_Ques._ Relate the death of Hercules?
_Ans._ This hero had slain the Centaur Nessus to revenge an insult offered to his wife, Deianira. When the monster was dying, he gave Deianira a charmed philter, telling her that if Hercules ever gave her cause to doubt his affection, she could secure his constancy by making him wear a garment which had been sprinkled with this potion.
The credulous Deianira accepted the philter, which was nothing else but the venom of the hydra which had been infused into the Centaur"s blood; and it was not long before her jealousy led her to use it as she had been directed. Hercules had plundered chalia, and carried off, among other captives, the beautiful Iole, daughter of the king of that city. The hero, who wished to keep a festival, and to offer sacrifice in honor of his victory, sent for a splendid robe befitting the occasion. Deianira"s jealousy was excited against Iole by the reports of the messenger, and she sent her husband a tunic impregnated with the venom of the hydra. The poison soon began to work, and Hercules endeavored in vain to tear off the tunic, which clung to his flesh and consumed even the marrow of his bones. In his fury he caught the youth who had brought him the garment, by the foot, and hurled him into the sea. He then fled in his agony to the summit of Mount ta, where he erected a funeral pyre with forest trees which he tore up by the roots. On this he laid the skin of the Nemean lion and his famous club, after which he ascended the pile and directed his followers to set it on fire. All refused except Philoctetes, who pitied the sufferings of the dying hero, and obeyed his command. He received the bow and arrows of Hercules as a reward for this service.
While the pyre was blazing, Jupiter sent a thunder-cloud, in which Hercules was conveyed to Olympus. Here he was endowed with immortality, and, according to some accounts, was reconciled with Juno, who gave him her daughter Hebe in marriage.
CHAPTER XXVII.
JASON.
_Ques._ Who was Jason?
_Ans._ He was the son of son, king of Thessaly, and was celebrated on account of his expedition in search of the Golden Fleece. He is also known as the husband of the famous sorceress Medea.
_Ques._ What was the Golden Fleece?
_Ans._ Phryxus, son of Athamas, king of Thebes, received from his mother a ram of a golden color, or, according to fable, with a fleece of pure gold. Some time after, Phryxus and his sister h.e.l.le, to escape from their step-mother Ino, attempted to cross the sea on this ram.
h.e.l.le became terrified, and was drowned in the straits which are called from her, h.e.l.lespont. Phryxus arrived in safety at Colchis, where he sacrificed the ram to Jupiter, who placed it among the signs of the Zodiac. The fleece was hung in a grove sacred to Mars, where it was guarded by bulls who breathed flame from their nostrils, and also by a sleepless dragon. When Jason demanded his father"s throne, his uncle, who wished to continue in the government, persuaded him to undertake an expedition for the recovery of the Golden Fleece. Jason, with some brave companions, among whom were Hercules, Orpheus, Castor and Pollux, went on board a ship called the Argo, from which circ.u.mstance they were called Argonauts. On arriving at Colchis, they demanded the fleece, which the king, etes, promised to Jason on condition that he would tame the wild bulls that guarded it, kill the dragon, sow his teeth in the ground, and afterwards destroy the soldiers who should spring from them. Jason accepted the conditions, but would inevitably have perished, had not Medea, the king"s daughter, saved him by her magical arts. Jason obtained the fleece, and fled by night from Colchis, carrying with him Medea, whom he married, in fulfilment of the engagement which he had made.
_Ques._ What else is related of Medea?
_Ans._ She lived for some time happily with Jason, upon whom she conferred an additional favor by restoring his aged and decrepit father to the vigor and beauty of youth. Jason was ungrateful for these benefits, and divorced Medea in order that he might marry Creusa, the daughter of the king of Corinth.
_Ques._ What was Medea"s revenge?
_Ans._ She murdered, in the sight of their father, the two children whom she had borne to Jason, and consumed his palace and bride in a conflagration raised by her art. As Jason was about to rush upon the sorceress, she rose in the air in a flying chariot, and escaped to Athens.
THESEUS.
_Ques._ Who was Theseus?
_Ans._ He was the son of geus, king of Athens. The Athenians were obliged to send every year, as tribute to Crete, seven of the n.o.blest of their young men, and as many maidens. These were usually devoured by a horrible monster called Minotaur, whom Minos, the king of Crete, kept in the Labyrinth.
_Ques._ What was the Labyrinth?
_Ans._ It was a building with fifteen hundred rooms above ground, and as many underneath. These apartments had so many doors, and were connected by such intricate windings, that no one who was conducted a certain distance into the edifice, could find the entrance again.
Theseus resolved to deliver the Athenians from this dreadful tribute, and when the lots were about being cast for the fourth time, he offered himself as one of the victims. geus strove to dissuade the young hero, but in vain; and the tribute ship departed as usual under black sails, which Theseus promised his father to change for white, in case of his returning victorious.
When they arrived in Crete, the youths and maidens were exhibited before King Minos; and Ariadne, the daughter of the king, was so much struck by the courage and generosity of Theseus that she resolved to save his life. For this purpose she gave him a ball of thread which she directed him to attach to the entrance of the Labyrinth, and to unwind as he proceeded. Theseus followed her instructions, and when he came to where the Minotaur lay, he slew him, and found his way out by the thread. The whole band then embarked for Athens.
_Ques._ What became of Ariadne?
_Ans._ She accompanied Theseus on his flight, but he was so ungrateful as to abandon her on the island of Naxos, where she had fallen asleep on the sh.o.r.e. Ariadne was afterwards married to Bacchus, who gave her a crown composed of seven stars, the same which we admire in the heavens as the Corona Borealis, or Northern Crown.
_Ques._ Of what negligence was Theseus guilty on his return to Athens?
_Ans._ He forgot his promise to his father with regard to the color of his sails, and geus, who watched every day for his son"s return, saw the black sails in the distance. He believed from this that his son was dead. In his despair he cast himself into the sea, which was called gean from his name. Theseus, after performing many other wonderful actions, was banished from his country, and died in obscurity.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
CASTOR AND POLLUX.
_Ques._ Who were Castor and Pollux?
_Ans._ They were twin brothers, the sons of Jupiter and Leda. Castor was mortal like his mother, and when he died, Pollux grieved so much that Jupiter permitted him to share his immortality with his brother.
It was arranged, therefore, that they should live every alternate day.
_Ques._ What Constellation is named from these brothers?
_Ans._ Gemini, or the Twins, the third sign of the Zodiac.
PROMETHEUS.
_Ques._ Who was Prometheus?
_Ans._ He was the son of Iapetus and Clymene, one of the Oceanides. He formed a man out of clay, and gave it life by means of fire which he stole from heaven.
_Ques._ What pretty fable is connected with this?
_Ans._ The poets tell us that Jupiter was so much displeased at the theft, that he sent Pandora to Prometheus with a mysterious box, in which were imprisoned all the evils which have since afflicted the human race. Prometheus, suspecting something wrong, refused to touch the box, upon which Pandora carried it to his brother Epimetheus. He was less cautious, and opening the casket, set free the evils and miseries which flew abroad through the world. When he saw what he had done, he shut the box quickly, and prevented Hope, which was lying at the bottom, from escaping also. This signifies that in the midst of all human miseries, hope yet remains. The fable may have been derived from some ancient tradition of Eve"s curiosity, the fall of man, and the hope left him amid so many misfortunes.
_Ques._ How was Prometheus punished?
_Ans._ Jupiter commanded Mercury to chain him to a rock on Mount Caucasus; there an eagle fed on his liver, which was continually renewed. Prometheus had, at one time, rendered Jupiter a service. The king of the G.o.ds remembered this, and permitted that after a certain time, Hercules should kill the eagle and set him free.
CHAPTER XXIX.
ORPHEUS.
_Ques._ Who was Orpheus?
_Ans._ He was the son of Apollo and the Muse Calliope. He played so sweetly on the lyre accompanying the music with his voice, that he tamed wild beasts, stayed the course of rivers, and drew the very trees to gather around him as he sung. Orpheus married the beautiful nymph Eurydice; but on the very day of their nuptials she was stung in the foot by a venomous serpent, and died, leaving Orpheus overwhelmed with grief. Trusting to the magic of his lyre, he repaired to the infernal regions. Here, "at the music of his golden sh.e.l.l," the wheel of Ixion stopped; Tantalus forgot his thirst; the vulture ceased to prey on the vitals of t.i.tyus; Cerberus fawned at the musician"s feet, Proserpine was melted to tears, and the stern king of h.e.l.l was moved to pity. Eurydice was permitted to return to the upper world, but only on condition that Orpheus did not look upon her before they pa.s.sed the confines of Pluto"s kingdom. Orpheus forgot this in his eagerness, and Eurydice vanished from his sight. In his despair, he now shunned all intercourse with mankind, and retired to woods and solitary grottoes, endeavoring to forget his misfortune in the charms of music. Orpheus was murdered during the orgies of Bacchus, by the Thracian women, who were incensed at the coldness with which he had treated them. After tearing him to pieces, they threw his head into the river Hebrus, and were surprised to hear its murmur, "Eurydice, Eurydice!" as it was carried down the stream to the gean Sea.
Bacchus was indignant at the cruelty of the Thracian women, and changed them into trees.