Fragment #1—Proclus, Chrestomathia, i: This 3001 is continued by the
epic called _Cypria_ which is current is eleven books. Its contents are
as follows.
Zeus plans with Themis to bring about the Trojan war. Strife arrives
while the gods are feasting at the marriage of Peleus and starts a
dispute between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite as to which of them is
fairest. The three are led by Hermes at the command of Zeus to
Alexandrus on Mount Ida for his decision, and Alexandrus, lured by his
promised marriage with Helen, decides in favour of Aphrodite.
Then Alexandrus builds his ships at Aphrodite’s suggestion, and Helenus
foretells the future to him, and Aphrodite order Aeneas to sail with
him, while Cassandra prophesies as to what will happen afterwards.
Alexandrus next lands in Lacedaemon and is entertained by the sons of
Tyndareus, and afterwards by Menelaus in Sparta, where in the course of
a feast he gives gifts to Helen.
After this, Menelaus sets sail for Crete, ordering Helen to furnish the
guests with all they require until they depart. Meanwhile, Aphrodite
brings Helen and Alexandrus together, and they, after their union, put
very great treasures on board and sail away by night. Hera stirs up a
storm against them and they are carried to Sidon, where Alexandrus
takes the city. From there he sailed to Troy and celebrated his
marriage with Helen.
In the meantime Castor and Polydeuces, while stealing the cattle of
Idas and Lynceus, were caught in the act, and Castor was killed by
Idas, and Lynceus and Idas by Polydeuces. Zeus gave them immortality
every other day.
Iris next informs Menelaus of what has happened at his home. Menelaus
returns and plans an expedition against Ilium with his brother, and
then goes on to Nestor. Nestor in a digression tells him how Epopeus
was utterly destroyed after seducing the daughter of Lycus, and the
story of Oedipus, the madness of Heracles, and the story of Theseus and
Ariadne. Then they travel over Hellas and gather the leaders, detecting
Odysseus when he pretends to be mad, not wishing to join the
expedition, by seizing his son Telemachus for punishment at the
suggestion of Palamedes.
All the leaders then meet together at Aulis and sacrifice. The incident
of the serpent and the sparrows 3002 takes place before them, and
Calchas foretells what is going to befall. After this, they put out to
sea, and reach Teuthrania and sack it, taking it for Ilium. Telephus
comes out to the rescue and kills Thersander and son of Polyneices, and
is himself wounded by Achilles. As they put out from Mysia a storm
comes on them and scatters them, and Achilles first puts in at Scyros
and married Deidameia, the daughter of Lycomedes, and then heals
Telephus, who had been led by an oracle to go to Argos, so that he
might be their guide on the voyage to Ilium.
When the expedition had mustered a second time at Aulis, Agamemnon,
while at the chase, shot a stag and boasted that he surpassed even
Artemis. At this the goddess was so angry that she sent stormy winds
and prevented them from sailing. Calchas then told them of the anger of
the goddess and bade them sacrifice Iphigeneia to Artemis. This they
attempt to do, sending to fetch Iphigeneia as though for marriage with
Achilles.
Artemis, however, snatched her away and transported her to the Tauri,
making her immortal, and putting a stag in place of the girl upon the
altar.
Next they sail as far as Tenedos: and while they are feasting,
Philoctetes is bitten by a snake and is left behind in Lemnos because
of the stench of his sore. Here, too, Achilles quarrels with Agamemnon
because he is invited late. Then the Greeks tried to land at Ilium, but
the Trojans prevent them, and Protesilaus is killed by Hector. Achilles
then kills Cycnus, the son of Poseidon, and drives the Trojans back.
The Greeks take up their dead and send envoys to the Trojans demanding
the surrender of Helen and the treasure with her. The Trojans refusing,
they first assault the city, and then go out and lay waste the country
and cities round about. After this, Achilles desires to see Helen, and
Aphrodite and Thetis contrive a meeting between them. The Achaeans next
desire to return home, but are restrained by Achilles, who afterwards
drives off the cattle of Aeneas, and sacks Lyrnessus and Pedasus and
many of the neighbouring cities, and kills Troilus. Patroclus carries
away Lycaon to Lemnos and sells him as a slave, and out of the spoils
Achilles receives Briseis as a prize, and Agamemnon Chryseis. Then
follows the death of Palamedes, the plan of Zeus to relieve the Trojans
by detaching Achilles from the Hellenic confederacy, and a catalogue of
the Trojan allies.
Fragment #2—Tzetzes, Chil. xiii. 638: Stasinus composed the _Cypria_
which the more part say was Homer’s work and by him given to Stasinus
as a dowry with money besides.
Fragment #3—Scholiast on Homer, Il. i. 5: ‘There was a time when the
countless tribes of men, though wide-dispersed, oppressed the surface
of the deep-bosomed earth, and Zeus saw it and had pity and in his wise
heart resolved to relieve the all-nurturing earth of men by causing the
great struggle of the Ilian war, that the load of death might empty the
world. And so the heroes were slain in Troy, and the plan of Zeus came
to pass.’
Fragment #4—Volumina Herculan, II. viii. 105: The author of the
_Cypria_ says that Thetis, to please Hera, avoided union with Zeus, at
which he was enraged and swore that she should be the wife of a mortal.
Fragment #5—Scholiast on Homer, Il. xvii. 140: For at the marriage of
Peleus and Thetis, the gods gathered together on Pelion to feast and
brought Peleus gifts. Cheiron gave him a stout ashen shaft which he had
cut for a spear, and Athena, it is said, polished it, and Hephaestus
fitted it with a head. The story is given by the author of the
_Cypria_.
Fragment #6—Athenaeus, xv. 682 D, F: The author of the _Cypria_,
whether Hegesias or Stasinus, mentions flowers used for garlands. The
poet, whoever he was, writes as follows in his first book:
(ll. 1-7) ‘She clothed herself with garments which the Graces and Hours
had made for her and dyed in flowers of spring—such flowers as the
Seasons wear—in crocus and hyacinth and flourishing violet and the
rose’s lovely bloom, so sweet and delicious, and heavenly buds, the
flowers of the narcissus and lily. In such perfumed garments is
Aphrodite clothed at all seasons.
((LACUNA))
(ll. 8-12) Then laughter-loving Aphrodite and her handmaidens wove
sweet-smelling crowns of flowers of the earth and put them upon their
heads—the bright-coiffed goddesses, the Nymphs and Graces, and golden
Aphrodite too, while they sang sweetly on the mount of many-fountained
Ida.’
Fragment #7—Clement of Alexandria, Protrept ii. 30. 5: ‘Castor was
mortal, and the fate of death was destined for him; but Polydeuces,
scion of Ares, was immortal.’
Fragment #8—Athenaeus, viii. 334 B: ‘And after them she bare a third
child, Helen, a marvel to men. Rich-tressed Nemesis once gave her birth
when she had been joined in love with Zeus the king of the gods by
harsh violence. For Nemesis tried to escape him and liked not to lie in
love with her father Zeus the Son of Cronos; for shame and indignation
vexed her heart: therefore she fled him over the land and fruitless
dark water. But Zeus ever pursued and longed in his heart to catch her.
Now she took the form of a fish and sped over the waves of the
loud-roaring sea, and now over Ocean’s stream and the furthest bounds
of Earth, and now she sped over the furrowed land, always turning into
such dread creatures as the dry land nurtures, that she might escape
him.’
Fragment #9—Scholiast on Euripides, Andr. 898: The writer 3003 of the
Cyprian histories says that (Helen’s third child was) Pleisthenes and
that she took him with her to Cyprus, and that the child she bore
Alexandrus was Aganus.
Fragment #10—Herodotus, ii. 117: For it is said in the _Cypria_ that
Alexandrus came with Helen to Ilium from Sparta in three days, enjoying
a favourable wind and calm sea.
Fragment #11—Scholiast on Homer, Il. iii. 242: For Helen had been
previously carried off by Theseus, and it was in consequence of this
earlier rape that Aphidna, a town in Attica, was sacked and Castor was
wounded in the right thigh by Aphidnus who was king at that time. Then
the Dioscuri, failing to find Theseus, sacked Athens. The story is in
the Cyclic writers.
Plutarch, Thes. 32: Hereas relates that Alycus was killed by Theseus
himself near Aphidna, and quotes the following verses in evidence: ‘In
spacious Aphidna Theseus slew him in battle long ago for rich-haired
Helen’s sake.’ 3004
Fragment #12—Scholiast on Pindar, Nem. x. 114: (ll. 1-6) ‘Straightway
Lynceus, trusting in his swift feet, made for Taygetus. He climbed its
highest peak and looked throughout the whole isle of Pelops, son of
Tantalus; and soon the glorious hero with his dread eyes saw
horse-taming Castor and athlete Polydeuces both hidden within a hollow
oak.’
Philodemus, On Piety: (Stasinus?) writes that Castor was killed with a
spear shot by Idas the son of Aphareus.
Fragment #13—Athenaeus, 35 C: ‘Menelaus, know that the gods made wine
the best thing for mortal man to scatter cares.’
Fragment #14—Laurentian Scholiast on Sophocles, Elect. 157: Either he
follows Homer who spoke of the three daughters of Agamemnon, or—like
the writer of the _Cypria_—he makes them four, (distinguishing)
Iphigeneia and Iphianassa.
Fragment #15—3005 Contest of Homer and Hesiod: ‘So they feasted all day
long, taking nothing from their own houses; for Agamemnon, king of men,
provided for them.’
Fragment #16—Louvre Papyrus: ‘I never thought to enrage so terribly the
stout heart of Achilles, for very well I loved him.’
Fragment #17—Pausanias, iv. 2. 7: The poet of the _Cypria_ says that
the wife of Protesilaus—who, when the Hellenes reached the Trojan
shore, first dared to land—was called Polydora, and was the daughter of
Meleager, the son of Oeneus.
Fragment #18—Eustathius, 119. 4: Some relate that Chryseis was taken
from Hypoplacian 3006 Thebes, and that she had not taken refuge there
nor gone there to sacrifice to Artemis, as the author of the _Cypria_
states, but was simply a fellow townswoman of Andromache.
Fragment #19—Pausanias, x. 31. 2: I know, because I have read it in the
epic _Cypria_, that Palamedes was drowned when he had gone out fishing,
and that it was Diomedes and Odysseus who caused his death.
Fragment #20—Plato, Euthyphron, 12 A: ‘That it is Zeus who has done
this, and brought all these things to pass, you do not like to say; for
where fear is, there too is shame.’
Fragment #21—Herodian, On Peculiar Diction: ‘By him she conceived and
bare the Gorgons, fearful monsters who lived in Sarpedon, a rocky
island in deep-eddying Oceanus.’
Fragment #22—Clement of Alexandria, Stromateis vii. 2. 19: Again,
Stasinus says: ‘He is a simple man who kills the father and lets the
children live.’