spear within his jaws which final stroke put an end to the encounter while Cadmus stood surveying his vanquished foe Palacitini appeared to him and commanded him to sow the teeth of the dead dragon in the ground he obeyed and out of the furrows there arose a band of armed men who at once commenced to fight with each other until all except five were killed these last surviving warriors made peace with each other and it was with their assistance that Cadmus now built the famous city of Thebes in later times the noblest Theban families proudly claimed their descent from these mighty earth-born warriors Ares was furious with rage when he discovered that Cadmus had slain his dragon and would have killed him had not Zeus interfered and induced him to mitigate his punishment to that of servitude for the term of eight years at the end of that time the god of war became reconciled to Cadmus and in token of his forgiveness bestowed upon him the hand of his daughter Harmonia in marriage their nuptials were almost as celebrated as those of Peleus and Thetis all the gods honored them with their presence and offered rich gifts and congratulations Cadmus himself presented his lovely bride with a splendid necklace fashioned by Hephaestus which however after the death of Harmonia always proved fatal to its possessor the children of Cadmus and Harmonia were one son, Polydorus and four daughters Auto-Noe, Ino, Simile and Agave for many years the founder of Thebes reigned happily but at length a conspiracy was formed against him and he was deprived of his throne by his grandson Pentheus accompanied by his faithful wife Harmonia he retired into Illyria and after death they were both changed by Zeus into serpents and transferred to Elysium Perseus Perseus, one of the most renowned of the legendary heroes of antiquity was the son of Zeus and Danii daughter of Ecrissius King of Argos an oracle having foretold to Ecrissius that a son of Danii would be the cause of his death he imprisoned her in a tower of brass in order to keep her secluded from the world Zeus however descended through the roof of the tower in the form of a shower of gold and the lovely Danii became his bride for four years Ecrissius 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 Ecrissius 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 cause the chest to float safely to the island of Serifus Dictus, brother of Polydectes king of the island, was fishing on the seashore 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 Danii and bestowed upon Poseus an education befitting a hero when he saw his stepson jump into a noble and manly youth he endeavored to instill into his mind a desire to signalise 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 Aides 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 griii Poseus started on his expedition and guided by Hermes and Palacithini arrived after a long journey in the far-off region on the borders of Oceanus where dwelt the griii 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 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 Poseus 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 with the 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 Chryséor 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 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 pursues to brood of many coloured snakes which spread all over the country pursues 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 pursues 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 peak which reached into the clouds pursues then resumed his travels his winged sandals bore him over deserts and mountains until he arrived at Ethiopia the kingdom of King Sifius 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 Cassiopeia having boasted that her beauty surpassed that of the Nerides 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 Ethiopians applied to the oracle of Jupiter Ammon in the Libyan desert and obtained the response that only by the sacrifice of the king's daughter to the monster could the country and people be saved Sifius 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 heartbroken father gave up his child for the welfare of his country Andromeda was accordingly chained to a rock on the seashore 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 Pursues proposed to Sifius 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 pursues hastened to the rock to breathe words of hope and comfort to the trembling maiden then assuming once more the helmet of Aedes he mounted into the air and awaited the approach of the monster presently the sea opened and the sharks head of the gigantic beast of the deep raised itself above the waves lashing his tail furiously from side to side he leapt forward to seize his victim at 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 forever a silent witness of the miraculous deliverance of Andromeda pursues 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 fine use 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 which might have terminated fatally for pursues had he not suddenly bethought himself of the medusa's head calling to his friends to divert their faces he drew it from his wallet and held it before fine use and his formidable bodyguard whereupon they all stiffened into stone pursues now took leave of the Ethiopian king and accompanied by his beautiful bride returned to Seraphus where a joyful meeting took place between Danae and her son he then sent a messenger informing him that he intended returning to Argos but Ecrissius, fearing the fulfillment of the oracular prediction fled for protection to his friend Teutimus king of Larissa anxious to induce the aged monarch to return to Argos pursues followed him thither but here a strange fatality occurred whilst taking part in some funereal games that he created in honour of the king's father pursues 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 Ecrissius with due solemnity pursues returned to Argos but feeling loath to occupy the throne of one whose death he had caused he exchanged kingdoms with Megapenthe's king of Tirins and in course of time founded the cities of Mycenae and Midia 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 pursues and Andromeda foremost among whom was Heracles whose mother, Alcmini was their granddaughter heroic honours were paid to pursues not only throughout Argos but also at Athens and in the island of Seraphus end of section 22 recording by Graham Redman section 23 of Myths and Legends this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Sarah Williams Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E. M. Barons chapter 23 Legends Ion and Dedalus and Icarus Ion Ion was the son of Creosa the beauteous daughter of Eric Theos king of Athens and the sun god Phoebus Apollo to whom she was united without the knowledge of her father fearing the anger of Eric Theos Creosa placed her newborn 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 pitting 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 entrusted with some of the minor duties of the holy edifice and now to return to Creosa during a war with the Eubians in which the latter were signally defeated Zuthis, son of Aeolus greatly distinguished himself on the side of the Athenians and as a reward for his valuable services the hand of Creosa, the king's daughter was bestowed upon him in marriage their union however was not blessed with children and as this is a source of great grief to both of them they repaired to Delphi in order to consult the great oracle the response was that Zuthis should regard the first person who met him on leaving the sanctuary as his son now it happened that Aion the young guardian of the temple was the first to greet his view and when Zuthis beheld the beautiful youth welcomed him as his son declaring that the gods had sent him to be a blessing and comfort to his old age Creosa 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 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 the old servant of Creosa contrived to mix a strong poison in the wine of the unsuspecting Aion 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 where upon the poor little creature began to quiver in every limb and in a few moments expired Aion's suspicions at once fell upon the obsequious servant of Creosa 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 Zuthis as the instigator of the crime Aion was about to avenge himself upon Creosa 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 Creosa and Aion in order to set all doubts at rest she produced the charms which he 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 Creosa revealed to Aion 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 Aionians also that Zuthis and Creosa would have a son called Doris who would be the progenitor of the Dorian people both of which predictions were in due time verified Daedalus and Icarus Daedalus, a descendant of Eric Theus was an Athenian architect, sculptor and mechanician he was the first 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 broke no rival now his nephew and pupil Talus exhibited great talent having invented both the saw and the compass and Daedalus fearing lest he might overshadow his own fame secretly killed him by throwing him down from the citadel of Palisthen the murder being discovered Daedalus was summoned before the court of the Aeropagus 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 Daedalus 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 Daedalus 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 Daedalus winged his flight to the island of Sicily he went with a kind welcome from King Cocalis 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 Cocalis then he sailed over to Sicily with a large army and sent messengers to the Sicilian king demanding the surrender of his guest Cocalis 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 a gregent by the Cretans where it was buried with great pomp and over his tomb a temple to Aphrodite was erected Daedalus 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 End of Section 23 Recording by Sarah Williams Germantown, Maryland June 2008 Section 24 of Myths and Legends This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E. M. Barons The Argonauts Jason, king of Yolkis was forced to fly from his dominions which had been usurped by his younger brother Palaeus and with difficulty succeeded in saving the life of his young son Jason who was at that time only 10 years of age He entrusted 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 10 years Jason remained in the cave of the centaur by whom he was instructed in all useful and war-like 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 Yolkis to demand from his uncle Palaeus 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 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 pitting her for lorn condition he raced 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 his 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 Yolkis he found his uncle in the marketplace offering up a public sacrifice to Poseidon When the king had concluded his offering his eye fell upon the distinguished stranger whose manly duty and heroic bearing had already attracted the attention of his people Observing that one foot was unshot he was reminded of an oracular prediction which foretold to him the loss of his kingdom by a man wearing only one sandal however disguised his fears and versed kindly with the youth and drew from him his name and errand then pretending to be highly pleased with his nephew Palaeus 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 Palaeus assembling 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 phryxes had appeared to him in his dreams and entreated him to bring back from Kalkis his mortal remains and the golden fleece and added that if Jason succeeded in obtaining for him these sacred relics throne, kingdom, and scepter would be his Story of the Golden Fleece Athamas king of Doshan had married Nepheli a clouded nymph and their children were Heli and Phryxes the restless and wandering nature of Nepheli however soon wearied her husband who being immortal had little sympathy with his ethereal consort so he divorced her and married the beautiful but wicked I know sister of Semeli who hated her stepchildren and even planned their destruction but the watchful Nepheli 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 Oram with a fleece of pure gold which had been given to her by Hermes on this wonderful animal brother and sister rode through the air over land and sea but on the way Heli becoming seized with giddiness fell into the sea called after her the hellish pond and was drowned Phryxes arrived safely at Colchis where he was hospitably received by King Aetis who gave him one of his daughters in marriage in gratitude to Zeus for the protection accorded him during his flight Phryxes sacrificed to him the golden ram, Wilst of Fleece he presented to Aetis 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 Aetis depended on the safekeeping 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 forever of the unwelcome intruder Jason accordingly began to arrange his plans without delay and invited the young heroes whose friendship he had formed Wilst under the care of Chiron to join him in the perilous expedition none refused the invitation all feeling honored at being allowed the privilege of taking part in so noble and heroic and undertaking Jason now applied to Argos one of the cleverest ship builders of this time who under the guidance of Palas Athene built for him a splendid 50-Ord galley which was called the Argo after the builder in the upper deck of the vessel the goddess had embedded a board from the speaking oak oracle of Zeus at Odona whichever 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 were assembled and their places were distributed by a lot Jason was appointed commander-in-chief of the expedition Typhus acted as Stearman Lynsius as Pilate in the bow of the vessel sat the renowned hero Heracles in the stern Palaeus father of Achilles and Telemon the father of Ajax the Great in the inner space were Caster and Pollux Neelius the father of Nestor Amethys the husband of Alcystis Maligar the slayer of the Caledonian Boar Orpheus the renown singer Menuctius the father of Patroclus Thesius afterwards king of Athens and his friend Pyrithius the son of Ixion Hylis the adopted son of Heracles Euphemus the son of Poseidon Eulius father of Ix the bellesser Zittis and Calais the winged sons of Boreas Idemon the seer the son of Apolo Mopsis the Thessalian prophet etc. 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 Mopsis having taken the auguris and found them auspicious and the heroes stepped on board and now a favorable breeze having sprung up they take their allotted places the anchor is weighed and the ship glides like a bird out of the harbor into the waters of the great sea Arrival at Lemnus the argo with her brave crew of 50 heroes was soon out of sight and the sea breeze only waft to the shore a faint echo of the sweet strains of Orpheus for a time all went smoothly but the vessel was soon driven by stress of weather to take refuge in a harbor in the island of Lemnus this island was inhabited by women only who the year before in a fit of mad jealousy had killed all the male population of the island with the exception of the father of the queen Hipsipili as the protection of their island themselves they were always on the lookout for danger when, therefore, they sided the argo from afar they armed themselves and rushed to the shore determined to repel any invasion off their territory on arriving in port the Argonauts astonished at beholding an armed crowd of women dispatched a herald in one of their boats bearing the staff of peace and friendship Hipsipili, the queen that food and presents should be sent to the strangers in order to prevent their landing but her old nurse who stood beside her suggested that this would be a good opportunity to provide themselves with noble husbands who would act as their defenders and thus put an end to their constant fears Hipsipili listened attentively to the advice of her nurse and after some consultation decided to invite the strangers into the city robed in his purple mantle the gift of palace Athene Jason, accompanied by some of his companions, stepped on shore where he was met by a deputation consisting of the most beautiful of the Lemnian women and as commander of the expedition was invited into the palace of the queen when he appeared before Hipsipili she was so struck with his godlike and heroic presence that she presented him with her father's scepter and invited him to seat himself on the throne beside her. Jason thereupon took up his residence in the royal castle whilst his companions scattered themselves through the town spending their time in feasting and pleasure. Heracles with a few chosen comrade also remained on board From day to day their departure was delayed and the Argonauts in their new life of dissipation had almost forgotten the object of the expedition when Heracles suddenly appeared amongst them and at last recall them to a sense of their duty giants and the lioness the Argonauts now pursued their voyage till contrary winds drove them toward the island inhabited by the the lioness whose king Scythicus received them kindness and hospitality the lioness were descendants of Poseidon who protected them against the frequent attacks of their fierce and formidable neighbors the earth born giants monsters with six arms whilst his companions were attending a banquet given by king Scythicus Heracles who as usual had remained behind to guard the ship observed that these giants were busy locking up the harbor with huge rocks he had once realized the danger and attacking them with his arrows succeeded in considerably thinning their numbers then assisted by the heroes who at length came to his aid he effectively destroyed the remainder the Argonauts now steered out of the harbor and set sail but in consequence of a severe storm which arose at night was driven back once more to the shores of the kindly the lioness unfortunately however owing to the darkness of the night the inhabitants failed to recognize their former guests and mistaking them for enemies commenced to attack them those who had so recently parted as friends were now engaged in mortal combat and in the battle which ensued Jason himself pierced to the heart his friend king Scythicus where upon the lioness being deprived of their leader fled to their city and closed the gates when mourning dawned and both sides perceived their error they were filled with the deepest sorrow and remorse and for three days the heroes remained with the lioness celebrating the funeral rights of the slain with every demonstration of mourning and solemnity Heracles left behind the Argonauts once more who set sail and after a stormy voyage arrived at Messia where they were hospitably received by the inhabitants who spread before them plentiful banquets and sumptuously regaled them while his friends were feasting Heracles who had declined to join them went into the forest to seek a fir tree which he required for an oar and was missed by his adopted son Hylas who set out to seek it when the youth arrived at a spring in the most secluded part of the forest the nymph of the fountain was so struck by his beauty that she drew him down beneath the waters and he was seen no more Polyphemus, one of the heroes who happened to be also in the forest heard his cry for help and on meeting Heracles informed him of the circumstance they at once set out in search of the missing youth no traces of whom were to be found and whilst they were engaged looking for him the Argos set sail and left them behind the ship had proceeded some distance before the absence of Heracles was observed some of the heroes were in favor of returning for him others wished to proceed on their journey when in the midst of a dispute the sea god Clocus arose from the waves and informed them that it was the will of Zeus that Heracles having another mission to perform should remain behind the Argonauts continued their voyage without their companions Heracles returned to Argos whilst Polyphemus remained with the Missians where he founded a city and became its king Contest with Amicus next morning the Argo touched at the country of the Bebri-Sians whose king Amicus was a famous pugilist and permitted no strangers to leave his shores without matching their strength with his when the heroes therefore demanded permission to land they were informed that they could only do so provided that one of their number should engage in a boxing match with the king Pollux who was the best pugilist in Greece was selected as their champion and a contest took place which after a tremendous struggle proved fatal to Amicus who had hitherto been victorious in all similar encounters Phineas and the Harpies they now proceeded towards Bithynia where Reign declined old prophet king Phineas son of Aginar Phineas had been punished by the gods with premature old age and blindness for having abused the gift of prophecy he was also permitted by the Harpies who swooped down upon his food which they either devoured or so defiled as to render it unfit to be eaten this poor old man trembling with the weakness of age and faint with hunger appeared before the Argonauts and implored their assistance against the Swedish tormentors who are upon Scythes and Calais the winged sons of Boreas recognizing in him the husband of their sister Cleopatra affectionately embraced him and promised to rescue him from his painful position the heroes prepared a banquet on the seashore to which they invited Phineas but no sooner had he taken his place then the Harpies appeared and devoured all the vions Zetus and Calais now rose up into the air drove the Harpies away and were pursuing them with drawn swords when Iris the swift-footed messenger of the gods appeared and desired them to desist from their work of vengeance promising that Phineas should be no longer molested freed at length from his tormentors the old man sat down and enjoyed a plentiful repast with his kind friends the Argonauts who now informed him of the object of their voyage in gratitude for his deliverance Phineas gave them much useful information concerning their journey and not only warned them of the many full dangers awaiting them but also instructed them how they might be overcome passage of the simple gates after a fortnight sojourn in Bithynia the Argonauts once more set sail but had not proceeded far on their course when they heard a fearful and tremendous crash this was caused by the meaning of two great rocky islands called the simple gates which floated about in the sea and constantly met and separated before leaving Bithynia the blind old seer Phineas had informed them that they would be compelled to pass between these two terrible rocks and he instructed them how to do so with safety as they now approached the scene of danger they remembered his advice and acted upon it Typhus the Steersman stood at the helm whilst Ephemis held in his hand a dove ready to bled loose for Phineas had told them that if the dove ventured to fly through they might safely follow Ephemis now dispatched the bird which passed swiftly through the islands yet not without losing some of the feathers off her tail so speedily that they reunite seizing the moment when the rocks once more separated the Argonauts worked at their oars with all their might and achieved the perilous passage in safety after the miraculous passage of the Argo the simple gates became permanently united and attached to the bottom off the sea the Stemphalides the Argo pursued her course along the southern coast of the Pontus and arrived at the islands of Aretias which was inhabited by birds who as they flew through the air discharged from their wings of feathers sharp as arrows as the ship was gliding along Olius was wounded by one of these birds whereupon the Argonauts held the council and by the advice of Ephemis an experienced hero all put on their helmets and held up their glittering shields uttering at the same time such fearful cries that the birds flew away in terror and the Argonauts were unable to land with safety on the island here they found four shipwrecked youths who proved to be the sons of Friarix and were greeted by Jason as his cousins on ascertaining the object of the expedition they volunteered to accompany the Argon and to show the heroes the way to Colchis they also informed them that the golden fleas was guarded by a fearful dragon that King Aetis was extremely cruel and as the son of Apollo was possessed of superhuman strength Arrival at Colchis Taking with them the four newcomers they journeyed on and soon came in sight of the snow-capped peaks of the Caucasus when towards evening the loud flapping of wings was heard overhead it was the giant eagle of Prometheus on his way to torture the noble and long-suffering Titan whose fearful groans soon afterwards fell upon their ears. That night they reached their journey's end and anchored in the smooth waters of the river Faces on the left bank of this river they beheld Sota the capital of Colchis and on their right a wide field and the sacred grove of Ares where the golden fleas suspended from a magnificent oak tree was glittering in the sun Jason now filled a golden cup with wine and offered a libation to Mother Earth the gods of the country and the shades of those of the heroes who had died on the voyage Next morning a council was held in which it was decided that before resorting to forcible measures kind and conciliatory overtures should first be made to King Aedes in order to induce him to resign the golden fleas it was arranged that Jason with a few chosen companions should proceed to the royal castle leaving their remainder of the crew to guard the argo accompanied therefore by Telemann and Oges and the four sons of Frises he set out for the palace When they arrived inside of the castle they were struck by the vastness and massiveness of the building at the entrance to which sparkling fountains played in the midst of luxuriant park-like gardens Here the king's daughters Helciope and Medea who were walking in the grants of the palace met them The former, to her great joy recognized in the youths who accompanied the hero her own long lost sons whom she had mourned as dead whilst the young and lovely Medea was struck with the noble and manly form of Jason The news of the return of the sons of Frises soon spread through the palace and brought Aetys himself to the scene whereupon the strangers were presented to him and were invited to a banquet which the king ordered to be prepared in their honor All the most beautiful ladies of the court were present at this entertainment but in the eyes of Jason none could compare with the king's daughter the young and lovely Medea When the banquet was ended Jason related to the king his various adventures and also the object of his expedition with the circumstances which had led to his undertaking Aetys listened in silent indignation to this recital and then burst out into a torrent of inventives against the Argonauts and his grandchildren declaring that the fleece would be Aetys and that on no consideration would he consent to relinquish it Jason however with mild and persuasive words contrived so far to conciliate him that he was induced to promise that if the heroes could succeed in demonstrating their divine origin by the performance of some task requiring superhuman power the fleece should be theirs The task proposed by Aetys to Jason was that he should yoke the two brazen footed fire-breathing oxen off the king which had been made for him by Hephaestus to his ponderous iron plow Having done this he must still with them the stony fields of Ares and then so in the furrows the poisonous teeth of a dragon from which armed men would rise and these he must destroy to a man or he himself would perish at their hands When Jason heard what was expected of him his heart for a moment sank within him but he determined nevertheless not to flint from his task but to trust to the assistance of the gods and to his own courage and energy Jason plows the field of Ares with his two friends Talamon and Oges and also by Argus the son of Calciope Jason returned to the vessel for the purpose of holding a consultation as to the best means of accomplishing these perilous feats Argus explained to Jason all the difficulties of the superhuman task which lay before him and pronounced it as his opinion that the only means was to enlist the assistance of the Princess Medea who was a priestess of Hecate and a great enchantress His suggestion meeting with approval he returned to the palace and by the aid of his mother an interview was arranged between Jason and Medea which took place at an early hour next morning in the temple of Hecate a mutual attachment took place and Medea trembling for her lover's safety presented him with a magic salve which possessed the property of rendering any person anointed with it invulnerable for the space of one day against fire and steel and invincible against any adversary however powerful with this salve she instructed him to anoint his spear and shield of his great undertaking she further added that when after having plowed the field and sown the teeth armed men should arise from the pharaohs he must on no account lose heart but remember to throw among them a huge rock over the possession of which they would fight amongst themselves and their attention being thus diverted he would find it an easy task to destroy them overwhelmed with gratitude Jason thanked her in the most earnest manner for her wise counsel and timely aid at the same time he offered her his hand and promised her he would not return to Greece without taking her with him as his wife next morning, eighties in all the pomp of state surrounded by his family and the members of his court prepared to a spot whence a full view of the approaching spectacle could be obtained soon Jason appeared in the field of Ares looking as noble and majestic as the god of war himself in a distant part of the field the brazen yokes and the massive plow met his view but as yet the dread animals themselves were nowhere to be seen he was about to go in quest when they suddenly rushed out from a subterranean cave breathing flames of fire and enveloped in a thick smoke friends of Jason trembled but the undaunted hero relying on the magic powers with which he was imbued by Medea seized the oxen one after the other by the horns and forced them to the yoke near the plow was a helmet full of dragons teeth which he sewed as he plowed the field whist with sharp cricks from his lands he compelled the monstrous creatures to draw the plow over the stony ground which was thus speedily tilt while Jason was engaged sewing the dragons teeth in the deep furrows of the field he kept a cautious lookout lest the germinating giant brood might grow too quickly for him and as soon as the four acres of land had been filled he unyoked the oxen and succeeded in frightening them so effectually with his weapons that they rushed back in terror to their subterranean stables meanwhile armed men had sprung up out of the furrows and the whole field now bristled with lances but Jason remembering the instructions of Medea seized an immense rock and hurled it into the midst of these birth-born warriors who immediately began to attack each other Jason then rushed furiously upon them and after a terrible struggle not one of the giants remained alive furious at seeing his murderous scheme thus defeated 80s not only perfidiously refused to give Jason the fleece which he had so bravely earned but in his anger determined to destroy all the Argonauts and to burn their vessel Jason secures the golden fleece becoming aware of the treacherous designs of her father Medea at once took measures to baffle them in the darkness of night she went on board the argo and warned the heroes of their approaching danger she then advised Jason to accompany her without loss of time in order to possess himself of the long coveted treasure they set out together and Medea followed by Jason led the way and advanced boldly into the grove the tall oak tree was soon discovered from the topmost boughs of which hung the beautiful golden fleece at the foot of this tree keeping his ever-wakeful watch lay the dreadful, sleepless dragon who at sight of them bounded forward opening his huge jaws Medea now called into play her magic powers and quietly approaching the monster threw over him a few drops of a potion which soon took effect and sent him into a deep sleep whereupon Jason seizing the opportunity climbed the tree and secured the fleece their perilous task being now accomplished Jason and Medea quitted the grove and hastened on board the Argo which immediately put to sea murder of Absurtus meanwhile Aetis having discovered the loss of his daughter and the golden fleece dispatched a large fleet under the command of his son Absurtus in pursuit of the fugitives after some days' sail they arrived at an island at the mouth of the river Eister where they found the Argo at anchor and surrounded her with her numerous ships they then dispatched a herald on board of her demanding the surrender of Medea and the fleece Medea now consulted Jason and with his consent carried out the following stratagem she sent a message to her brother Absurtus to the effect that she had been carried off against her will and promised that if he would meet her in the darkness of night of Artemis she would assist him in regaining possession of the golden fleece relying on the good faith of his sister Absurtus fell into the snare and duly appeared at the appointed twisting place and wills Medea kept her brother engaged in conversation Jason rushed forward and slew him then according to a preconcerted signal he held aloft a littered torch whereupon the Argonauts attacked the Colchians put them to flight and entirely defeated them the Argonauts now returned to their ship when the prophetic board from the Dodean Oak thus addressed them the cruel murder of Absurtus was witnessed by the Arrines and you will not escape the wrath of Zeus until the goddess Cersei has purified you from your crime let Caster and Pollux pray to the gods that you may be enabled to find the abode of the Sorceress in obedience to the boys the twin brothers invoke divine assistance and the heroes set out in search of the Isle of Cersei they arrive at the island of Cersei the good ship Argo sped on her way and after passing safely through the foaming waters of the river Erydenus at length arrived in the harbor of the island of Cersei where she cast anchor commanding his companions to remain on board Jason landed with Medea and conducted her to the palace of the Sorceress the goddess of charms and magic arts received them kindly and invited them to be seated but instead of doing so they assumed a supplicating attitude and humbly besought her protection they then informed her of the crime which they had committed and implored her to purify them from it this Cersei promised to do she forthwith commanded her attendant Nades to kindle the fire on the altar and to prepare everything necessary for the performance of the mystic rites after which a dog was sacrificed and the sacred cakes were burned having thus newly purified the criminals she severely reprimanded them for the horrible murder of which they had been guilty whereupon Medea with veiled head and weeping bitterly was reconducted by Jason to the Argo further adventures of the Argonauts having left the island of Cersei they were waved by gentle zephyrs towards the abode of the sirens whose enticing strains soon fell upon their ears the Argonauts powerfully affected by the melody were making ready to land when Orpheus perceived danger and to the accompaniment of his magic lyre commenced one of his enchanting songs which so completely absorbed his listeners that they passed the island in safety but not before Buttes one of their number lured by the seductive music of the sirens had sprung from the vessel into the waves below Aphrodite however in pity for his youth landed him gently on the island of Libibyn before the sirens could reach him and there he remained for many years and now the Argonauts approached new dangers for on one side of them seathed and foamed the whirlpool of Charbdis whist on the other tower the mighty rock whence the monster Scylla swooped down upon unfortunate mariners but here the goddess Hera came to their assistance and sent to them the sea nymph Thethys who guided them safely through these dangerous straits the Argonauts next arrived at the island of Phasis where they were hospitably entertained by King Alsinus and his queen Ariti but the banquet prepared for them by their kind host was unexpectedly interrupted by the appearance of a large army of colkins sent by Aetis to demand the restoration of his daughter Medea threw herself at the feet of the queen and implored her to save her from the anger of her father and Ariti in her kindness of heart promised her her protection next morning in an assembly of the people at which the colkins were invited to be present the latter were informed that as Medea was the lawful wife of Jason they could not consent to deliver her up whereupon the colkins seen that the resolution of the king was not to be shaken and fearing to face the anger of Aetis should they return to Colkis without her sought permission of Alsinus to settle in his kingdom which request was accorded them after these events the Argonauts once more and steered for Yalkes but in the course of a terrible and fearful night a mighty storm arose and in the morning they found themselves stranded on the treacherous quicksands of Cirkeys on the shores of Libya here all was a waste and barren desert untenanted by any living creature save the venomous snakes which has sprung from the blood of the Medusa when born these arid plains they had already passed several days in this abode of desolation beneath the rays of the scorching sun and had abandoned themselves to the deepest despair when the Libyan queen who was a prophetess of divine origin appeared to Jason and informed him that a sea horse would descend by the gods to act as his guide scarcely had she departed when a gigantic hippocamp was seen in the distance making its way towards the Argo Jason now related to his companions the particulars of his interview with the Libyan prophetess and after some deliberation it was decided to carry the Argo on their shoulders and to follow wherever the sea horse should lead them they then commenced a long and weary journey through the desert and at last after 12 days of severe toil and terrible suffering the welcome sight of the sea greeted their view in gratitude for having been saved from their many full dangers they offered up sacrifices to the gods and launched their ship once more into the deep waters of the ocean Arrival at Crete with heartfelt joy and gladness they proceeded on their homeward voyage and after some days arrived on the island of Crete where they purposed to furnish themselves with fresh provisions and water their landing however was opposed by a terrible giant who guarded the island against all intruders this giant whose name was Talis was the last of the brazen race and being formed of brass was invulnerable except in his right ankle where there was a sinew of flesh as he saw the Argo nearing the coast he hurled huge rocks at her which would inevitably have sunk the vessel had not the crew beat a hasty retreat although sadly in want of food and water the Argonauts had decided to proceed on their journey rather than face so powerful an opponent when Medea came forward and assured them that if they would trust to her the giant enveloped in the folds of a rich purple mantle she stepped on deck and after invoking the aid of the Fates uttered a magic incantation which had the effect of throwing Talis into a deep sleep he stretched himself at full length upon the ground and in doing so grazed his vulnerable ankle against the point of a sharp rock where upon a mighty stream of blood gushed forth from the wound awakened by the pain he tried to rise but in vain and with a mighty groan of anguish the giant fell dead and his enormous body rolled heavily over into the deep the heroes being now able to land provisioned their vessel after which they resumed their homeward voyage Arrival at Yolkis after a terrible night of storm and darkness they passed the island of Ejena and at length reached in safety the port of Yolkis where the recital of their numerous adventures and hare breath escapes was listened to with wandering admiration by their fellow countrymen the Argo was consecrated to Poseidon and was carefully preserved for many generations till no vestige of it remained when it was placed in the heavens as a brilliant constellation on his arrival at Yolkis Jason conducted his beautiful bride to the palace of his uncle Pilius taking with him the golden fleece for the sake of which this perilous expedition had been undertaken but the old king who had never expected that Jason would return alive basically refused to fulfill his part of the compact and the client to abdicate the throne indignant at the wrongs of her husband Medea avenged them in a most shocking manner she made friends with the daughters of the king and feigned great interest in all their concerns having gained their confidence she informed them that among her numerous magic arts she possessed the power of restoring to the aged all the vigor and strength of youth and in order to give them the convincing proof of the truth of her assertion she cut up an old ram which she boiled in a cauldron whereupon after uttering various mystic incantations there came forth from the vessel a beautiful young land she then assured them that in a similar manner they could restore to their old father his former youthful frame and vigor the fond and credulous daughters of Pilius lent an all too willing ear to the wicked sorceress and thus the old king perished at the hands of his innocent children death of Jason Medea and Jason now fled to Corinth where at length they found for a time peace and tranquility their happiness being completed by the birth of three children as time passed on however and Medea began to lose the beauty which had won the love of her husband he grew weary of her and became attracted by the youthful charms of Gloss the beautiful daughter of Creeon King of Corinth Jason had obtained her father's consent to their union and the wedding day was already fixed before he disclosed to Medea the treachery which he mediated against her he used all his persuasive powers in order to induce her to consent to his union with Gloss ensuring her that his affection had in no way diminished but that for the sake of the advantages which would thereby accrue to their children he had decided on forming this alliance with the royal house though justly enraged at his deceitful conduct Medea dissembled her wrath and feigning to be satisfied with this explanation sent as a wedding gift to her rival a magnificent robe of cloth of gold this robe was imbued with a deadly poison which penetrated to the flesh and bone of the wearer and burned them as though with a consuming fire pleased with the beauty and costliness of the garment the unsuspecting Gloss lost no time in donning it but no sooner had she done so than the fell poison began to take effect in vain she tried to tear the robe away it defied all efforts to be removed and after horrible and protracted sufferings she expired maddened at the loss of her husband's love Medea next put to death her three sons and when Jason, thirsting for revenge left the chamber of his dead bride and flew to his own house in search of Medea the ghastly spectacle of his murdered children met his view he rushed frantically to seek but nowhere could she be found at length hearing a sound above his head he looked up and beheld Medea gliding through the air in a golden chariot drawn by dragons in a fit of despair Jason threw himself on his own sword and perished on the threshold of his desolate and deserted home End of section 24 section 25 part 1 of myths and legends this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Graham Redman myths and legends of ancient Greece and Rome by E. M. Berens section 25 part 1 legends Pellops Pellops the son of the cruel Tantalus was a pious and virtuous prince after his father was banished into Tartarus a war ensued between Pellops and the king of Troy in which the former was vanquished and forced to fly from his dominions in Phrygia he emigrated into Greece where at the court of Inemaeus he beheld Hippodemia the king's daughter whose beauty won his heart but an oracle having foretold to Inemaeus that he would die on the day of his daughter's marriage he threw every obstacle in the way of her suitors and declared that he would only give her to him who succeeded in vanquishing him in a chariot race but that all unsuccessful competitors should suffer death at his hands the conditions of the contest were as follows the race was to be run from a given point at Pisa to the altar of Poseidon at Corinth the suitor was allowed to start on his course whilst Inemaeus performed his sacrifice to Zeus and only on its completion did the king mount his chariot guided by the skillful Myrtulus and drawn by his two famous horses Phylla and Harpinna who surpassed in swiftness the winds themselves in this manner many a gallant young prince had perished for although a considerable start was given to all competitors still Inemaeus with his swift team always overtook them before they reached the goal and killed them with his spear but the love of Pelops for Hippodemia overcame all fears and undeterred by the terrible fate of his predecessors he announced himself to Inemaeus as a suitor for the hand of his daughter on the eve of the race Pelops repaired to the seashore and earnestly implored Poseidon to assist him in his perilous undertaking the seaguard heard his prayer and sent him out of the deep a chariot drawn by two winged horses when Pelops appeared on the course the king at once recognized the horses of Poseidon but nothing daunted he relied on his own supernatural team and the contest was allowed to proceed whilst the king was offering his sacrifice to Zeus Pelops set out on the race and had nearly reached the goal when turning round he beheld Inemaeus spear in hand who with his magic steeds had nearly overtaken him but in this emergency Poseidon came to the aid of the son of Tantalus he caused the wheels of the royal chariot to fly off whereupon the king was thrown out violently and killed on the spot just as Pelops arrived at the altar of Poseidon as the hero was about to return to Pisa to claim his bride he beheld in the distance the names issuing from the royal castle which at that instant had been struck by lightning with his winged horses he flew to rescue his lovely bride and succeeded in extricating her uninjured from the burning building they soon afterwards became united and Pelops reigned in Pisa for many years in great splendor Heracles or Hercules Heracles the most renowned hero of antiquity was the son of Zeus and Alcmini and the great grandson of Perseus at the time of his birth Alcmini was living at Thebes with her husband Amphitrion and thus the infant Heracles was born in the palace of his stepfather aware of the animosity with which Hera persecuted all those who rivaled her in the affections of Zeus fearful lest this hatred should be visited on her innocent child entrusted him soon after his birth to the care of a faithful servant with instructions to expose him in a certain field and there leave him feeling assured that the divine offspring of Zeus would not long remain without the protection of the gods soon after the child had been thus abandoned Hera and Pallas Athene happened to pass by the field and were attracted by its cries Athene pityingly took up the infant in her arms and prevailed upon the queen of heaven to put it to her breast but no sooner had she done so than the child causing her pain she angrily threw him to the ground and left the spot Athene moved with compassion carried him to Alcmini and entreated her kind offices on behalf of the poor little foundling Alcmini at once recognized her child and joyfully accepted the charge soon afterwards Hera to her extreme annoyance discovered whom she had nursed and became filled with jealous rage she now sent two venomous snakes into the chamber of Alcmini which crept unperceived by the nurses to the cradle of the sleeping child he awoke with a cry and grasping a snake in each hand strangled them both Alcmini and her attendants whom the cry of the child had awakened rushed to the cradle where to their astonishment and terror they beheld the two reptiles dead in the hands of the infant Heracles Amphitrean was also attracted to the chamber by the commotion and when he beheld this astounding proof of supernatural strength he declared that the child must have been sent to him as a special gift from Zeus he accordingly consulted the famous seer Tiresias who now informed him of the divine origin of his stepson and prognosticated for him a great and distinguished future when Amphitrean heard the noble destiny which awaited the child entrusted to his care he resolved to educate him in a manner worthy of his future career at a suitable age he himself taught him how to guide a chariot Eurytus how to handle the bow Autolicus Dexterity and wrestling and boxing and Caster the art of armed warfare whilst Linus the son of Apollo instructed him in music and letters Heracles was an apt pupil but undue harshness was intolerable to his high spirit and old Linus who was not the gentlest of teachers one day corrected him with blows whereupon the boy angrily took up his lyre and with one stroke of his powerful arm killed his tutor on the spot apprehensive lest the ungovernable temper of the youth might again involve him in similar acts of violence Amphitrean sent him into the country where he placed him under the charge of one of his most trusted herdsmen here as he grew up to manhood his extraordinary stature and strength became the wonder and admiration of all beholders his aim, whether with spear, lance or bow was unerring and at the age of 18 he was considered to be the strongest as well as the most beautiful youth in all Greece the choice of Heracles Heracles felt that the time had now arrived when it became necessary to decide for himself how to make use of the extraordinary powers with which he had been endowed by the gods and in order to meditate in solitude on this all important subject he repaired to a lonely secluded spot in the heart of the forest here two females of great beauty appeared to him one was vice the other virtue the former was full of artificial wiles and fascinating arts her face painted and her dress gaudy and attractive whilst the latter was of noble bearing and modest mean her robes of spotless purity vice stepped forward and thus addressed him if you will walk in my paths and make me your friend your life shall be one round of pleasure and enjoyment you shall taste of every delight which can be procured on earth the choices vines the most delicious wines the most luxuriant of couches shall be ever at your disposal and all this without any exertion on your part either physical or mental virtue now spoke in her turn if you will follow me and be my friend I promise you the reward of a good conscience and the love and respect of your fellow men I cannot undertake to smooth your path with roses or to give you a life of idleness and pleasure for you must know that the gods grant no good and desirable thing that is not earned by labour and as you so so must you reap Heracles listened patiently and attentively to both speakers and then after mature deliberation decided to follow in the paths of virtue and henceforth to honour the gods and to devote his life to the service of his country full of these noble results he sought once more his rural home where he was informed that on Mount Scythyrn at the foot of which the herds of Amphitrion were grazing a ferocious lion had fixed his lair and was committing such frightful ravages among the flocks and herds that he had become the scourge and terror of the whole neighbourhood Heracles at once armed himself and ascended the mountain where he soon caught sight of the lion and rushing at him with his sword succeeded in killing him the hide of the animal he wore ever afterwards over his shoulders and the head served him as a helmet as he was returning from this his first exploit he met the heralds of a ginus king of the Minions who were proceeding to Thebes to demand their annual tribute of a hundred oxen indignant at this humiliation of his native city Heracles mutilated the heralds and sent them back with ropes round their necks to their royal master a ginus was so incensed at the ill treatment of his messengers that he collected an army and appeared before the gates of Thebes demanding the surrender of Heracles Creon who was at this time king of Thebes fearing the consequences of a refusal was about to yield when the hero with the assistance of Amphitrion and a band of brave youths advanced against the Minions Heracles took possession of a narrow defile through which the enemy were compelled to pass and as they entered the pass the Thebans fell upon them killed their king a ginus and completely routed them in this engagement Amphitrion the kind friend and foster father of Heracles lost his life the hero now advanced upon or commoness the capital of the Minions where he burned the royal castle and sacked the town after this signal victory all Greece rang with the fame of the young hero and Creon in gratitude for his great services bestowed upon him his daughter Megara in marriage the Olympian gods testified their appreciation of his valor by sending him presents Hermes gave him a sword Phoebus Apollo a bundle of arrows Hephaestus a golden quiver and Athenae a coat of leather Heracles and Eurystheus and now it will be necessary to retrace our steps just before the birth of Heracles Zeus in an assembly of the gods exultingly declared that the child who should be born on that day to the house of Perseus should rule over all his race when Hera heard her lord's boastful announcement she knew well that it was for the child of the hated Alcmini that this brilliant destiny was designed and in order to rob the son of Heracles' rights she called to her aid the goddess Ilythia who retarded the birth of Heracles and caused his cousin Eurystheus another grandson of Perseus to precede him into the world and thus as the word of the mighty Zeus was irrevocable Heracles became the subject and servant of his cousin Eurystheus when after his splendid victory over Aginus the fame of Heracles spread throughout Greece Eurystheus who had become king of Mycenae jealous of the reputation of the young hero asserted his rights and commanded him to undertake for him various difficult tasks but the proud spirit of the hero rebelled against this humiliation and he was about to refuse compliance when Zeus appeared to him not to rebel against the fates Heracles now repaired to Delphi in order to consult the oracle and received the answer that after performing ten tasks for his cousin Eurystheus his servitude would be at an end soon afterwards Heracles fell into a state of the deepest melancholy and through the influence of his inveterate enemy the goddess Eurystheus the hero this despondency developed into raving madness in which condition he killed his own children when he at length regained his reason he was so horrified and grieved at what he had done that he shut himself up in his chamber and avoided all intercourse with men but in his loneliness and seclusion the conviction that work and the opinion of the past decided him to enter without delay upon the tasks appointed him by Eurystheus 1. The Nemean Lion his first task was to bring to Eurystheus the skin of the much dreaded Nemean lion which ravaged the territory between Cleone and Nemea and whose height was invulnerable against any mortal weapon Heracles proceeded to the forest of Nemea where having discovered the lion's lair he attempted to pierce him with his arrows but finding these of no avail he felt him to the ground with his club and before the animal had time to recover from the terrible blow Heracles seized him by the neck and with a mighty effort succeeded in strangling him he then made himself a coat of mail of the skin and a new helmet of the head of the animal thus attired he so alarmed Eurystheus by appearing suddenly before him that the king concealed himself in his palace and henceforth forbade Heracles to enter his presence but commanded him to receive his behests for the future through his messenger Copreus 2. The Hydra his second task was to convey the Hydra a monster serpent the offspring of Typhon and Echidna bristling with nine heads one of which was immortal this monster infested the neighborhood of Lerner where she committed great depredations among the herds Heracles accompanied by his nephew Iolaus set out in the chariot for the marsh of Lerner in the slimy waters of which he found her he commenced the attack by assailing her with his fierce arrows in order to force her to leave her lair from which she at length emerged and sought refuge in a wood on a neighboring hill Heracles now rushed forward and endeavored to crush her heads by means of well directed blows from his tremendous club but no sooner was one head destroyed than it was immediately replaced by two others he next seized the monster in his powerful grasp but at this juncture a giant crab came to the assistance of the Hydra and commenced biting the feet of her assailant Heracles destroyed this new adversary with his club and now called upon his nephew to come to his aid at his command Iolaus set fire to the neighboring trees and with a burning branch seared the necks of the monster as Heracles cut them off thus effectively preventing the growth of more Heracles next struck off the immortal head which he buried by the roadside and placed over it a heavy stone into the poisonous blood of the monster he then dipped his arrows which ever afterwards rendered wounds inflicted by them incurable 3. The Horned Hind The third labor of Heracles was to bring the horned hind Sir Unitis alive to Mycenae this animal which was sacred to Artemis had golden antlers and hoofs of brass not wishing to wound the hind Heracles patiently pursued her through many countries for a whole year and overtook her at last on the banks of the river Leydon there he was compelled in order to secure her to wound her with one of his arrows after which he lifted her on his shoulders and carried her through Arcadia on his way he met Artemis with her brother Phoebus Apollo when the goddess angrily reproved him for wounding her favorite hind but Heracles succeeded in appeasing her displeasure whereupon she permitted him to go to Mycenae 4. The Eremantian Boar The fourth task imposed upon Heracles by Euristius was to bring alive to Mycenae the Eremantian Boar which had laid waste to the region of Eremantia and was the scourge of the surrounding neighborhood on his way thither he craved food and shelter of a centaur named Pholus who received his generous hospitality setting before him a good and plentiful repast when Heracles expressed his surprise that at such a well furnished board wine should be wanting his host explained that the wine cellar was the common property of all the centaurs and that it was against the rules for a casque to be broached except all were present to partake of it. I didn't have persuasion however Heracles failed on his kind host to make an exception in his favor but the powerful luscious odor of the good old wine soon spread over the mountains and brought large numbers of centaurs to the spot all armed with huge rocks and fir trees. Heracles drove them back with firebrands and then following up his victory pursued them with his arrows as far as Malia where they took refuge in the cave of the kind old centaur Chiron. Unfortunately however as Heracles were shooting at them with his poisoned darts one of these pierced the knee of Chiron when Heracles discovered that it was the friend of his early days that he had wounded he was overcome with sorrow and regret he at once extracted the arrow and anointed the wound with a salve the virtue of which had been taught him by Chiron himself but all his efforts were unavailing the wound imbued with the deadly poison of the Hydra was incurable and so great was the agony of Chiron that at the intercession of Heracles death was sent him by the gods for otherwise being immortal he would have been doomed to endless suffering Folus who had so kindly entertained Heracles also perished by means of one of these arrows which he had extracted from the body of a dead centaur while he was quietly examining it astonished that so small and insignificant an object should be productive of such serious results the arrow fell upon his foot and fatally wounded him full of grief at this underwarrd event Heracles wounded him with due honors and then set out to chase the boar with loud shouts and terrible cries he fir