THE STORY OF GREECE
[Illustration: She changed her into a spider.]
THE
STORY OF GREECE
TOLD TO BOYS AND GIRLS BY
MARY MACGREGOR
AUTHOR OF ‘THE STORY OF ROME’
‘THE STORY OF FRANCE,’ ETC.
WITH NINETEEN PLATES IN COLOUR
BY WALTER CRANE
[Illustration]
LONDON: T. C. & E. C. JACK, LTD.
35 PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C., & EDINBURGH
TO
JOYCE MOFFAT SCOTT
DEAR LITTLE JOYCE,--One of the reasons why this book is to be your very
own is that the story it tells begins in Wonderland, and that is a land
in which you and all other little people wander at will.
Grown up children, men and women as we call them, do not know the
secrets of this strange land, yet there are a few who can always find
their way across its border, as they used to do when they were small
like you. Some few others there are who remember its secrets well.
Shall I tell you some of the things you hear and see and do in
Wonderland?
Why, when the wind blows soft, faint whispers reach your ear, but you
alone know what the whispers tell. When the brooks gurgle you hear
joyous laughter, and in the springs of water you see the sparkle of
elfin eyes.
As the bluebells shake in the breeze, your tiny feet march to the music
of fairy bands, as the raindrops fall you gather pearls with your
little hands.
The secrets of this strange Wonderland make you so glad that you laugh
and dance and sing.
‘Great, wide, beautiful, wonderful world,
With the wonderful water round you curled,
And the wonderful grass upon your breast,
World you are wonderfully drest.’
The ancient Wonderland of Hellas, of which this story tells, was unlike
your Wonderland in this, that men and women dwelt in it as well as
boys and girls, and they, too, saw and heard its secrets. And this was
because, in a way not known to-day, each had kept the heart of a little
child.
So it was that these men and women heard voices in the wind and
laughter in the streams, so it was that they saw eyes in water springs
and pearls in raindrops.
More even than these things the Hellenes saw. For across lone
hillsides, through busy fields, in sacred groves and flower-sweet
meadows, radiant figures sped. And the simple folk catching glimpses
of these flitting forms said one to the other, ‘The gods have come to
live among us. Their presence it is that makes the earth so fair, so
wonderful.’ As the years passed and the Hellenes grew older, sterner
times came. Cities sprang up on hillsides and by river-banks, and the
gods were seldom seen. Men went to war, battles were lost and won.
But never, in victory or in defeat, did the people lose their early
love of beauty, or that strange, dreamy sense of wonder, which from the
beginning was ever plucking at their hearts.
They longed to fulfil their dreams of beauty, they wished to re-shape
the world.
But, because the world was so great, so wide, they began with one of
their cities, the one of which a poet sang,
‘O rich and renowned and with violets crowned,
O Athens the envied of nations.’
Here they built temples which became the wonder of the world, and in
them they placed statues of the old gods of Hellas, beautiful statues
wrought by master hands out of ivory and gold.
Poets and philosophers lived in Athens, too, and so literature and art
spread the glory of Greece far and wide, moulding the thoughts and
quickening the deeds of many peoples.
Before the glory of Greece faded, Europe had learned from her to follow
truth, to love beauty.
This story tells but a small part of the wonder of this land, yet
I hope that it will make you love her and wish to learn more about
her.--Your friend,
MARY MACGREGOR.
CONTENTS
CHAP. PAGE
I. WONDERLAND 1
II. THE GREAT GOD PAN 3
III. THE SIX POMEGRANATE SEEDS 6
IV. THE BIRTH OF ATHENE 11
V. THE TWO WEAVERS 13
VI. THE PURPLE FLOWERS 16
VII. DANAE AND HER LITTLE SON 18
VIII. THE QUEST OF PERSEUS 22
IX. ANDROMEDA AND THE SEA-MONSTER 26
X. ACRISIUS IS KILLED BY PERSEUS 29
XI. ACHILLES AND BRISEIS THE FAIRCHEEKED 32
XII. MENELAUS AND PARIS DO BATTLE 38
XIII. HECTOR AND ANDROMACHE 41
XIV. THE HORSES OF ACHILLES 44
XV. THE DEATH OF HECTOR 48
XVI. POLYPHEMUS THE GIANT 54
XVII. ODYSSEUS ESCAPES FROM THE CAVE 58
XVIII. ODYSSEUS RETURNS TO ITHACA 61
XIX. ARGUS THE HOUND DIES 64
XX. THE BOW OF ODYSSEUS 67
XXI. THE LAND OF HELLAS 72
XXII. LYCURGUS AND HIS LITTLE NEPHEW 76
XXIII. LYCURGUS RETURNS TO SPARTA 79
XXIV. THE TRAINING OF THE SPARTANS 82
XXV. THE HELOTS 85
XXVI. ARISTOMENES AND THE FOX 89
XXVII. THE OLYMPIAN GAMES 94
XXVIII. THE LAST KING OF ATHENS 97
XXIX. CYLON FAILS TO MAKE HIMSELF TYRANT 100
XXX. SOLON FREES THE SLAVES 102
XXXI. THE ATHENIANS TAKE SALAMIS 106
XXXII. PISISTRATUS BECOMES TYRANT 109
XXXIII. HARMODIUS AND ARISTOGITON 113
XXXIV. THE LAW OF OSTRACISM 116
XXXV. THE BRIDGE OF BOATS 118
XXXVI. DARIUS REWARDS HISTIAEUS 121
XXXVII. HISTIAEUS SHAVES THE HEAD OF HIS SLAVE 123
XXXVIII. SARDIS IS DESTROYED 126
XXXIX. THE SANDAL SEWN BY HISTIAEUS 129
XL. DARIUS DEMANDS EARTH AND WATER 131
XLI. THE BATTLE OF MARATHON 134
XLII. MILTIADES SAILS TO THE ISLAND OF PAROS 137
XLIII. ARISTIDES IS OSTRACISED 140
XLIV. THE DREAM OF XERXES 145
XLV. XERXES ORDERS THE HELLESPONT TO BE SCOURGED 148
XLVI. ‘THE BRAVEST MEN OF ALL HELLAS’ 153
XLVII. THE BATTLE OF THERMOPYLAE 156
XLVIII. THE BATTLE OF ARTEMISIUM 161
XLIX. THEMISTOCLES URGES EURYBIADES TO STAY AT SALAMIS 163
L. THEMISTOCLES TRICKS THE ADMIRALS 167
LI. THE BATTLE OF SALAMIS 169
LII. THE BATTLE OF PLATAEA 173
LIII. THE DELIAN LEAGUE 178
LIV. THEMISTOCLES DECEIVES THE SPARTANS 182
LV. THEMISTOCLES IS OSTRACISED 185
LVI. THE ELOQUENCE OF PERICLES 189
LVII. PERICLES AND ELPINICE 194
LVIII. THE CITY OF ATHENS 196
LIX. GREAT MEN OF ATHENS 200
LX. THE THEBANS ATTACK THE PLATAEANS 202
LXI. ATTICA IS INVADED BY THE SPARTANS 205
LXII. THE LAST WORDS OF PERICLES 207
LXIII. THE SIEGE OF PLATAEA 210
LXIV. THE SENTENCE OF DEATH 214
LXV. BRASIDAS LOSES HIS SHIELD 218
LXVI. THE SPARTANS SURRENDER 221
LXVII. BRASIDAS THE SPARTAN 225
LXVIII. AMPHIPOLIS SURRENDERS TO BRASIDAS 228
LXIX. ALCIBIADES THE FAVOURITE OF ATHENS 232
LXX. SOCRATES THE PHILOSOPHER 237
LXXI. ALCIBIADES PRAISES SOCRATES 240
LXXII. THE IMAGES OF HERMES ARE DESTROYED 244
LXXIII. ALCIBIADES ESCAPES TO SPARTA 247
LXXIV. THE SIEGE OF SYRACUSE 249
LXXV. THE ATHENIAN ARMY IS DESTROYED 252
LXXVI. ALCIBIADES RETURNS TO ATHENS 255
LXXVII. ANTIOCHUS DISOBEYS ALCIBIADES 258
LXXVIII. THE WALLS OF ATHENS ARE DESTROYED 261
LXXIX. THE MARCH OF THE TEN THOUSAND 264
LXXX. PELOPIDAS AND EPAMINONDAS 269
LXXXI. THE SEVEN CONSPIRATORS 273
LXXXII. THE BATTLE OF LEUCTRA 277
LXXXIII. THE DEATH OF EPAMINONDAS 281
LXXXIV. THE TWO BROTHERS 286
LXXXV. TIMOLEON SENDS DIONYSIUS TO CORINTH 289
LXXXVI. ICETES TRIES TO SLAY TIMOLEON 293
LXXXVII. THE BATTLE OF CRIMISUS 296
LXXXVIII. DEMOSTHENES WISHES TO BECOME AN ORATOR 300
LXXXIX. DEMOSTHENES THE GREATEST ORATOR OF ATHENS 303
XC. THE SACRED WAR 306
XCI. ALEXANDER AND BUCEPHALUS 309
XCII. ALEXANDER AND DIOGENES 312
XCIII. THE BATTLE OF GRANICUS 315
XCIV. THE GORDIAN KNOT 318
XCV. DARIUS GALLOPS FROM THE BATTLEFIELD 321
XCVI. TYRE IS STORMED BY ALEXANDER 325
XCVII. THE BATTLE OF GAUGAMELA 328
XCVIII. ALEXANDER BURNS PERSEPOLIS 331
XCIX. ALEXANDER SLAYS HIS FOSTER-BROTHER 334
C. PORUS AND HIS ELEPHANT 338
CI. ALEXANDER IS WOUNDED 342
CII. THE DEATH OF ALEXANDER 345
CIII. DEMOSTHENES IN THE TEMPLE OF POSEIDON 349
INDEX 353
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
She changed her into a spider, _Frontispiece_
AT PAGE
Sweet, piercing sweet was the music of Pan’s pipe, 6
Demeter rejoiced for her daughter was by her side, 10
The Wind-god sent a gust from the South, 18
For two days and two nights the boat was tossed hither and
thither, 20
Often she would stand upon the walls of Troy, 34
‘Yea, verily, thou art Odysseus,’ 68
In the earliest times, a simple foot-race was the only event, 96
Solon, the wise lawgiver of Athens, 102
They crashed into the Persian army with tremendous force, 136
Ship dashed against ship, till the Persian dead strewed the deep
‘like flowers,’ 170
He stood silent before the king, 188
The figure of the goddess was a colossal one, 196
He became a target for every arrow, 220
He drank the contents as though it were a draught of wine, 238
The multitude saluted him with loud acclamations, 258
He left the assembly, hiding his face in his cloak, 304
He ran toward the horse and seized the bridle, 310
With an effort he looked at them as they passed, 348
[Illustration]
THE STORY OF GREECE
CHAPTER I
WONDERLAND
The story of Greece began long, long ago in a strange wonderland of
beauty. Woods and winds, fields and rivers, each had a pathway which
led upward and onward into the beautiful land. Sometimes indeed no path
was needed, for the rivers, woods, and lone hill-sides were themselves
the wonderland of which I am going to tell.
In the woods and winds, in the trees and rivers, dwelt the gods and
goddesses whom the people of long ago worshipped. It was their presence
in the world that made it so great, so wide, so wonderful.
To the Hellenes, for that is the name by which the Greeks called
themselves, there were eyes, living eyes in flowers, trees, and water.
‘So crowded full is the air with them,’ wrote one poet who lived in the
far-off days, ‘that there is no room to put in the spike of an ear of
corn without touching one.’
When the wind blew soft, the Hellenes listened to the whispering of a
voice. When it blew rough, and snatched one of the children from their
midst, they did not greatly grieve. The child had but gone to be the
playmate of the gods.
The springs sparkled clear, for in them dwelt the Naiads or freshwater
nymphs, with gifts as great as the river gods, who were ofttimes seen
and heard amid the churning, tossing waters.
In the trees dwelt the Dryads, nymphs these of the forest, whom the
Hellenes saw but seldom. Shy nymphs were the Dryads, born each one at
the birth of a tree, in which she dwelt, fading away when the tree was
felled, or when it withered and died.
Their revels were held in some wooded mountain, far from the haunts of
men. Were a human footfall heard, the frolics ceased on the instant,
while each Dryad sped swift for shelter to the tree of her birth.
So the gods wandered through the land, filling the earth with their
presence. Yet there was one lofty mountain in central Greece, named
Mount Olympus, which the Hellenes believed was the peculiar home of the
gods. It was to this great mount that the actual roads on which the
Hellenes walked each day seemed ever to lead.
On the sides of the mountain, green trees and dark pines clustered
close. The summit reached high up, beyond the clouds, so used the
ancient people to tell. Here, where no human foot had ever climbed, up
beyond the twinkling stars, was the abode of the gods.
What the Hellenes never saw with their eyes, they saw quite clear
with their imagination. Within the clouds, where the gods dwelt, they
gazed in this strange way, upon marble halls, glistening with gold and
silver, upon thrones too, great white thrones, finer far than those on
which an earthly king might sit. The walls gleamed with rainbow tints,
and beauty as of dawns and sunsets was painted over the vast arches of
Olympus.