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Eclectic School Readings
THE STORY OF THE GREEKS
by
H. A. GUERBER
[Illustration]
New York .:. Cincinnati .:. Chicago
American Book Company
Copyright, 1896, by
American Book Company.
STORY OF THE GREEKS.
W.P. 15
[Illustration: Theseus and the Minotaur.
_Frontispiece_]
DEDICATED
TO
ARNOLD, HELEN, AND EDWARD
PREFACE.
This elementary history of Greece is intended for supplementary reading
or as a first history text-book for young pupils. It is therefore made
up principally of stories about persons; for, while history proper is
largely beyond the comprehension of children, they are able at an early
age to understand and enjoy anecdotes of people, especially of those in
the childhood of civilization. At the same time, these stories will give
a clear idea of the most important events that have taken place in the
ancient world, and, it is hoped, will arouse a desire to read further.
They also aim to enforce the lessons of perseverance, courage,
patriotism, and virtue that are taught by the noble lives described.
A knowledge of ancient history, however superficial, is of very great
value; and the classic legends are almost equally worth knowing, because
of the prominent part they play in the world's literature. These tales
make a deep impression on the minds of children, and the history thus
learned almost in play will cling to the memory far more tenaciously
than any lessons subsequently conned.
Many children leave school unacquainted with any history except that of
the United States; which, dealing with less simple and primitive times
than that of Greece, is apt to be so unattractive that the child never
afterwards reads any historical works. It has been my intention to write
a book which will give children pleasure to read, and will thus
counteract the impression that history is uninteresting.
A few suggestions to teachers may not be considered superfluous. In the
first place, I have found historical anecdotes an excellent aid in
teaching English. Pupils find it far from irksome to relate the stories
in their own words, and to reproduce them in compositions. Secondly,
whenever a city or country is mentioned, every pupil should point out
its location on the map. By such means only can any one properly
understand an historical narrative; and in the present case there is the
added reason that the practice will go far towards increasing the
child's interest in geography. Lastly, the teacher should take great
care that the proper names are correctly pronounced. The most common
errors are provided against in the text; for, on the first occurrence of
such a word, it is divided into syllables, with the accent marked. It
remains for the teacher to enforce the ordinary rules as to the proper
sounds of vowels and consonants.
H.A.G.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
Map _between 10 and 11_
I. Early Inhabitants of Greece 11
II. The Deluge of Ogyges 13
III. The Founding of Many Important Cities 15
IV. Story of Deucalion 19
V. Story of Daedalus and Icarus 21
VI. The Adventures of Jason 24
VII. Theseus visits the Labyrinth 26
VIII. The Terrible Prophecy 29
IX. The Sphinx's Riddle 30
X. Blindness and Death of OEdipus 34
XI. The Brothers' Quarrel 37
XII. The Taking of Thebes 39
XIII. The Childhood of Paris 41
XIV. The Muster of the Troops 44
XV. The Sacrifice of Iphigenia 46
XVI. The Wrath of Achilles 48
XVII. Death of Hector and Achilles 50
XVIII. The Burning of Troy 52
XIX. Heroic Death of Codrus 55
XX. The Blind Poet 57
XXI. The Rise of Sparta 61
XXII. The Spartan Training 62
XXIII. The Brave Spartan Boy 64
XXIV. Public Tables in Sparta 67
XXV. Laws of Lycurgus 69
XXVI. The Messenian War 71
XXVII. The Music of Tyrtaeus 73
XXVIII. Aristomenes' Escape 76
XXIX. The Olympic Games 77
XXX. Milo of Croton 81
XXXI. The Jealous Athlete 83
XXXII. The Girls' Games 84
XXXIII. The Bloody Laws of Draco 86
XXXIV. The Laws of Solon 89
XXXV. The First Plays 92
XXXVI. The Tyrant Pisistratus 95
XXXVII. The Tyrant's Insult 97
XXXVIII. Death of the Conspirators 99
XXXIX. Hippias driven out of Athens 100
XL. The Great King 104
XLI. Hippias visits Darius 105
XLII. Destruction of the Persian Host 108
XLIII. The Advance of the Second Host 110
XLIV. The Battle of Marathon 113
XLV. Miltiades' Disgrace 115
XLVI. Aristides the Just 117
XLVII. Two Noble Spartan Youths 119
XLVIII. The Great Army 121
XLIX. Preparations for Defense 124
L. Leonidas at Thermopylae 127
LI. Death of Leonidas 128
LII. The Burning of Athens 131
LIII. The Battles of Salamis and Plataea 133
LIV. The Rebuilding of Athens 136
LV. Death of Pausanias 138
LVI. Cimon improves Athens 141
LVII. The Earthquake 143
LVIII. The Age of Pericles 146
LIX. The Teachings of Anaxagoras 151
LX. Beginning of the Peloponnesian War 152
LXI. Death of Pericles 155
LXII. The Philosopher Socrates 157
LXIII. Socrates' Favorite Pupil 159
LXIV. Youth of Alcibiades 163
LXV. Greek Colonies in Italy 165
LXVI. Alcibiades in Disgrace 167
LXVII. Death of Alcibiades 169
LXVIII. The Overthrow of the Thirty Tyrants 171
LXIX. Accusation of Socrates 173
LXX. Death of Socrates 175
LXXI. The Defeat of Cyrus 180
LXXII. The Retreat of the Ten Thousand 182
LXXIII. Agesilaus in Asia 185
LXXIV. A Strange Interview 186
LXXV. The Peace of Antalcidas 189
LXXVI. The Theban Friends 190
LXXVII. Thebes Free once more 192
LXXVIII. The Battle of Leuctra 195
LXXIX. Death of Pelopidas 197
LXXX. The Battle of Mantinea 199
XXXI. The Tyrant of Syracuse 201
XXXII. Story of Damon and Pythias 204
XXXIII. The Sword of Damocles 208
XXXIV. Dion and Dionysius 210
XXXV. Civil War in Syracuse 212
XXXVI. Death of Dion 214
XXXVII. Philip of Macedon 217
XXXVIII. Philip begins his Conquests 219
XXXIX. The Orator Demosthenes 221
XC. Philip masters Greece 224
XCI. Birth of Alexander 227
XCII. The Steed Bucephalus 229
XCIII. Alexander as King 232
XCIV. Alexander and Diogenes 234
XCV. Alexander's Brilliant Beginning 236
XCVI. The Gordian Knot 238
XCVII. Alexander's Royal Captives 241
CVIII. Alexander at Jerusalem 242
XCIX. The African Desert 244
C. Death of Darius 247
CI. Defeat of Porus 249
CII. The Return to Babylon 251
CIII. Death of Alexander the Great 252
CIV. The Division of the Realm 255
CV. Death of Demosthenes 257
CVI. The Last of the Athenians 260
CVII. The Colossus of Rhodes 262
CVIII. The Battle of Ipsus 265
CIX. Demetrius and the Athenians 266
CX. The Achaean League 268
CXI. Division in Sparta 270
CXII. Death of Agis 274
CXIII. The War of the Two Leagues 276
CXIV. The Last of the Greeks 278
CXV. Greece a Roman Province 280
INDEX 283
[Illustration]
THE STORY OF THE GREEKS.
I. EARLY INHABITANTS OF GREECE.
Although Greece (or Hel'las) is only half as large as the State of New
York, it holds a very important place in the history of the world. It is
situated in the southern part of Europe, cut off from the rest of the
continent by a chain of high mountains which form a great wall on the
north. It is surrounded on nearly all sides by the blue waters of the
Med-it-er-ra'ne-an Sea, which stretch so far inland that it is said no
part of the country is forty miles from the sea, or ten miles from the
hills. Thus shut in by sea and mountains, it forms a little territory by
itself, and it was the home of a noted people.
The history of Greece goes back to the time when people did not know how
to write, and kept no record of what was happening around them. For a
long while the stories told by parents to their children were the only
information which could be had about the country and its former
inhabitants; and these stories, slightly changed by every new teller,
grew more and more extraordinary as time passed. At last they were so
changed that no one could tell where the truth ended and fancy began.
The beginning of Greek history is therefore like a fairy tale; and while
much of it cannot, of course, be true, it is the only information we
have about the early Greeks. It is these strange fireside stories, which
used to amuse Greek children so many years ago, that you are first going
to hear.
About two thousand years before the birth of Christ, in the days when
Isaac wanted to go down into Egypt, Greece was inhabited by a savage
race of men called the Pe-las'gi-ans. They lived in the forests, or in
caves hollowed out of the mountain side, and hunted wild beasts with
great clubs and stone-tipped arrows and spears. They were so rude and
wild that they ate nothing but raw meat, berries, and the roots which
they dug up with sharp stones or even with their hands.
For clothing, the Pelasgians used the skins of the beasts they had
killed; and to protect themselves against other savages, they gathered
together in families or tribes, each having a chief who led in war and
in the chase.
There were other far more civilized nations in those days. Among these
were the E-gyp'tians, who lived in Africa. They had long known the use
of fire, had good tools, and were much further advanced than the
Pelasgians. They had learned not only to build houses, but to erect the
most wonderful monuments in the world,--the Pyr'a-mids, of which you
have no doubt heard.
In Egypt there were at that time a number of learned men. They were
acquainted with many of the arts and sciences, and recorded all they
knew in a peculiar writing of their own invention. Their neighbors, the
Phoe-ni'-cians, whose land also bordered on the Mediterranean Sea,
were quite civilized too; and as both of these nations had ships, they
soon began to sail all around that great inland sea.
As they had no compass, the Egyptian and Phoenician sailors did not
venture out of sight of land. They first sailed along the shore, and
then to the islands which they could see far out on the blue waters.
When they had come to one island, they could see another still farther
on; for, as you will see on any map, the Mediterranean Sea, between
Greece and Asia, is dotted with islands, which look like stepping-stones
going from one coast to the other.
Advancing thus carefully, the Egyptians and Phoenicians finally came
to Greece, where they made settlements, and began to teach the
Pelasgians many useful and important things.
II. THE DELUGE OF OGYGES.
The first Egyptian who thus settled in Greece was a prince called
In'a-chus. Landing in that country, which has a most delightful climate,
he taught the Pelasgians how to make fire and how to cook their meat. He
also showed them how to build comfortable homes by piling up stones one
on top of another, much in the same way as the farmer makes the stone
walls around his fields.
The Pelasgians were intelligent, although so uncivilized; and they soon
learned to build these walls higher, in order to keep the wild beasts
away from their homes. Then, when they had learned the use of bronze and
iron tools, they cut the stones into huge blocks of regular shape.
These stone blocks were piled one upon another so cleverly that some of
the walls are still standing, although no mortar was used to hold the
stones together. Such was the strength of the Pelasgians, that they
raised huge blocks to great heights, and made walls which their
descendants declared must have been built by giants.
As the Greeks called their giants Cy'clops, which means "round-eyed,"
they soon called these walls Cy-clo-pe'an; and, in pointing them out to
their children, they told strange tales of the great giants who had
built them, and always added that these huge builders had but one eye,
which was in the middle of the forehead.
Some time after Inachus the Egyptian had thus taught the Pelasgians the
art of building, and had founded a city called Ar'gos, there came a
terrible earthquake. The ground under the people's feet heaved and
cracked, the mountains shook, the waters flooded the dry land, and the
people fled in terror to the hills.
In spite of the speed with which they ran, the waters soon overtook
them. Many of the Pelasgians were thus drowned, while their terrified
companions ran faster and faster up the mountain, nor stopped to rest
until they were quite safe.
Looking down upon the plains where they had once lived, they saw them
all covered with water. They were now forced to build new homes; but
when the waters little by little sank into the ground, or flowed back
into the sea, they were very glad to find that some of their thickest
walls had resisted the earthquake and flood, and were still standing
firm.
The memory of the earthquake and flood was very clear, however. The poor
Pelasgians could not forget their terror and the sudden death of so many
friends, and they often talked about that horrible time. As this flood
occurred in the days when Og'y-ges was king, it has generally been
linked to his name, and called the Deluge (or flood) of Ogyges.
III. THE FOUNDING OF MANY IMPORTANT CITIES.
Some time after Inachus had built Argos, another Egyptian prince came to
settle in Greece. His name was Ce'crops, and, as he came to Greece after
the Deluge of Ogyges, he found very few inhabitants left. He landed, and
decided to build a city on a promontory northeast of Argos. Then he
invited all the Pelasgians who had not been drowned in the flood to join
him.
The Pelasgians, glad to find such a wise leader, gathered around him,
and they soon learned to plow the fields and to sow wheat. Under
Cecrops' orders they also planted olive trees and vines, and learned how
to press the oil from the olives and the wine from the grapes. Cecrops
taught them how to harness their oxen; and before long the women began
to spin the wool of their sheep, and to weave it into rough woolen
garments, which were used for clothing, instead of the skins of wild
beasts.
After building several small towns in At'ti-ca, Cecrops founded a larger
one, which was at first called Ce-cro'pi-a in honor of himself. This
name, however, was soon changed to Ath'ens to please A-the'ne (or
Mi-ner'va), a goddess whom the people worshiped, and who was said to
watch over the welfare of this her favorite city.
[Illustration: Athene.]
When Cecrops died, he was followed by other princes, who continued
teaching the people many useful things, such as the training and
harnessing of horses, the building of carts, and the proper way of
harvesting grain. One prince even showed them how to make beehives, and
how to use the honey as an article of food.
As the mountain sides in Greece are covered with a carpet of wild,
sweet-smelling herbs and flowers, the Greek honey is very good; and
people say that the best honey in the world is made by the bees on Mount
Hy-met'tus, near Athens, where they gather their golden store all summer
long.
Shortly after the building of Athens, a Phoenician colony, led by
Cad'mus, settled a neighboring part of the country, called Boe-o'tia,
where they founded the city which was later known as Thebes. Cadmus also
taught the people many useful things, among others the art of trade (or
commerce) and that of navigation (the building and using of ships); but,
best of all, he brought the alphabet to Greece, and showed the people
how to express their thoughts in writing.
Almost at the same time that Cadmus founded Thebes, an Egyptian called
Dan'a-us came to Greece, and settled a colony on the same spot where
that of Inachus had once been. The new Argos rose on the same place as
the old; and the country around it, called Ar'go-lis, was separated from
Boeotia and Attica only by a long narrow strip of land, which was
known as the Isthmus of Cor'-inth.
Danaus not only showed the Pelasgians all the useful arts which Cadmus
and Cecrops had taught, but also helped them to build ships like that in
which he had come to Greece. He also founded religious festivals or
games in honor of the harvest goddess, De-me'ter. The women were invited
to these games, and they only were allowed to bear torches in the public
processions, where they sang hymns in honor of the goddess.
The descendants of Danaus long ruled over the land; and one member of
his family, Per'seus, built the town of My-ce'nae on a spot where many
of the Pelasgian stone walls can still be seen.
The Pelasgians who joined this young hero helped him to build great
walls all around his town. These were provided with massive gateways and
tall towers, from which the soldiers could overlook the whole country,
and see the approach of an enemy from afar.
[Illustration: The Lion Gate, Mycenae.]
This same people built tombs for some of the ancient kings, and many
treasure and store houses. These buildings, buried under earth and
rubbish, were uncovered a few years ago. In the tombs were found swords,
spears, and remains of ancient armor, gold ornaments, ancient pieces of
pottery, human bones, and, strangest of all, thin masks of pure gold,
which covered the faces of some of the dead.
Thus you see, the Pelasgians little by little joined the new colonies
which came to take possession of the land, and founded little states or
countries of their own, each governed by its own king, and obeying its
own laws.
IV. STORY OF DEUCALION.
The Greeks used to tell their children that Deu-ca'li-on, the leader of
the Thes-sa'li-ans, was a descendant of the gods, for each part of the
country claimed that its first great man was the son of a god. It was
under the reign of Deucalion that another flood took place. This was
even more terrible than that of Ogyges; and all the people of the
neighborhood fled in haste to the high mountains north of Thes'sa-ly,
where they were kindly received by Deucalion.
When all danger was over, and the waters began to recede, they followed
their leader down into the plains again. This soon gave rise to a
wonderful story, which you will often hear. It was said that Deucalion
and his wife Pyr'rha were the only people left alive after the flood.
When the waters had all gone, they went down the mountain, and found
that the temple at Del'phi, where they worshiped their gods, was still
standing unharmed. They entered, and, kneeling before the altar, prayed
for help.
A mysterious voice then bade them go down the mountain, throwing their
mother's bones behind them. They were very much troubled when they heard
this, until Deucalion said that a voice from heaven could not have
meant them to do any harm. In thinking over the real meaning of the
words he had heard, he told his wife, that, as the Earth is the mother
of all creatures, her bones must mean the stones.
Deucalion and Pyrrha, therefore, went slowly down the mountain, throwing
the stones behind them. The Greeks used to tell that a sturdy race of
men sprang up from the stones cast by Deucalion, while beautiful women
came from those cast by Pyrrha.
The country was soon peopled by the children of these men, who always
proudly declared that the story was true, and that they sprang from the
race which owed its birth to this great miracle. Deucalion reigned over
this people as long as he lived; and when he died, his two sons,
Am-phic'ty-on and Hel'len, became kings in his stead. The former staid
in Thessaly; and, hearing that some barbarians called Thra'cians were
about to come over the mountains and drive his people away, he called
the chiefs of all the different states to a council, to ask their advice
about the best means of defense. All the chiefs obeyed the summons, and
met at a place in Thessaly where the mountains approach the sea so
closely as to leave but a narrow pass between. In the pass are hot
springs, and so it was called Ther-mop'y-lae, or the Hot Gateway.
The chiefs thus gathered together called this assembly the
Am-phic-ty-on'ic Council, in honor of Amphictyon. After making plans to
drive back the Thracians, they decided to meet once a year, either at
Thermopylae or at the temple at Delphi, to talk over all important
matters.
V. STORY OF DAEDALUS AND ICARUS.
Hellen, Deucalion's second son, finding Thessaly too small to give homes
to all the people, went southward with a band of hardy followers, and
settled in another part of the country which we call Greece, but which
was then, in honor of him, called Hellas, while his people were called
Hel-le'nes, or subjects of Hellen.
When Hellen died, he left his kingdom to his three sons, Do'rus,
AE'o-lus, and Xu'thus. Instead of dividing their father's lands fairly,
the eldest two sons quarreled with the youngest, and finally drove him
away. Homeless and poor, Xuthus now went to Athens, where he was warmly
welcomed by the king, who not only treated him very kindly, but also
gave him his daughter in marriage, and promised that he should inherit
the throne.
This promise was duly kept, and Xuthus the exile ruled over Athens. When
he died, he left the crown to his sons, I'on and A-chae'us.
As the A-the'ni-ans had gradually increased in number until their
territory was too small to afford a living to all the inhabitants, Ion
and Achaeus, even in their father's lifetime, led some of their followers
along the Isthmus of Corinth, and down into the peninsula, where they
founded two flourishing states, called, after them, A-cha'ia and
I-o'ni-a. Thus, while northern Greece was pretty equally divided between
the Do'ri-ans and AE-o'li-ans, descendants and subjects of Dorus and
AEolus, the peninsula was almost entirely in the hands of the I-o'ni-ans
and A-chae'ans, who built towns, cultivated the soil, and became bold
navigators. They ventured farther and farther out at sea, until they
were familiar with all the neighboring bays and islands.
Sailing thus from place to place, the Hellenes came at last to Crete, a
large island south of Greece. This island was then governed by a very
wise king called Mi'nos. The laws of this monarch were so just that all
the Greeks admired them very much. When he died, they even declared that
the gods had called him away to judge the dead in Ha'des, and to decide
what punishments and rewards the spirits deserved.
Although Minos was very wise, he had a subject named Daed'a-lus who was
even wiser than he. This man not only invented the saw and the potter's
wheel, but also taught the people how to rig sails for their vessels.
As nothing but oars and paddles had hitherto been used to propel ships,
this last invention seemed very wonderful; and, to compliment Daedalus,
the people declared that he had given their vessels wings, and had thus
enabled them to fly over the seas.
Many years after, when sails were so common that they ceased to excite
any wonder, the people, forgetting that these were the wings which
Daedalus had made, invented a wonderful story, which runs as follows.
Minos, King of Crete, once sent for Daedalus, and bade him build a maze,
or labyrinth, with so many rooms and winding halls, that no one, once in
it, could ever find his way out again.
Daedalus set to work and built a maze so intricate that neither he nor
his son Ic'a-rus, who was with him, could get out. Not willing to
remain there a prisoner, Daedalus soon contrived a means of escape.
[Illustration: Daedalus and Icarus.]
He and Icarus first gathered together a large quantity of feathers, out
of which Daedalus cleverly made two pairs of wings. When these were
fastened to their shoulders by means of wax, father and son rose up like
birds and flew away. In spite of his father's cautions, Icarus rose
higher and higher, until the heat of the sun melted the wax, so that his
wings dropped off, and he fell into the sea and was drowned. His father,
more prudent than he, flew low, and reached Greece in safety. There he
went on inventing useful things, often gazing out sadly over the waters
in which Icarus had perished, and which, in honor of the drowned youth,
were long known as the I-ca'ri-an Sea.
VI. THE ADVENTURES OF JASON.
The Hellenes had not long been masters of all Greece, when a Phryg'i-an
called Pe'lops became master of the peninsula, which from him received
the name of Pel-o-pon-ne'sus. He first taught the people to coin money;
and his descendants, the Pe-lop'i-dae, took possession of all the land
around them, with the exception of Argolis, where the Da-na'i-des
continued to reign.
Some of the Ionians and Achaeans, driven away from their homes by the
Pelopidae, went on board their many vessels, and sailed away. They formed
Hel-len'ic colonies in the neighboring islands along the coast of Asia
Minor, and even in the southern part of Italy.
As some parts of Greece were very thinly settled, and as the people
clustered around the towns where their rulers dwelt, there were wide,
desolate tracts of land between them. Here were many wild beasts and
robbers, who lay in wait for travelers on their way from one settlement
to another. The robbers, who hid in the forests or mountains, were
generally feared and disliked, until at last some brave young warriors
made up their minds to fight against them and to kill them all. These
young men were so brave that they well deserved the name of heroes,
which has always been given them; and they met with many adventures
about which the people loved to hear. Long after they had gone, the
inhabitants, remembering their relief when the robbers were killed,
taught their children to honor these brave young men almost as much as
the gods, and they called the time when they lived the Heroic Age.
Not satisfied with freeing their own country from wild men and beasts,
the heroes wandered far away from home in search of further adventures.
These have also been told over and over again to children of all
countries and ages, until every one is expected to know something about
them. Fifty of these heroes, for instance, went on board of a small
vessel called the "Argo," sailed across the well-known waters, and
ventured boldly into unknown seas. They were in search of a Golden
Fleece, which they were told they would find in Col'chis, where it was
said to be guarded by a great dragon.
The leader of these fifty adventurers was Ja'son, an AEolian prince, who
brought them safely to Colchis, whence, as the old stories relate, they
brought back the Golden Fleece. They also brought home the king's
daughter, who married Jason, and ruled his kingdom with him. Of course,
as there was no such thing as a Golden Fleece, the Greeks merely used
this expression to tell about the wealth which they got in the East, and
carried home with them; for the voyage of the "Argo" was in reality the
first distant commercial journey undertaken by the Greeks.
VII. THESEUS VISITS THE LABYRINTH.
On coming back from the quest for the Golden Fleece, the heroes returned
to their own homes, where they continued their efforts to make their
people happy.
The'seus, one of the heroes, returned to Athens, and founded a yearly
festival in honor of the goddess Athene. This festival was called
Pan-ath-e-nae'a, which means "all the worshipers of Athene." It proved a
great success, and was a bond of union among the people, who thus
learned each other's customs and manners, and grew more friendly than if
they had always staid at home. Theseus is one of the best-known among
all the Greek heroes. Besides going with Jason in the "Argo," he rid his
country of many robbers, and sailed to Crete. There he visited Minos,
the king, who, having some time before conquered the Athenians, forced
them to send him every year a shipload of youths and maidens, to feed
to a monster which he kept in the Labyrinth.
To free his country from this tribute, Theseus, of his own free will,
went on board the ship. When he reached Crete, he went first into the
Labyrinth, and killed the monster with his sword. Then he found his way
out of the maze by means of a long thread which the king's daughter had
given him. One end of it he carried with him as he entered, while the
other end was fastened to the door.
His old father, AEgeus, who had allowed him to go only after much
persuasion, had told him to change the black sails of his vessel for
white if he were lucky enough to escape. Theseus promised to do so, but
he entirely forgot it in the joy of his return.
AEgeus, watching for the vessel day after day, saw it coming back at
last; and when the sunlight fell upon the black sails, he felt sure that
his son was dead.
His grief was so great at this loss, that he fell from the rock where he
was standing down into the sea, and was drowned. In memory of him, the
body of water near the rock is still known as the AE-ge'an Sea.
When Theseus reached Athens, and heard of his father's grief and sudden
death, his heart was filled with sorrow and remorse, and he loudly
bewailed the carelessness which had cost his father's life.
Theseus now became King of Athens, and ruled his people very wisely for
many years. He took part in many adventures and battles, lost two wives
and a beloved son, and in his grief and old age became so cross and
harsh that his people ceased to love him.
They finally grew so tired of his cruelty, that they all rose up against
him, drove him out of the city, and forced him to take up his abode on
the Island of Scy'ros. Then, fearing that he might return unexpectedly,
they told the king of the island to watch him night and day, and to
seize the first good opportunity to get rid of him. In obedience to
these orders, the king escorted Theseus wherever he went; and one day,
when they were both walking along the edge of a tall cliff, he suddenly
pushed Theseus over it. Unable to defend or save himself, Theseus fell
on some sharp rocks far below, and was instantly killed.
The Athenians rejoiced greatly when they heard of his death; but they
soon forgot his harshness, remembered only his bravery and all the good
he had done them in his youth, and regretted their ingratitude. Long
after, as you will see, his body was carried to Athens, and buried not
far from the A-crop'o-lis, which was a fortified hill or citadel in the
midst of the city. Here the Athenians built a temple over his remains,
and worshiped him as a god.
While Theseus was thus first fighting for his subjects, and then
quarreling with them, one of his companions, the hero Her'cu-les (or
Her'a-cles) went back to the Peloponnesus, where he had been born. There
his descendants, the Her-a-cli'dae, soon began fighting with the Pelopidae
for the possession of the land.
After much warfare, the Heraclidae were driven away, and banished to
Thessaly, where they were allowed to remain only upon condition that
they would not attempt to renew their quarrel with the Pelopidae for a
hundred years.
VIII. THE TERRIBLE PROPHECY.
While Theseus was reigning over the Athenians, the neighboring throne of
Thebes, in Boeotia, was occupied by King La'ius and Queen Jo-cas'ta.
In those days the people thought they could learn about the future by
consulting the oracles, or priests who dwelt in the temples, and
pretended to give mortals messages from the gods.
Hoping to learn what would become of himself and of his family, Laius
sent rich gifts to the temple at Delphi, asking what would befall him in
the coming years. The messenger soon returned, but, instead of bringing
cheerful news, he tremblingly repeated the oracle's words: "King Laius,
you will have a son who will murder his father, marry his mother, and
bring destruction upon his native city!"
This news filled the king's heart with horror; and when, a few months
later, a son was born to him, he made up his mind to kill him rather
than let him live to commit such fearful crimes. But Laius was too
gentle to harm a babe, and so ordered a servant to carry the child out
of the town and put him to death.
The man obeyed the first part of the king's orders; but when he had come
to a lonely spot on the mountain, he could not make up his mind to kill
the poor little babe. Thinking that the child would soon die if left on
this lonely spot, the servant tied him to a tree, and, going back to the
city, reported that he had gotten rid of him.
No further questions were asked, and all thought that the child was
dead. It was not so, however. His cries had attracted the attention of a
passing shepherd, who carried him home, and, being too poor to keep him,
took him to the King of Corinth. As the king had no children, he gladly
adopted the little boy.
When the queen saw that the child's ankles were swollen by the cord by
which he had been hung to the tree, she tenderly cared for him, and
called him OEd'i-pus, which means "the swollen-footed." This nickname
clung to the boy, who grew up thinking that the King and Queen of
Corinth were his real parents.
IX. THE SPHINX'S RIDDLE.
When OEdipus was grown up, he once went to a festival, where his proud
manners so provoked one of his companions, that he taunted him with
being only a foundling. OEdipus, seeing the frightened faces around
him, now for the first time began to think that perhaps he had not been
told the truth about his parentage. So he consulted an oracle.
Instead of giving him a plain answer,--a thing which the oracles were
seldom known to do,--the voice said, "OEdipus, beware! You are doomed
to kill your father, marry your mother, and bring destruction upon your
native city!"
Horrified at this prophecy, and feeling sure that the King and Queen of
Corinth were his parents, and that the oracle's predictions threatened
misfortunes to them, OEdipus made up his mind to leave home forever.
He did not even dare to return to bid his family good-by, and he started
out alone and on foot to seek his fortunes elsewhere.
As he walked, he thought of his misfortunes, and grew very bitter
against the cruel goddess of fate, whom he had been taught to fear. He
fancied that this goddess could rule things as she pleased, and that it
was she who had said he would commit the dreadful crimes which he was
trying to avoid.
After several days' aimless wandering, OEdipus came at last to some
crossroads. There he met an old man riding in a chariot, and preceded by
a herald, who haughtily bade OEdipus make way for his master.
As OEdipus had been brought up as a prince, he was in the habit of
seeing everybody make way for him. He therefore proudly refused to stir;
and when the herald raised his staff to strike, OEdipus drew his sword
and killed him.
The old man, indignant at this deed of violence, stepped out of his
chariot and attacked OEdipus. Now, the young man did not know that it
was his father Laius whom he thus met for the first time, so he fell
upon and killed him also. The servants too were all slain when they in
turn attacked him; and then OEdipus calmly continued his journey,
little suspecting that the first part of the oracle's prediction had
been fulfilled.
Soon after this fight, OEdipus came to the city of Thebes. The streets
were filled with excited people, all talking at once; and the young
prince, in listening to what they said, soon learned the cause of their
excitement.
[Illustration: After a few moments' deep thought, OEdipus answered.]
It seems that a terrible monster called the Sphinx had taken up its
station on one of the principal roads leading to the town, and would
allow no one to pass who could not answer a riddle which it asked. This
creature had the head of a woman, the body of a lion, and the wings of
an eagle; and, as it ate up all those who could not guess its riddle,
the people were very much frightened.
Many persons had already been slain; for, although the bravest men had
gone out to kill it, they had lost their lives in the attempt, as no one
could harm it unless he guessed the mysterious riddle.
Laius, the king, hoping to learn from the oracle at Delphi the answer to
the riddle, had ridden off in his chariot; but the people grew more
excited still, when a messenger came running into the town, and said
that the king and all his servants had been killed by robbers, and that
their dead bodies had been found in the middle of the road.
OEdipus paid no attention to this news; for he little suspected that
the old man whom he had killed was the king, whom everybody loved, and
for whom they now mourned with noisy grief.
He was, however, deeply interested in the story of the Sphinx; and he
was so sure that he could guess the riddle, that he immediately set out
to find the monster. He walked boldly along the road until stopped by
the Sphinx, which told him to answer this riddle if he wished to live:
"What creature walks upon four feet in the morning, upon two at noon,
and upon three at night?"
After a few moments' deep thought, OEdipus answered that the creature
was _man_. "For," said he, "in the morning of life, or in babyhood, man
creeps on hands and knees; at noon, or in manhood, he walks erect; and
at evening, or in old age, he supports his tottering steps with a
staff."
The Sphinx's riddle was guessed; and the monster, knowing that its power
was now at an end, tried to get away. But OEdipus would not allow it
to do so; and, drawing his sword, he forced it back until it fell over a
precipice, on the sharp stones below, and was dashed to pieces.
X. BLINDNESS AND DEATH OF OEDIPUS.
Boeotia was now rid of the Sphinx; and when the The'bans heard the
joyful news of its death, they welcomed OEdipus with much joy. In
reward for his bravery, they gave him not only the throne, but also the
hand of Jocasta, the widowed queen. It was thus that OEdipus, although
he did not know it, fulfilled the second part of the prophecy, and
married his own mother.
Several years now passed by, during which OEdipus ruled the Thebans so
wisely, that they all loved him dearly, and went to him for advice in
all their troubles. Finally the good times came to an end; and the
people were again terrified, because a plague, or great sickness, broke
out in the city, and many of the inhabitants died.
All kinds of medicines were tried, but without effect; and all the gods
were asked to lend their aid. In despair, OEdipus sent a messenger to
Delphi to ask the oracle how the disease could be stopped. The oracle
for once gave a plain answer, and said that the plague would cease only
when the murderer of Laius had been found and punished.
Investigations were now made for the first time, and it was found that
OEdipus was the one who had slain the king. At the same time, the
servant confessed that he had not killed the royal child; and the
shepherd told how he had found the babe and carried him to Corinth,
where he had been adopted by the king.
When OEdipus heard all this, he was driven almost mad with despair;
for now he knew not only that he had murdered his father and married his
mother, but that it was on his account that the plague had caused the
death of so many people in Thebes.
In her horror and grief at this discovery, Queen Jocasta killed herself.
When OEdipus learned that she was dead, he ran into the room where she
lay, and took one of the buckles which fastened her dress and put out
his eyes with it, saying, that, since they had beheld such a sorrowful
sight, they should never again see the light of day.
To rid the city of his accursed presence, and thus, if possible, save it
from the threatened destruction, OEdipus banished himself, and
wandered away, old, blind, and poor, for he would take none of his
riches with him.
He departed sorrowfully, leaving his kingdom to his two sons,
E-te'o-cles and Pol-y-ni'ces, and telling them to care for their
sisters, An-tig'o-ne and Is-me'ne.
Ismene wept bitterly when she said good-by to her father; but Antigone
placed her father's hand upon her shoulder, said that she would never
forsake him, and left the city, tenderly supporting and guiding him.
Father and daughter wandered thus from place to place, finding no rest;
for all the people shrank from even looking upon OEdipus, who, they
said, was evidently accursed by the gods, since he had committed such
frightful crimes.
After many days' wandering and much fatigue, the exiles arrived at last
on the border of a dark forest held sacred to the Furies,--the goddesses
whose duty it was to punish all criminals by tormenting them as long as
they lived, and even after they had died.
When Antigone described to her poor blind father the place they had
reached, he bade her remain by the roadside, and, groping his way, soon
vanished into the forest. He had scarcely gone, when a terrible
thunderstorm arose. The air grew dark, the lightning flashed, the
thunder rolled, the trees bent and twisted in the wind; and, although
Antigone called her father again and again, she heard no answering cry.
When morning came, she went to look for him, but found no trace of him.
The people in the neighborhood then told her that the Furies had dragged
her father away to punish him for his crimes, and Antigone sadly went
back to Thebes.
As soon as she arrived in the city, Antigone hastened to the palace to
tell her brothers and sister about their father's sad death; but when
she entered her former happy home, she learned that there are sadder
things than death, for her brothers were no longer friends, and had
begun a terrible quarrel.
XI. THE BROTHERS' QUARREL.
The misfortunes of Thebes had not come to an end with the banishment of
OEdipus, and fate was still against the unhappy city. The plague, it
is true, had stopped; but the two young princes were quarreling about
the possession of the throne.
Both wanted to reign, and neither wished to share the throne with his
brother. After much dispute, they agreed at last that each should reign
a year in turn.
Eteocles, the elder, was of course allowed to rule during the first
year; while Polynices went to pay a visit to A-dras'tus, King of Argos.
Here he was warmly welcomed and hospitably entertained; but when the
year was ended, he hurried back to Thebes to reign in his turn.
When he came to the city, however, Eteocles refused to give up the
scepter, and, calling out his guards, made use of his power to drive
Polynices out of the town. This was very wrong, for a promise should
always be kept; and it made Polynices so angry, that he said he would
return with an army, and force his brother to act fairly.
Polynices therefore hurried back to Argos, and soon persuaded Adrastus,
with five other kings and noted warriors, to go with him to Thebes, and
help him take the throne by force.
When Eteocles heard that seven kings were coming with a large army to
make him give up the throne of Thebes, he made up his mind to fight hard
to keep it. After strengthening the city walls, laying in a great stock
of provisions, and securing the help of seven brave allies, Eteocles
closed the gates of Thebes, and calmly awaited the arrival of the enemy.
Meanwhile the seven chiefs were marching from Argos to Thebes. They came
at last to the forest of Ne'me-a, where Hercules, the chief hero of
Argos, had once slain a terrible lion. This monster had long lived in
the forest, filling the hearts of all the people with dread; and when
Hercules came out of the forest, wearing the skin of the lion, they had
greatly rejoiced.
[Illustration: Hercules and the Nemean Lion.]
In honor of Hercules' victory over the Ne'me-an lion, the seven chiefs
stopped in this spot to celebrate games, which they said should be held
in that neighborhood every three years. This festival was ever after
celebrated thus; and when the people gathered together there to see the
racing and boxing, they loved to recall the memory of the brave lion
slayer, and of the seven kings who had first celebrated the Nemean
games.
When Polynices and his allies came at last to Thebes, they found all the
gates closed; and although they fought bravely, and tried hard to enter
the city, they were kept at bay for seven long years. At the end of that
time the people inside the city, and those without, were equally tired
of this long siege: so it was finally agreed that the two armies should
meet on a neighboring plain and fight it out.
The armies were led by the two brothers, who now hated each other so
bitterly, that, instead of waiting for the signal for battle, they
rushed upon each other, and both fell before any one could interfere.
This terrible end of their quarrel filled the hearts of both armies with
fear, and they agreed to make a truce in order to bury their chiefs. As
it was customary at that time to burn the bodies of the dead, both
corpses were laid upon the funeral pyre side by side. When the wood was
all burned, the ashes were put into separate urns, for the Greeks used
to tell their children that these brothers hated each other so much that
even their ashes would not mingle.
This story of OEdipus and his family is only a myth, but it is a very
celebrated one. The Greeks wrote stories, poems, and plays about it, and
it is on that account that it should be known by every one who wishes to
study the history of Greece.
XII. THE TAKING OF THEBES.
The terrible death of the two brothers Eteocles and Polynices did not,
as you might suppose, end the siege of Thebes. No sooner were their
funerals over, than both armies began to fight again; and they continued
the contest until all the chiefs had been killed except Adrastus only.
Most of the soldiers had also been slain: so Adrastus made up his mind
to go home, and wait until the sons of these fallen heroes were old
enough to fight, before he went on with the war. As they thought it
their duty to avenge all injuries, and especially the death of a
relative, Adrastus had no trouble in getting these youths to march
against Thebes. So they began a second siege, which was known as the War
of the E-pig'o-ni, or descendants, because the young warriors took up
their fathers' quarrel.
Such was the bravery of these young men, that they succeeded where their
fathers had failed, and after a long struggle took the city of Thebes.
As Polynices was dead, and could not claim the scepter he had so longed
to possess, they put his son Ther-san'der upon the throne.
This young man ruled for a while in peace; but because his sons were
insane, the Thebans thought that the gods still hated the race of
OEdipus: so they drove these princes away, and chose another and less
unlucky family to rule over them instead.
Even the daughters of OEdipus were very unhappy; for Antigone, having
taken the part of her brother Polynices, was put to death, while her
sister Ismene died of grief.
Such was the end of the race of OEdipus,--a king who has been
considered the most unhappy man that ever lived, because, although he
meant to be good, he was forced by fate to commit the most horrible
crimes.
XIII. THE CHILDHOOD OF PARIS.
In those days, Pri'am and Hec'u-ba were King and Queen of Troy (or
Il'i-um),--a beautiful city near the coast of Asia Minor, almost
opposite Athens. They were the parents of a large family of sons and
daughters; and among the sons were Hec'tor and Par'is, young men of
remarkable strength and beauty.
Paris had had a very adventurous life. When he was but a little babe,
his mother dreamed that she saw a flaming brand in the cradle, in the
place where the child lay. This brand seemed to set fire to the cradle
and all the palace; and the queen, awaking with a start, was overjoyed
to find that it was nothing but a dream.
Men in those days believed that dreams were sent by the gods to warn
them of coming events, and so Hecuba was very anxious to know what the
burning brand meant. She told her husband all about it, and they finally
decided to ask an oracle to explain the dream.
A few days later the messenger they had sent to the oracle came home,
and Hecuba shed many tears when he brought word that the child Paris was
destined to bring destruction upon his native city.
To escape this calamity, Priam ordered that Paris should be carried out
of the city, and that he should be left in a forest, where the wild
beasts would eat him up, or where he would be sure to die from hunger
and cold.
Poor little Paris was therefore lifted out of his comfortable cradle,
and left alone in the woods, where he cried so hard that a passing
hunter heard him. This man was so sorry for the poor child, that he
carried him home to his wife, who brought the little stranger up with
her own children.
As he lived with hunters, Paris soon learned their ways; and he became
so active that when he was quite grown up he went to Troy to take part
in the athletic games, which were often held there in honor of the gods.
He was so strong that he easily won all the prizes, although Hector and
the other young princes were also striving for them.