Gods, Heroes and Men of Ancient Greece: Part 5

All round the water grew trees laden with fruit, apples and pears, figs, and grapes, and oranges; when he stretched out his hand to pluck one, the tree whisked it away into the air above him.

Did your father ever call you a tantalizing brat? If so, he was reminding you of Tantalos, who was always disappointed when he hoped for something good.

That is a long rigmarole, to be sure, but we have come to the point at last.

Acrisios did not like to murder his daughter and the baby outright; but he quieted his conscience by saying they should have a chance.

But Danaê would not hear of it: she, the wife of the immortal Zeus, to give herself to the petty chief of a small island!

The word means a Goat, but we have borrowed it in English in the form “chimera,” to signify a tale of nonsense. But this was no tale of nonsense to the people whose cattle and sheep were carried off, or killed by its fiery breath, and their crops set in a blaze by a puff from its mouth. They said it was a huge monster, with a lion’s head, and a goat’s body, and a long snake instead of a tail.

Then King lobatês told him about the Chimaira and what havoc had been made in the country-side; and Bellerophon was sorry for the country people, and so he said, without really thinking about it, “I will destroy this monster.”

The next night, Pegasos came again, and Bellerophon walked up to him quietly, this time, and patted him gently, and stroked him, and talked to him as men do to their horses: then suddenly he popped the golden bar into his mouth, and he saw to his surprise that the round part fitted over the head, behind the ears. For as you have guessed already, no doubt, it was a bit and bridle.

Then Bellerophon mounted the winged horse, and the horse whinnied with pleasure, and pranced about, and at a touch of knees and rein, he rose up into the air.

Bellerophon guided him over the wasted country, until he saw a dark shape below him, which appeared to be gnawing some mangled creature upon the ground.

There were others, for lobatês still tried to compass his death; but in the end, he was obliged to desist.

Even a fall like that could not always kill a hero, and it did not kill Bellerophon; but it maimed him, and made him a wretched man.

When the invitations were sent, one of the nymphs was left out, and with good reason; for she was Eris, the lady of Discord, as her name denotes, and they did not want discord and quarrels at the wedding feast.

For ten years the siege lasted, and then Troy was taken, and burnt, and razed to the ground.

And how many thousands of men lost their lives, and how much misery was caused by the golden apple of Discord!

We cannot go into the whole story now; but the upshot was, that Achillês retired to his tent, and said, “Very well, you may fight your battles yourself. I did not come here to be insulted, and I hope you will be well beaten.”

What pretty things I used to make for her in those days! Brooches, and necklaces, and all sorts of gewgaws, in the cave under the sea, and nobody knew where I was!

He met, and he conquered, his great enemy Hector, and the Greeks once more prevailed.

So Diomêdês went into the fray. Before long, he had a fight with Aineias, the man who was to escape from Troy, and afterwards to found the Roman people.

But Athena and Hera made fun of her, and said, “Look,
 father Zeus, see Aphroditê has been with her friends, the Trojan women, and scratched her finger on some one’s brooch!”

The rest of us obey you, but she does just what she likes, and you take no notice. Now she has made that overbearing young Diomêdês attack the immortal gods.

He milked all the sheep and goats, and curdled the milk: then he lit a fire, and saw the men.

They all sailed away, until they reached the island of Aiolos, the steward of the winds.

Within the hall was a woman, singing sweetly as she plied the loom.

So when he came to the house of Circê—that was the witch’s name—she had no power over him, and he compelled her to change his men back to their proper shape.

Whatever she wanted, the unseen servants read her thought, and the viands seemed to come of themselves to her hands.

So she tramped over hill and dale; she tore her clothes in the brambles, and wounded her feet on the stones, but no trace could she find of Cupid.

Everybody was agog to win such a prize; and in the end, some one found Psychê, wandering about, and brought her to Aphroditê’s door.

Clouds and darkness were round about him, righteousness and judgment were the habitation of his seat; a fire went out before him, and burnt up his enemies round about.

This religion, which seemed to the Greeks foolish and contemptible, spread all over the world where the Greek gods ruled, and it took their power from them.