STORIES OF OLD GREECE AND ROME
[Illustration: Reading from Homer]
STORIES OF
OLD GREECE AND ROME
BY
EMILIE KIP BAKER
AUTHOR OF
"OUT OF THE NORTHLAND"
New York
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
1913
_All rights reserved_
COPYRIGHT, 1913,
BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY.
Set up and electrotyped. Published September, 1913.
Norwood Press
J. S. Cushing Co.--Berwick & Smith Co.
Norwood, Mass., U.S.A.
TO
FRANCES
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. IN THE BEGINNING 1
II. THE STORY OF PANDORA 7
III. THE DELUGE 16
IV. MINERVA 22
V. APOLLO AND KING ADMETUS 30
VI. APOLLO THE MUSICIAN 36
VII. THE LOVE OF APOLLO 44
VIII. DIANA 53
IX. THE STORY OF ENDYMION 60
X. MERCURY 64
XI. VENUS 73
XII. THE STORY OF CUPID AND PSYCHE 81
XIII. FAMOUS LOVERS
1. Echo and Narcissus 93
2. Pyramus and Thisbe 97
3. Hero and Leander 100
4. Pygmalion and Galatea 104
XIV. THE STORY OF ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE 107
XV. MARS AND VULCAN 115
XVI. THE STORY OF PROSERPINA 127
XVII. PLUTO AND THE UNDERWORLD 137
XVIII. NEPTUNE AND THE SEA-GODS 152
XIX. BACCHUS 167
XX. PAN AND THE NYMPHS 183
XXI. THE VESTALS 193
XXII. MINOR DEITIES
1. Æolus 200
2. Janus 204
3. Iris and Aurora 206
4. Vertumnus and Pomona 209
XXIII. HERCULES. Part I 212
XXIV. HERCULES. Part II 223
XXV. PERSEUS 235
XXVI. BELLEROPHON 251
XXVII. THE STORY OF JASON. Part I 262
XXVIII. THE STORY OF JASON. Part II 270
XXIX. THE CALYDONIAN HUNT 278
XXX. THESEUS. Part I 287
XXXI. THESEUS. Part II 295
XXXII. ŒDIPUS 306
XXXIII. THE APPLE OF DISCORD 317
ILLUSTRATIONS
Reading from Homer _Frontispiece_
FACING PAGE
Jupiter 6
Apollo Belvedere 30
Apollo and Daphne 46
Niobe 53
Diana of Versailles 56
Flying Mercury 64
Juno 73
Venus de Milo 78
Psyche 85
Charon and Psyche 91
Cupid and Psyche 92
Hero and Leander 104
Orpheus and Eurydice 112
The Abduction of Proserpina 127
The Three Fates 142
Fountain of Neptune 152
Faun 172
Vestals 193
Tuccia 196
Aurora 206
The Infant Hercules 212
Hercules and the Centaur 223
Hercules serving Omphale 230
Fortuna 232
Perseus 242
Medea 276
Cybele 286
Theseus 302
Œdipus and Antigone 312
Antigone and Ismene 315
Paris 320
GREEK AND ROMAN NAMES OF DEITIES
SATURN (CRONOS).
RHEA (CYBELE, OPS).
JUPITER (JOVE, ZEUS).
JUNO (HERA, HERE).
MINERVA (PALLAS, ATHENE).
APOLLO (PHŒBUS, SOL, HELIOS, PYTHEUS, CYNTHIUS).
DIANA (SELENE, ARTEMIS, PHŒBE, CYNTHIA).
VENUS (APHRODITE, DIONE, CYTHEREA).
MERCURY (HERMES, PSYCHOPOMPUS, ONEICOPOMPUS).
CUPID (EROS).
HEBE (JUVENTAS).
MARS (ARES).
VULCAN (HEPHÆSTUS).
NEPTUNE (POSEIDON).
PLUTO (HADES, DIS, ORCUS, AIDONEUS).
BACCHUS (DIONYSUS, LIBER).
CERES (DEMETER).
PROSERPINA (PERSEPHONE, CORA, PHEREPHATTA).
VESTA (HESTIA).
SOMNUS (HUPNOS).
MORS (THANATOS).
AURORA (EOS).
PAN (CONSENTES).
HERCULES (ALCIDES, HERACLES).
STORIES OF OLD GREECE AND ROME
Chapter I
In the Beginning
In the days of long, long ago when men built altars, and burned
sacrifices, and worshiped their gods in temples of pure white marble,
Jupiter, the greatest of the gods, sat upon his throne on high Olympus
and looked down upon the doings of men. The topmost peak of Mount
Olympus was covered with clouds,--so high it was above all the hills of
Greece,--and its slopes were thickly wooded. Just how high the mountain
really was could only be guessed, for no man had dared to climb even
as high as the first cloud line; though the story goes that once upon
a time a wandering shepherd, looking for a strayed lamb, had ventured
far up the mountain side and had soon lost his way. He groped about
blindly, as the mists began to thicken all around him, and the sound
of his own footsteps terrified him in the dreadful silence that seemed
to be suddenly creeping over him. Then a mighty tempest broke over
his head, and the mountain shook to its very base. From the hand of
wrathful Jupiter fierce thunderbolts were hurled, while the lightning
flashed and gleamed through the darkness of the forest, searching out
the guilty mortal who had dared to climb too high.
No human eye had ever seen the glories of Olympus, no human foot had
ever stepped within its sacred halls, where the ceiling was of gold and
the pavement of pearl and the thrones of the gods shone with a thousand
glittering jewels. Here
"the gods have made,
So saith tradition, their eternal seat;
The tempest shakes it not, nor is it drenched
By showers, and there the snow does never fall.
And in the golden light that lies on all
Day after day the blessed gods rejoice."
--_Odyssey_, Book VI, line 53.
Of the life that was lived among the dwellers on Olympus, not even the
poets could claim to know; but sometimes a tired soldier dozing by his
camp fire dreamed dreams of this wonderful country where the immortal
gods walked by night and day; and sometimes a lonely fisherman, looking
across the blue waters of the Mediterranean to the crimsoning sunset,
saw visions of youth and beauty and life that lasted for ever and ever
and ever.
It was long before the memory of man that the gods first came to live
on Mount Olympus, and it was still longer ago that all the great
powers of the universe fought with each other for the right to rule
the world. In this mighty war, which rent the very heavens with the
crash of battle, Jupiter at last conquered all his jealous enemies,
and made himself ruler of the gods and of the world.[1] On that day
he established his dwelling place on Mount Olympus, and set the earth
below him for a footstool. From his throne in the high heavens he
looked down upon the kingdoms that he had portioned out to each of his
brothers; and he saw Neptune, the god of the sea, driving through the
waves his chariot drawn by huge, misshapen sea-beasts that beat up
the thick white foam until it glistened on the sea-king's beard and
on his crown of shells and seaweed. The other kingdom was so far away
that even the all-seeing eyes of Jupiter were strained to catch any
glimpse of the shapes that moved noiselessly there, for this was the
realm of Pluto, god of the underworld, that dread country of darkness
and unending gloom, where no ray of sunlight ever came, and where the
sad spirits of the dead wept for the lost world of love and light and
laughter.
Sometimes the great billows of clouds that rolled at the foot of the
red-gold throne shut out for a moment all sight of the earth at his
feet; but however thickly the mists gathered, Jupiter could always see
old Atlas standing on the shore of Africa with the heavens resting on
his bent shoulders. This giant had stood so long that forests of huge
trees had sprung up around his feet, and they had grown so tall during
the ages and ages that had passed, that their topmost branches reached
to the giant's waist and almost hid him from the sight of men. No
one offered to relieve him of his burden, not even his two brothers,
Prometheus and Epimetheus, to whom had been given the less difficult
task of creating man and placing him in the rich gardens of the earth.
There was every kind of plant and animal life in the gardens, and all
things were very beautiful in this morning of the world--so beautiful
that the gods, who must forever dwell in Olympus, felt sad that no eyes
like their own could look upon the green meadows and flower-covered
hillsides. So they bade Prometheus and Epimetheus fashion a being
which should be like and yet unlike themselves. There was nothing
but clay out of which to make this new creature called man, but the
brothers spent much time over their task, and, when it was finished,
Jupiter saw that the work was good, for they had given to man all the
qualities that the gods themselves possessed--youth, beauty, health,
strength,--everything but immortality.
Then Prometheus grew ambitious to add even more to the list of man's
blessings; and one day, as he sat brooding by the seashore, he
remembered that there was as yet no fire on the earth; for the only
flame that burned in all the world was glowing in the sacred halls of
Jupiter. For a long time he sat on the seashore, and before night fell
he had formed the daring plan of stealing some of the divine fire that
burned for always and always on Mount Olympus, and carrying it to the
earth that men might revel in its warmth and light.
It was a bold thing to dream of doing, but Prometheus forgot the fear
of Jupiter's wrath, so determined was he to carry out his plan; and one
night, when the gods were in council, seated around the great red-gold
throne, he crept softly into the hall, unseen and unheard. The sacred
fire was burning brightly on a hearth of polished silver. Some of it
Prometheus secreted in a hollow reed and hurried with it back to the
earth. Then he waited, with terror at his heart, for he knew that
sooner or later the vengeance of Jupiter would search him out, even
though he fled to the uttermost parts of the earth.
When the council of the gods was over, Jupiter looked down through the
clouds and saw a strange light on the earth. For a while he did not
realize that it was man, building himself a fire; but when he learned
the truth, his wrath became so terrible that even the gods trembled and
turned away in fear. In a moment Prometheus was seized and carried off
to the Caucasus Mountains, where he was securely chained to a rock,
and a hungry vulture was sent to tear out his liver and devour it. At
night the vulture, having gorged itself, slept on the rocks above its
victim's head; and at night the liver of the wretched Prometheus grew
again, only to be torn out and eaten by the vulture as soon as the sun
rose. This terrible punishment kept on for years and years; for though
Jupiter heard the cries of Prometheus, and many tales were told of his
sufferings, the ruler of the gods never forgave the theft of the sacred
fire, nor would he set Prometheus free. But the story tells us that at
last there came an end to this cruel vengeance, for Hercules, son of
Jupiter, went wandering one day among the mountains, found the tortured
Prometheus, and broke his chains, after killing the vulture that had
been enjoying this hateful feast.
Though the gods were rejoiced at his freedom, the name of Prometheus
was never spoken on Mount Olympus for fear of Jupiter's all-hearing
ears; but on the earth men uttered his name in their prayers and taught
their children to honor the Fire-giver as one of the greatest among
heroes.[2]
[Illustration: Jupiter]