The Student's Mythology Part 15

ARION.

_Ques._ Who was Arion?

_Ans._ He was a famous musician who resided at the court of Periander, king of Corinth. Impelled by a minstrel's love of wandering, he felt desirous of visiting foreign countries, and departed from Corinth, notwithstanding the earnest solicitations of Periander, who warned him in vain of the danger to which he might be exposed. After some time spent in Italy and Sicily, Arion desired to return to Corinth, and embarked for this purpose at Sarentum, taking with him the riches that he had ama.s.sed. During the voyage the mariners agreed among themselves that they would murder Arion, and seize his treasures. The unhappy musician offered in vain to abandon everything to their cupidity, if they would but spare his life. The only favor he could obtain was the choice of a grave. If he desired to be laid on sh.o.r.e under the green turf, they would carry his lifeless body to land, and give it sepulture. If he cared not for this, he must immediately cast himself into the sea. Arion chose the latter alternative, but begged that he might die as became a bard, after having played for the last time upon his lyre, and sung his own death-song. The mariners granted his request, not from pity, but they desired to hear so famous a minstrel; music had charms even for their rude hearts.

Arion attired himself in festal robes; his mantle was of purple fringed with gold, and his brow was adorned with a golden wreath. He struck his lyre with the ivory wand, and sung a sweet and mournful melody. Then, commending himself to the friendly Nereides, he sprang into the sea. The waves closed above him, and the s.h.i.+p held on its way. The inhabitants of the deep had gathered around as Arion sung, and now, as he was struggling in the waves, a dolphin took him on his back, and carried him safe to sh.o.r.e. Periander received his friend with a cordial welcome, and listened with wonder to the story of his escape. When the s.h.i.+p arrived, he ordered the mariners to be brought before him, and inquired if they knew anything of Arion. They replied confidently that they had left him well and happy at Sarentum. Upon this Arion stepped forth, clothed in gold and purple, and holding his lyre as when he had cast himself into the sea. Overcome with terror, the guilty men confessed their crime, and suffered the punishment they had so well deserved. This event was commemorated by a statue of bra.s.s which was consecrated at Tnarus. It represented a man mounted on a dolphin.

AMPHION.

_Ques._ Who was Amphion?

_Ans._ He was the son of Antiope and Jupiter. He obtained the kingdom of Thebes, which he governed conjointly with his twin-brother Zethus.

Amphion cultivated the art of music; he was instructed by Mercury, who gave him a golden lyre with which he is said to have built the walls of Thebes, causing the stones to move and place themselves in order, as he played. Amphion married Niobe, and became the father of seven sons and as many daughters, who were all slain by Apollo and Diana. He is said to have killed himself in despair. The legend of the building of the walls of Thebes, is probably an allusion to the old Dorian and olian custom of erecting the walls of cities with public solemnities, and to the sound of musical instruments.

CHAPTER x.x.x.

ATLAS.

_Ques._ Who was Atlas?

_Ans._ He was a king of Mauritania, the son of the t.i.tan j.a.petus, and the nymph Clymene; he was, therefore, brother of Prometheus. He is represented as sustaining the heavens on his shoulders. Atlas had been warned that he would suffer much from a son of Jupiter. When Perseus was returning from the conquest of the Gorgons, he arrived in the dominions of Atlas, of whom he claimed the rites of hospitality, declaring at the same time his divine parentage. The king, remembering the prophecy with regard to Jupiter's offspring, repulsed him harshly.

This conduct brought upon Atlas the calamity which he feared; for Perseus, indignant at so much inhumanity, showed him the head of Medusa, and changed him into the mountain which bears his name.

The fable, that Atlas sustained the heavens on his shoulders, has been explained by saying he was an astronomer, who observed the motion of the heavenly bodies from the summit of a lofty mountain, to which his name was afterwards given.

_Ques._ Who were the children of Atlas?

_Ans._ By his wife Pelione, he had seven daughters, who were called Pleiades; they were changed into stars, and form the beautiful group which we admire in the constellation Taurus. Atlas had seven other daughters who underwent the same transformation; they were placed in the head of Taurus, and were called by the Greeks, Hyades, from a word which signifies "to rain."

The Hesperides, or Western Maidens, were three celebrated nymphs, concerning whose parentage ancient writers are not agreed. Hesiod speaks of them as the daughters of Night, but according to others, they were the offspring of Atlas and Hesperis. At the bridal of Jupiter and Juno, the different deities brought nuptial presents; among these, Juno most admired some branches loaded with golden apples, which were offered by the G.o.ddess of the Earth. She begged the Earth to plant them in her gardens, which extended as far as Mount Atlas. The Hesperides were directed to watch these trees, but they proved unfaithful, and frequently plucked the apples for themselves.

Juno sent, therefore, a terrible dragon to guard the precious fruit.

This monster was the offspring of Typhon, and had a hundred heads, so that it never slept.

ORION.

_Ques._ Who was Orion?

_Ans._ His origin is doubtful; according to some writers, he was the son of Neptune and Euryale. The accounts given of his exploits and of his death are many and contradictory. According to one legend, Orion was a famous hunter; having boasted that he could subdue the wildest and fiercest animals, the earth was displeased at his presumption, and sent a scorpion to sting him. The hero was changed, after death, into a constellation which is known as the most resplendent group in the winter heavens.

PERSEUS.

_Ques._ Who was Perseus?

_Ans._ He was the son of Jupiter, and of Dana, the only daughter of Acrisius, king of Argos. This prince had been warned by an oracle that his daughter would have a son, who was destined to deprive him of life. Acrisius resolved, in consequence, that Dana should never marry. To guard against the possibility of such an event, he imprisoned her in a brazen apartment which he had diligently guarded.

Jupiter had seen and admired the young princess, and he now found means to visit her by transforming himself into a shower of gold, which we may take for a poetical manner of saying that he bribed the guards. When Acrisius discovered that his precautions had been of no avail, he enclosed Dana and her infant son in a coffer, which he cast into the sea. The coffer was carried by the waves to the island of Seriphus, where a fisherman named Dictys drew it ash.o.r.e in his net. He was much surprised at beholding Dana and the infant Perseus, and brought them immediately to Polydectes, who reigned in that island.

Polydectes received the strangers kindly, but when Perseus was grown, he strove to effect his destruction by engaging him in an expedition against the Gorgons. This adventure has been already related, in the article on Minerva. It was followed by the rescue of Andromeda, which is too remarkable to be omitted.

_Ques._ Who was Andromeda?

_Ans._ She was the daughter of Cepheus, king of Ethiopia. Her mother, Ca.s.siopeia, had boasted that she was fairer than Juno and the Nereides. The offended nymphs complained to Neptune, who sent a sea-monster to ravage the dominions of Cepheus. The people, in their distress, had recourse to the oracle of Jupiter Ammon, but the G.o.d declared that the country could not be freed from this calamity, unless Andromeda were given up to be devoured by the monster. Cepheus consented to the sacrifice, and his daughter was chained to a rock by the sea-sh.o.r.e, where she was abandoned to her fate.

Perseus, returning through the air, from his conquest of the Gorgons, saw the unhappy maiden and resolved to rescue her. He asked her hand as his only reward, which Cepheus readily promised.

When the sea-monster appeared, Perseus showed him the head of Medusa, and changed him into a rock, which was long famous upon that coast.

Phineus, who had been betrothed to Andromeda, opposed her marriage with Perseus, and changed the nuptial solemnities into a scene of discord and bloodshed.

The head of the Gorgon again procured for Perseus an easy victory. He warned his friends to avert their eyes, and displayed the frightful trophy, upon which Phineus and his followers were changed into stone, in the very att.i.tudes in which they fought.

Polydectes, who had persecuted Dana in the absence of Perseus, was punished in the same manner. The hero afterwards fulfilled the oracle by killing his grandfather, whom he did not know, by an accidental blow of a quoit.

Perseus, Andromeda, Cepheus, and Ca.s.siopeia were changed, after death, into the constellations which bear their names.

CHAPTER x.x.xI.

BELLEROPHON.

_Ques._ Who was Bellerophon?

_Ans._ This hero was the son of Glaucus, and grandson of Sisyphus, king of Corinth. Having accidentally killed one of his relatives, he fled, as was usual in such circ.u.mstances, and was received with much kindness by Prtus, king of Argos. Bellerophon had not, however, been long at Argos when the king was prejudiced by a calumnious report, and became jealous of the young hero. As he was ashamed to violate the rights of hospitality, he despatched Bellerophon to his father-in-law, Jobates, king of the Lycians, with sealed letters in which he requested that prince to put the bearer to death. Jobates was also unwilling to imbrue his hands openly in the blood of a guest; he resolved, therefore, to effect his purpose indirectly, by engaging Bellerophon in dangerous enterprises.

The first task imposed upon the hero, was the slaying of the Chimra, a fabulous monster which we have already described, and which was then spreading terror through the kingdom of Lycia. Before proceeding to the combat, Bellerophon took counsel of the soothsayer, Polyidus, who advised him to procure, if possible, the winged steed Pegasus.

For this purpose, he directed him to pa.s.s the night in the temple of Minerva. There the G.o.ddess visited him in a dream, and gave him a golden bridle, instructing him as to its use. On awaking, Bellerophon found the bridle in his hand, and repaired immediately to the spring at which Pegasus was accustomed to drink. The winged steed submitted to the golden bit, Bellerophon mounted him fearlessly, and was borne through the air to his combat with the Chimra. When he returned to Jobates with the spoils of the monster, the king sent him to fight against certain people, called Solymi, whom he had much difficulty in subduing. He next defeated the Amazons, a nation of female warriors, and destroyed a party of Lycians, who laid an ambush for him on his return. Jobates perceived from these exploits that his guest was indeed allied to the G.o.ds, and abandoned all further designs against him. He even gave him his daughter in marriage, and declared him his successor in the kingdom.

Bellerophon might have ended his days in happiness and prosperity, had he not irritated the G.o.ds by his pride. He conceived the project of mounting to heaven on his winged steed; Jupiter was indignant, and sent a gad-fly which stung the horse, and caused him to throw the presumptuous rider. Bellerophon, lame and blind from his fall, wandered in lonely places, avoiding the haunts of men, until death came to relieve his misery.

DEUCALION.

_Ques._ Who was Deucalion?

_Ans._ He was king of Thessaly, and son of Prometheus. During his reign, there occurred so great a flood that the whole earth was covered with the waters. Of the entire human race, only Deucalion and his wife, Pyrrha, were saved. When the waters abated, the s.h.i.+p in which they were carried rested upon Mount Parna.s.sus, and they consulted the oracle of Themis, to know by what means the earth might again be peopled. The oracle directed that they should cast behind them the bones of their Great Mother. Understanding by this expression the earth, which is the common mother of all, they gathered stones which they cast behind them, as they had been commanded, when a great prodigy ensued. The stones thrown by Deucalion a.s.sumed human form and became men, and those thrown by Pyrrha were changed into women.

_Ques._ How is this fable explained?

_Ans._ It is supposed that Deucalion and Pyrrha were remarkable for their piety and virtue; and that by precept and example, they subdued the ferocity of their subjects. In this manner they softened those who before were hard like stones, so that gentleness and humanity began to reign among them.