And the Athenians have in the market-place among other things not
universally notable an altar of _Mercy_, to whom, though most useful
of all the gods to the life of man and its vicissitudes, the Athenians
alone of all the Greeks assign honours. And not only is philanthropy
more regarded among them; but they also exhibit more piety to the gods
than others. For they have also an altar to _Shame_, and _Rumour_, and
_Energy_. And it is clear that those people who have a larger share
of piety than others have also a larger share of good fortune. And in
the gymnasium of the market-place, which is not far off and is called
after Ptolemy because he established it, are Hermæ in stone worth
seeing, and a brazen statue of Ptolemy; and the Libyan Juba is here,
and Chrysippus of Soli. And near the gymnasium is a temple of Theseus,
where are paintings of the Athenians fighting against the Amazons. And
this war has also been represented on the shield of Athene, and on the
base of Olympian Zeus. And in the temple of Theseus is also painted
the fight between the Centaurs and Lapithæ. Theseus is represented as
just having slain a Centaur, but with all the rest in the picture the
fight seems to be on equal terms. But the painting on the third wall is
not clear to those who do not know the story, partly as the painting
has faded from age, partly because Micon has not pourtrayed the whole
story. When Minos took Theseus and the rest of the band of boys to
Crete, he was enamoured of Peribœa, and when Theseus was very opposed
to this, he in his rage among other sarcasms that he hurled against
him said that he was not the son of Poseidon, for if he threw the ring
which he chanced to be wearing into the sea he could not get it again,
Minos is said at once to have thrown the ring into the sea when he had
said this. And they say that Theseus jumped into the sea and came up
with the ring and a golden crown, the gift of Amphitrite. And as to the
death of Theseus many varying accounts have been given. For they say
that he was once bound by Pluto until he was liberated by Hercules.
But the most credible account I have heard is that Theseus having
invaded Thesprotia, intending to carry off the wife of the king of the
country, lost the greater part of his army, and himself and Pirithous
were taken prisoners, (for Pirithous also came on the expedition
marriage-hunting), and confined by the king of Thesprotia at Cichyrus.
Now among other things worth seeing in Thesprotia are the temple
of Zeus at Dodona, and a beech-tree sacred to the god. And near
Cichyrus there is a marsh called Acherusia and the river Acheron, and
there too flows Cocytus with most unpleasant stream. And I fancy that
Homer, having seen these, ventured to introduce them in his account
of the rivers of Hades, and to borrow his names from these rivers in
Thesprotia. However that may be, Theseus being detained there, the sons
of Tyndarus led an expedition to Aphidna, and captured it, and restored
Menestheus to the kingdom. And Menestheus paid no attention to the sons
of Theseus, who had gone to Eubœa for shelter to Elephenor; but as to
Theseus himself, thinking he would be a dangerous adversary if ever
he returned from Thesprotia, he coaxed the people so that if Theseus
ever returned he would be sent back again. Accordingly Theseus was
sent to Crete to Deucalion, and being carried out of his way by storms
to the island Scyrus, the Scyrians gave him a brilliant reception,
both for the splendour of his race and the renown of his exploits;
and it was owing to this that Lycomedes planned his death. And the
shrine of Theseus at Athens was after the time that the Persians were
at Marathon, for it was Miltiades’ son, Cimon, that drove out the
inhabitants of Scyrus to revenge the hero’s death, and that conveyed
his bones to Athens.