[Illustration: THE CHARIOT OF ZEUS]

Stories from the Greek Tragedians

By the

REV. ALFRED J. CHURCH, M. A. 

AUTHOR OF

"Stories from Homer" and "Stories from Virgil"

With Twenty Illustrations from Designs

by FLAXMAN and Others

New York

Dodd, Mead and Company

Publishers

PREFACE. 

I have added to the "Story of the Seven Chiefs against Thebes" thedescription of the single combat between Eteocles and Polynices, whichoccurs in the _Phoenissæ_ of Euripides. Some changes have been made inthe "Story of Ion" to make it more suitable for the purpose of thisbook. Throughout the Stories compression and omission have been freelyused. I can only ask the indulgence of such of my readers as may befamiliar with the great originals of which I have given these pale andineffectual copies. 

RETFORD, _October_ 11, 1879. 

To my Sons, ALFRED, MAURICE, HERBERT, RICHARD, EDWARD, HARALD. 

This Book

IS DEDICATED. 

CONTENTS. 

THE STORY OF THE LOVE OF ALCESTIS

THE STORY OF THE VENGEANCE OF MEDEA

THE STORY OF THE DEATH OF HERCULES

THE STORY OF THE SEVEN CHIEFS AGAINST THEBES

THE STORY OF ANTIGONE

THE STORY OF IPHIGENIA IN AULIS

THE STORY OF PHILOCTETES, OR THE BOW OF HERCULES

THE STORY OF THE DEATH OF AGAMEMNON

THE STORY OF ELECTRA, OR THE RETURN OF ORESTES

THE STORY OF THE FURIES, OR THE LOOSING OF ORESTES

THE STORY OF IPHIGENIA AMONG THE TAURIANS

THE STORY OF THE PERSIANS, OR THE BATTLE OF SALAMIS

THE STORY OF ION

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 

THE CHARIOT OF ZEUS _Frontispiece. _

PELIAS SENDING FORTH JASON

HERCULES ON MOUNT OETA

OEDIPUS AND THE SPHINX

THE OATH OF THE SEVEN CHIEFS

THE DEAD BROTHERS

ANTIGONE AND THE BODY OF POLYNICES

"THE EMPTY JOY THAT DWELLS IN THE DREAMS OF THE NIGHT"

THE RETURN OF AGAMEMNON

THE MURDER OF AGAMEMNON

ELECTRA AND ORESTES

CHARIOT RACE

THE BIRTHDAY GIFTS OF PHOEBUS

ORESTES SUPPLIANT TO APOLLO

THE FURIES DEPARTING

ORESTES AND THE FURIES

IPHIGENIA AND ORESTES

OFFERINGS TO THE DEAD

ATOSSA'S DREAM

THE HORSES OF THE MORNING

THE STORY OF THE LOVE OF ALCESTIS. 

Asclepius, the son of Apollo, being a mighty physician, raised men fromthe dead. But Zeus was wroth that a man should have such power, and somake of no effect the ordinance of the Gods. Wherefore he smoteAsclepius with a thunderbolt and slew him. And when Apollo knew this, heslew the Cyclopés that had made the thunderbolts for his father Zeus, for men say that they make them on their forges that are in the mountainof Etna. But Zeus suffered not this deed to go unpunished, but passedthis sentence on his son Apollo, that he should serve a mortal man forthe space of a whole year. Wherefore, for all that he was a god, he keptthe sheep of Admetus, who was the Prince of Pheræ in Thessaly. AndAdmetus knew not that he was a god; but, nevertheless, being a just man, dealt truly with him. And it came to pass after this that Admetus wassick unto death. But Apollo gained this grace for him of the Fates(which order of life and death for men), that he should live, if only hecould find some one who should be willing to die in his stead. And hewent to all his kinsmen and friends and asked this thing of them, butfound no one that was willing so to die; only Alcestis his wife waswilling. 

And when the day was come on the which it was appointed for her to die, Death came that he might fetch her. And when he was come, he foundApollo walking to and fro before the palace of King Admetus, having hisbow in his hand. And when Death saw him, he said--

"What doest thou here, Apollo? Is it not enough for thee to have keptAdmetus from his doom? Dost thou keep watch and ward over this womanwith thine arrows and thy bow?"

"Fear not, " the god made answer, "I have justice on my side. "

"If thou hast justice, what need of thy bow?"

"'Tis my wont to carry it. "

"Ay, and it is thy wont to help this house beyond all right and law. "

"Nay, but I was troubled at the sorrows of one that I loved, and helpedhim. "

"I know thy cunning speech and fair ways; but this woman thou shalt nottake from me. "

"But consider; thou canst but have one life. Wilt thou not take anotherin her stead?"

"Her and no other will I have, for my honour is the greater when I takethe young. "

"I know thy temper, hated both of Gods and of men. But there cometh aguest to this house, whom Eurystheus sendeth to the snowy plains ofThrace, to fetch the horses of Lycurgus. Haply he shall persuade theeagainst thy will. "

"Say what thou wilt; it shall avail nothing. And now I go to cut off alock of her hair, for I take these firstfruits of them that die. "

In the meantime, within the palace, Alcestis prepared herself for death. And first she washed her body with pure water from the river, and thenshe took from her coffer of cedar her fairest apparel, and adornedherself therewith. Then, being so arranged, she stood before the hearthand prayed, saying, "O Queen Heré, behold! I depart this day. Do thoutherefore keep my children, giving to this one a noble husband and tothat a loving wife. " And all the altars that were in the house shevisited in like manner, crowning them with myrtle leaves and praying atthem. Nor did she weep at all, or groan, or grow pale. But at the last, when she came to her chamber, she cast herself upon the bed and kissedit, crying, "I hate thee not, though I die for thee, giving myself formy husband. And thee another wife shall possess, not more true than Iam, but, maybe, more fortunate!" And after she had left the chamber, sheturned to it again and again with many tears. And all the while herchildren clung to her garments, and she took them up in her arms, theone first and then the other, and kissed them. And all the servants thatwere in the house bewailed their mistress, nor did she fail to reach herhand to each of them, greeting him. There was not one of them so vilebut she spake to him and was spoken to again. 

After this, when the hour was now come when she must die, she cried toher husband (for he held her in his arms, as if he would have stayed herthat she should not depart), "I see the boat of the dead, and Charonstanding with his hand upon the pole, who calleth me, saying, 'Hasten;thou delayest us;' and then again, 'A winged messenger of the deadlooketh at me from under his dark eyebrows, and would lead me away. Dostthou not see him?'" Then after this she seemed now ready to die, yetagain she gathered strength, and said to the King, "Listen, and I willtell thee before I die what I would have thee do. Thou knowest how Ihave given my life for thy life. For when I might have lived, and hadfor my husband any prince of Thessaly that I would--and dwelt here inwealth and royal state, yet could I not endure to be widowed of thee andthat thy children should be fatherless. There, fore I spared not myself, though thy father and she that bare thee betrayed thee. But the Godshave ordered all this after their own pleasure. So be it. Do thoutherefore make this recompense, which indeed thou owest to me, for whatwill not a man give for his life? Thou lovest these children even as Ilove them. Suffer them then to be rulers in this house, and bring not astep-mother over them who shall hate them and deal with them unkindly. A son, indeed, hath a tower of strength in his father. But, O mydaughter, how shall it fare with thee, for thy mother will not give theein marriage, nor be with thee, comforting thee in thy travail ofchildren, when a mother most showeth kindness and love. And nowfarewell, for I die this day. And thou, too, farewell, my husband. Thoulosest a true wife, and ye, too, my children, a true mother. "

Then Admetus made answer, "Fear not, it shall be as thou wilt. I couldnot find other wife fair and well born and true as thou. Never moreshall I gather revellers in my palace, or crown my head with garlands, or hearken to the voice of music. Never shall I touch the harp or singto the Libyan flute. And some cunning craftsman shall make an imagefashioned like unto thee, and this I will hold in my arms and think ofthee. Cold comfort indeed, yet that shall ease somewhat of the burden ofmy soul. But oh! that I had the voice and melody of Orpheus, for thenhad I gone down to Hell and persuaded the Queen thereof or her husbandwith my song to let thee go; nor would the watch-dog of Pluto, norCharon that ferrieth the dead, have hindered me but that I had broughtthee to the light. But do thou wait for me there, for there will I dwellwith thee; and when I die they shall lay me by thy side, for never waswife so true as thou. "

Then said Alcestis, "Take these children as a gift from me, and be as amother to them. "

"O me!" he cried, "what shall I do, being bereaved of thee?"

And she said, "Time will comfort thee; the dead are as nothing. "

But he said, "Nay, but let me depart with thee. "

But the Queen made answer, "'Tis enough that I die in thy stead. "

And when she had thus spoken she gave up the ghost. 

Then the King said to the old men that were gathered together to comforthim, "I will see to this burial. And do ye sing a hymn as is meet to thegod of the dead. And to all my people I make this decree: that theymourn for this woman, and clothe themselves in black, and shave theirheads, and that such as have horses cut off their manes, and that therebe not heard in the city the voice of the flute or the sound of the harpfor the space of twelve months. "

Then the old men sang the hymn as they had been bidden. And when theyhad finished, it befell that Hercules, who was on a journey, came to thepalace and asked whether King Admetus was sojourning there. 

And the old men answered, "'Tis even so, Hercules. But what, I praythee, bringeth thee to this land?"

"I am bound on an errand for King Eurystheus; even to bring back to himhorses of King Diomed. "

"How wilt thou do this? Dost thou not know this Diomed?"

"I know nought of him, nor of his land. "

"Thou wilt not master him or his horses without blows. "

"Even so, yet I may not refuse the tasks that are set to me. "

"Thou art resolved then to do this thing or to die?"

"Ay; and this is not the first race that I have run. "

"Thou wilt not easily bridle these horses. "

"Why not? They breathe not fire from their nostrils. "

"No, but they devour the flesh of men. "

"What sayest thou? This is the food of wild beasts, not of horses. "

"Yet 'tis true. Thou wilt see their mangers foul with blood. "

"And the master of these steeds, whose son is he?"

"He is son of Ares, lord of the land of Thrace. "

"Now this is a strange fate and a hard that maketh me fight ever withthe sons of Ares, with Lycaon first, and with Cycnus next, and now withthis King Diomed. But none shall ever see the son of Alcmena tremblingbefore an enemy. "

And now King Admetus came forth from the palace. And when the two hadgreeted one another, Hercules would fain know why the King had shavenhis hair as one that mourned for the dead. And the King answered that hewas about to bury that day one that was dear to him. 

And when Hercules inquired yet further who this might be, the King saidthat his children were well, and his father also, and his mother. But ofhis wife he answered so that Hercules understood not that he spake ofher. For he said that she was a stranger by blood, yet near infriendship, and that she had dwelt in his house, having been left anorphan of her father. Nevertheless Hercules would have departed andfound entertainment elsewhere, for he would not be troublesome to hishost. But the King suffered him not. And to the servant that stood by hesaid, "Take thou this guest to the guest-chamber; and see that they thathave charge of these matters set abundance of food before him. And takecare that ye shut the doors between the chambers and the palace; for itis not meet that the guest at his meal should hear the cry of them thatmourn. "

And when the old men would know why the King, having so great a troubleupon him, yet entertained a guest, he made answer. 

"Would ye have commended me the more if I had caused him to depart fromthis house and this city? For my sorrow had not been one whit the less, and I had lost the praise of hospitality. And a right worthy host is heto me if ever I chance to visit the land of Argos. "

And now they had finished all things for the burying of Alcestis, whenthe old man Pheres, the father of the King, approached, and servantscame with him bearing robes and crowns and other adornments wherewith todo honour to the dead. And when he was come over against the bierwhereon they had laid the dead woman, he spake to the King, saying, "Iam come to mourn with thee, my son, for thou hast lost a noble wife. Only thou must endure, though this indeed is a hard thing. But takethese adornments, for it is meet that she should he honoured who diedfor thee, and for me also, that I should not go down to the gravechildless. " And to the dead he said, "Fare thou well, noble wife, thathast kept this house from falling. May it be well with thee in thedwellings of the dead!"

But the King answered him in great wrath, "I did not bid thee to thisburial, nor shall this dead woman be adorned with gifts of thine. Whoart thou that thou shouldest bewail her? Surely thou art not father ofmine. For being come to extreme old age, yet thou wouldst not die forthy son, but sufferedst this woman, being a stranger in blood, to diefor me. Her therefore I count father and mother also. Yet this had beena noble deed for thee, seeing that the span of life that was left tothee was short. And I too had not been left to live out my days thusmiserably, being bereaved of her whom I loved. Hast thou not had allhappiness, thus having lived in kingly power from youth to age? And thouwouldst have left a son to come after thee, that thy house should not bespoiled by thine enemies. Have I not always done due reverence to theeand to my mother? And, lo! this is the recompense that ye make me. Wherefore I say to thee, make haste and raise other sons who may nourishthee in thy old age, and pay thee due honour when thou art dead, for Iwill not bury thee. To thee I am dead. "

Then the old man spake, "Thinkest thou that thou art driving some Lydianand Phrygian slave that hath been bought with money, and forgettest thatI am a freeborn man of Thessaly, as my father was freeborn before me? Ireared thee to rule this house after me; but to die for thee, that Iowed thee not. This is no custom among the Greeks that a father shoulddie for his son. To thyself thou livest or diest. All that was thy duethou hast received of me; the kingdom over many people, and, in duetime, broad lands which I also received of my father. How have I wrongedthee? Of what have I defrauded thee? I ask thee not to die for me; and Idie not for thee. Thou lovest to behold this light. Thinkest thou thatthy father loveth it not? For the years of the dead are very long; butthe days of the living are short yet sweet withal. But I say to theethat thou hast fled from thy fate in shameless fashion, and hast slainthis woman. Yea, a woman hath vanquished thee, and yet thou chargestcowardice against me. In truth, 'tis a wise device of thine that thoumayest live for ever, if marrying many times, thou canst still persuadethy wife to die for thee. Be silent then, for shame's sake; and if thoulovest life, remember that others love it also. "

So King Admetus and his father reproached each other with many unseemlywords. And when the old man had departed, they carried forth Alcestis toher burial. 

But when they that bare the body had departed, there came in the oldman that had the charge of the guest-chambers, and spake, saying, "Ihave seen many guests that have come from all the lands under the sun tothis palace of Admetus, but never have I given entertainment to suchevil guest as this. For first, knowing that my lord was in sore troubleand sorrow, he forebore not to enter these gates. And then he took hisentertainment in most unseemly fashion; for if he lacked aught he wouldcall loudly for it; and then, taking a great cup wreathed with leaves ofivy in his hands, he drank great draughts of red wine untempered withwater. And when the fire of the wine had warmed him, he crowned his headwith myrtle boughs, and sang in the vilest fashion. Then might one heartwo melodies, this fellow's songs, which he sang without thought for thetroubles of my lord and the lamentation wherewith we servants lamentedour mistress. But we suffered not this stranger to see our tears, for somy lord had commanded. Surely this is a grievous thing that I mustentertain this stranger, who surely is some thief or robber. Andmeanwhile they have taken my mistress to her grave, and I followed notafter her, nor reached my hand to her, that was as a mother to all thatdwell in this place. "

When the man had so spoken, Hercules came forth from the guest-chamber, crowned with myrtle, having his face flushed with wine. And he cried tothe servant, saying, "Ho, there! why lookest thou so solemn and full ofcare? Thou shouldst not scowl on thy guest after this fashion, beingfull of some sorrow that concerns thee not nearly. Come hither, and Iwill teach thee to be wiser. Knowest thou what manner of thing the lifeof a man is? I trow not. Hearken therefore. There is not a man whoknoweth what a day may bring forth. Therefore I say to thee: Make gladthy heart; eat, drink, count the day that now is to be thine own, butall else to be doubtful. As for all other things, let them be, andhearken to my words. Put away this great grief that lieth upon thee, andenter into this chamber, and drink with me. Right soon shall thetinkling of the wine as it falleth into the cup ease thee of thesegloomy thoughts. As thou art a man, be wise after the fashion of a man;for to them that are of a gloomy countenance, life, if only I judgerightly, is not life but trouble only. "

Then the servant answered, "All this I know; but we have fared so ill inthis house that mirth and laughter ill beseem us. "

"But they tell me that this dead woman was a stranger. Why shouldst thoube so troubled, seeing that they who rule this house yet live. "

"How sayest thou that they live? Thou knowest not what trouble weendure. "

"I know it, unless thy lord strangely deceived me. "

"My lord is given to hospitality. "

"And should it hinder him that there is some stranger dead in thehouse?"

"A stranger, sayest thou? 'Tis passing strange to call her thus. "

"Hath thy lord then suffered some sorrow that he told me not?"

"Even so, or I had not loathed to see thee at thy revels. Thou seestthis shaven hair and these black robes. "

"What then? who is dead? One of thy lord's children, or the old man hisfather?"

"Stranger, 'tis the wife of Admetus that is dead. "

"What sayest thou? And yet he gave me entertainment?"

"Yea, for he would not, for shame, turn thee from his house. "

"O miserable man, what a helpmeet thou hast lost!"

"Ay, and we are all lost with her. "

"Well I knew it; for I saw the tears in his eyes, and his head shaven, and his sorrowful regard; but he deceived me, saying that the dead womanwas a stranger. Therefore did I enter the doors and make merry, andcrown myself with garlands, not knowing what had befallen my host. Butcome, tell me; where doth he bury her? Where shall I find her?"

"Follow straight along the road that leadeth to Larissa, and thou wiltsee her tomb in the outskirts of the city. "

Then said Hercules to himself, "O my heart, thou hast dared many greatdeeds before this day; and now most of all must I show myself a true sonof Zeus. Now will I save this dead woman Alcestis, and give her back toher husband, and make due recompense to Admetus. I will go, therefore, and watch for this black-robed king, even Death. Methinks I shall findhim nigh unto the tomb, drinking the blood of the sacrifices. There willI lie in wait for him and run upon him, and throw my arms about him, norshall any one deliver him out of my hands, till he have given up to methis woman. But if it chance that I find him not there, and he come notto the feast of blood, I will go down to the Queen of Hell, to the landwhere the sun shineth not, and beg her of the Queen; and doubtless shewill give her to me, that I may give her to her husband. For right noblydid he entertain me, and drave me not from his house, for all that hehad been stricken by such sorrow. Is there a man in Thessaly, nay in thewhole land of Greece, that is such a lover of hospitality? I trow not. Noble is he, and he shall know that he is no ill friend to whom he hathdone this thing. "

So he went his way. And when he was gone, Admetus came back from theburying of his wife, a great company following him, of whom the elderssought to comfort him in his sorrow. And when he was come to the gatesof his palace he cried, "How shall I enter thee? how shall I dwell inthee? Once I came within thy gates with many pine-torches from Pelion, and the merry noise of the marriage song, holding in my hand the hand ofher that is dead; and after us followed a troop that magnified her andme, so noble a pair we were. And now with wailing instead of marriagesongs, and garments of black for white wedding robes, I go to mydesolate couch. "

But while he yet lingered before the palace Hercules came back, leadingwith him a woman that was covered with a veil. And when he saw the Kinghe said, "I hold it well to speak freely to one that is a friend, andthat a man should not hide a grudge in his heart. Hear me, therefore. Though I was worthy to be counted thy friend, yet thou saidst not thatthy wife lay dead in thy house, but suffered me to feast and make merry. For this, therefore, I blame thee. And now I will tell thee why I amreturned. I pray thee, keep this woman against the day when I shall comeback from the land of Thrace, bringing the horses of King Diomed. Andif it should fare ill with me, let her abide here and serve thee. Notwithout toil came she into my hands. I found as I went upon my way thatcertain men had ordered contests for wrestlers and runners, and thelike. Now for them that had the pre-eminence in lesser things there werehorses for prizes; and for the greater, as wrestling and boxing, areward of oxen, to which was added this woman. And now I would have theekeep her, for which thing, haply, thou wilt one day thank me. "

To this the King answered, "I thought no slight when I hid this truthfrom thee. Only it would have been for me sorrow upon sorrow if thouhadst gone to the house of another. But as for this woman, I would havethee ask this thing of some prince of Thessaly that hath not sufferedsuch grief as I. In Pheræ here thou hast many friends; but I could notlook upon her without tears. Add not then this new trouble. And also howcould she, being young, abide in my house, for young I judge her to be?And of a truth, lady, thou art very like in shape and stature to myAlcestis that is dead. I pray you, take her from my sight, for shetroubleth my heart, and my tears run over with beholding her. "

Then said Hercules, "Would I had such strength that I could bring backthy wife from the dwellings of the dead, and put her in thy hands. "

"I know thy good will, but what profiteth it? No man may bring back thedead. "

"Well, time will soften thy grief, which yet is new. "

"Yea, if by time thou meanest death. "

"But a new wife will comfort thee. "

"Hold thy peace; such a thing cometh not into my thoughts. "

"What? wilt thou always keep this widowed state?"

"Never shall woman more be wife of mine. "

"What will this profit her that is dead?"

"I know not, yet had I sooner die than be false to her. "

"Yet I would have thee take this woman into thy house. "

"Ask it not of me, I entreat thee, by thy father Zeus. "

"Thou wilt lose much if thou wilt not do it. "

"And if I do it I shall break my heart. "

"Haply some day thou wilt thank me; only be persuaded. "

"Be it so: they shall take the woman into the house. "

"I would not have thee entrust her to thy servants. "

"If thou so thinkest, lead her in thyself. "

"Nay, but I would give her into thy hands. "

"I touch her not, but my house she may enter. "

"'Tis only to thy hand I entrust her. "

"O King, thou compellest me to this against my will. "

"Stretch forth thy hand and touch her. "

"I touch her as I would touch the Gorgon's head. "

"Hast thou hold of her?"

"I have hold. "

"Then keep her safe, and say that the son of Zeus is a noble friend. Seeif she be like thy wife; and change thy sorrow for joy. "

And when the King looked, lo! the veiled woman was Alcestis his wife. 

THE STORY OF THE VENGEANCE OF MEDEA. 

Jason, being of right the prince of Iolcos in the land of Thessaly, cameback to his kingdom. But Pelias, who had now for many years taken it forhimself, spake him fair, and persuaded him that he should go on someadventure, and find glory and renown for himself, and so return; and hesware that afterwards he would peaceably give up the kingdom. Now in theland of Colchis, which lieth to the east of the sea which men call theHospitable Sea, there was kept a great treasure, even the fleece of agreat ram, which had been sacrificed there in time past. A marvellousbeast was this ram, for it had flown through the air to Colchis from theland of Greece; and its fleece was of pure gold. So Jason gatheredtogether many valiant men, sons of gods and heroes, such as wereHercules the son of Zeus, and Castor and Pollux, the twin brethren, andCalaïs and Zethus, that were sons to the North Wind, and Orpheus, thatwas the sweetest singer of all the dwellers upon earth. And they builtfor themselves a ship, and called its name the Argo, and so set sail, that they might bring back the fleece of gold to the land of Greece, towhich, indeed, it rightfully belonged. Now when Jason and his fellowswere come to Colchis, they asked the fleece of the king of the country. And he said that he would give it to them; only Jason must first yokecertain bulls that breathed fire from their nostrils, and slay a greatdragon. But the Princess Medea saw Jason, and loved him, and purposed inher heart that she would help him. And being a great witch, and knowingall manner of drugs and enchantments, she gave him an ointment whichkept all that anointed themselves with it so that they took no harm inbattle with man or beast. But first Jason had promised, swearing to hera great oath, that she should be his wife, and that he would take herwith him to the land of Greece, and that he would be faithful unto herto his life's end. So when he and his companions had yoked the bulls, and slain the dragon, and carried away the fleece, they took Medea withthem in the ship, and so departed. But when Jason was come to the landof Iolcos, Pelias was not willing to keep his promise that he would givethe kingdom to him. Whereupon Medea devised this thing against him. Shetook a ram, and cut him in pieces, and boiled his flesh in water, putting herbs into the cauldron, and saying divers enchantments over it;and, lo! the beast came forth young, though it had been very old. Thenshe said to the daughters of Pelias, "Ye see this ram, how he was old, and I have made him young by boiling him in water. Do ye so likewise toyour father, and I will help you with drugs and enchantments, as I didwith the ram. " But she lied unto them, and helped them not. So KingPelias died, being slain by his daughters, when they thought to make himyoung. But the people of the land were very wroth with Medea and withJason her husband, and suffered them not to dwell there any more. Sothey came and dwelt in the land of Corinth. Now when they had abodethere many days, the heart of Jason was turned away from his wife, andhe was minded to put her away from him, and to take to himself anotherwife, even Glaucé, who was daughter to Creon, the King of the city. 

[Illustration: PELAS SENDING FORTH JASON. ]

Now, when this thing was told to Medea, at first she went through thehouse raging like a lioness that is bereaved of her whelps, and cryingout to the Gods that they should smite the false husband that had swornto her and had broken his oath, and affirming that she herself wouldtake vengeance on him. And they that had the charge of her children keptthem from her, lest she should do some mischief. But when her first furywas spent, she came forth from her house, and spake to certain women ofCorinth of her acquaintance, that were gathered together to comfort her, and said, "I am come, my friends, to excuse myself to you. Ye know thissudden trouble that hath undone me, and the exceeding great wickednessof my husband. Surely we women are of all creatures that breathe themost miserable. For we must take husbands to rule over us, and how shallwe know whether they be good or bad? Of a truth, a woman should havethe gift of divination, that she may know what manner of man he is towhom she joineth herself, seeing that he is a stranger to her andunknown. If indeed she find one that is worthy, it is well with her; butif not, then had she better die. For a man, if he be troubled at home, goeth abroad, and holdeth converse with his friends and equals of age, and is comforted. But with a woman it is not so; for she hath only thelife that is at home. But why do I compare myself with you? for ye dwellin your own land, and have parents and kinsfolk and friends; but I amdesolate and without a country, and am wronged by this man that hathstolen me from a strange land; nor have I mother, or brother, orkinsman, who may help me in my need. This thing, therefore, I would askof you; that if I can contrive any device by which I may have vengeanceon my husband, and on him that giveth his daughter to him, and on thegirl, ye keep silence. And vengeance I will have; for though a womanhave not courage, nor dare to look upon the sword, yet if she be wrongedin her love, there is nothing fiercer than she. "

Then the women said, "We will keep silence as thou biddest us, for 'tisright that thou shouldest have vengeance on thy husband. But see! herecometh King Creon, doubtless with some new purpose. "

And the King said, "Hear this, Medea. I bid thee depart out of thisland, and thy children with thee. And I am come myself to execute thisword, for I depart not again to my own house till I have cast thee forthfrom my borders. "

Then Medea made answer, "Now am I altogether undone. But tell me, mylord, why dost thou drive me out of thy land?"

"Because I fear thee, lest thou should do some harm beyond all remedy tome and to my house. For I know that thou art wise, and hast knowledge ofmany curious arts; and besides, I hear that thou hast threatenedgrievous hurt against all that are concerned with this new marriage. "

But Medea answered, "O my lord, this report of craft and wisdom hathwrought me harm not this day only, but many times! Truly it is not wellthat a man should teach his children to be wise, for they gain therebyno profit, but hatred only. But as for me, my lord, my wisdom is but asmall thing; nor is there cause why thou shouldest fear me. For who am Ithat I should transgress against a king? Nor indeed hast thou done mewrong. My husband, indeed, I hate; but thou hast given thy daughter asit pleased thee. The Gods grant that it may be well with thee and thine!Only suffer me to dwell in this land. "

But the King would not, though she entreated him with many words. Onlyat the last he yielded this to her, that she might abide for one day andcontrive some refuge for her children; "but, " he said, "if thou tarryafter this, thou and thy children, thou shalt surely die. "

Then he went his way, and Medea said to the women that stood by, "Thatat least is well; be ye sure that there is evil to come for thebridegroom and the bride in this new marriage, and for their kin. Thinkye that I had flattered this man but that I thought to gain somewhatthereby? Surety I had not touched his hand, no, nor spoken to him. Andnow--fool that he is--he hath given me this day, and when he might havedriven me from the land, he suffereth me to tarry. Verily he shall diefor it, he and his daughter and this new bridegroom. But how shall Icontrive it? Shall I put fire to the dwelling of the bride, or make myway by stealth into her chamber and slay her? Yet if I be found sodoing, I shall perish, and my enemies will laugh me to scorn. Nay, letme work by poison, as is my wont. Well, and if they die, what then? Whatcity will receive me? what friend shall give me protection? I know not. I will tarry awhile, and if some help appear, I will work my end withguile; but if not, I will take my sword and slay them that I hate, though I die. For by Hecaté, whom I reverence most of all the Gods, noman shall vex my heart and prosper. Therefore, Medea, fear not; use allthy counsel and craft. Shall the race of Sisyphus, shall Jason, laughthee to scorn that art of the race of the Sun?"

When she had ended these words, there came Jason telling her that shedid not well to be thus angry, and that she had brought upon herselfthis trouble of banishment by idle words against the rulers of the land;but that nevertheless he would have a care for her, and see that shewanted nothing needful. But when Medea heard him so speak, she burst outupon him in great fury, calling to mind how she had saved him once againfrom the bulls that breathed fire from their nostrils and from the greatdragon that guarded the fleece of gold, and how she had done the old manPelias to death for his sake; "and now, " she said, "whither shall I go?who will receive me? for I have made enemies of my kinsfolk on accountof thee, and now thou forsakest me. O Zeus! why can we discern falsemoney from the true, but as for men, when we would know which is thegood and which the bad, there is no mark by which we may know them?"

But to this Jason answered that if she had saved him in time past, shehad done it of necessity, being compelled by love; and that he had madeher a full recompense, taking her from a barbarous land to the land ofGreece, where men lived by law and not by the will of the stronger andcausing her to be highly reputed of for wisdom among the people of theland. "And as to this marriage, " he said, "for which thou blamest me, Ihave made it in prudence and in care for thee and for thy children. Forbeing an exile in this city, what could I do better than marry thedaughter of the King? Nor is my heart turned from thee or from thychildren. Only I have made provision against poverty, and that I mightrear my sons in such fashion as befitted their birth. And now if thouneedest aught in thy banishment, speak; for I would give thee provisionwithout grudging, and also commend thee to such friends as I have. "

"Keep thy gifts and thy friends, " she said, "to thyself. There is noprofit in that which cometh from such hands as thine. "

So Jason went his way; and when he was departed there came Ægeus, Kingof Athens, who had been on a journey to inquire of the god at Delphi, for he was childless, and would fain have a son born to him. But heunderstood not what the god had answered, and was now on his way to KingPittheus of Troezen, a man learned in such matters, that he mightinterpret the thing to him. And when he saw that Medea had been weeping, he would know what ailed her. Then she told him how her husband wasfalse to her, marrying a new wife, even the daughter of the king of theland, and how she was on the point to be banished, and her children withher. And when she saw that these things displeased King Ægeus, shesaid--

"Now, my lord, I beseech thee to have pity on me, nor suffer me towander homeless and friendless, but receive me into thy house. So maythe Gods grant thee thy desire that thou mayest have a son to reignafter thee. And indeed I have such knowledge in these matters that I canhelp thee myself. "

Then said King Ægeus, "I am willing to do thee this service both forright's sake and because of the hope of children which thou promisest tome. Only I may not take thee with me from this land. But if thou comestto me thou shalt be safe, nor will I give thee up to any man. "

Then said Medea, "It is well, and I trust thee. And yet, for I am weakand my enemies are strong, I would fain bind thee by an oath. "

To this the King answered, "Lady, thou art prudent, and I refuse not theoath; for being so bound, I shall have wherewith to answer thineenemies, if they seek thee from me. By what Gods shall I swear?"

"Swear by the Earth and by the Sun, who was the father of my father, andby all the Gods, that thou wilt not banish me from thy land, nor give meup to my enemies seeking me. "

And King Ægeus sware a great oath, by the Earth and by the Sun, and byall the Gods, that he would not banish her, nor give her up; and sodeparted. 

Then said Medea, "Now shall my counsels prosper; for this man hath givenme that which I needed, even a refuge in the city of Athens. Now, therefore, hear what I will do. I will send one of my servants to Jason, and bid him come to me, and will speak softly to him, confessing that hehath done wisely in making this marriage with the daughter of KingCreon. And I will ask of him that my children may remain in the land. And I will send them with a gift to this King's daughter, even a robeand a crown. But when she shall deck herself with them, she shallperish, so deadly are the poisons with which I shall anoint them. Butvery grievous is the deed that I must do when this shall have beenaccomplished. For after this I must slay my children. Nor shall any mandeliver them out of my hand. Thus will I destroy the whole house ofJason, and so depart from the land. A very evil deed it is; but I cannotendure to be laughed to scorn by my enemies. And yet what profiteth meto live? For I have no country or home or refuge from trouble. I didevil leaving my father's house to follow this Greek. But verily he shallpay me to the very uttermost. For his children he shall see no more, andhis bride shall perish miserably. Wherefore let no man henceforth thinkme to be weak or feeble. "

And when the women would have turned her from her purpose, saying thatso doing she would be the most miserable of women, she would nothearken, thinking only how she might best wound the heart of herhusband. 

Meanwhile a servant had carried the message to Jason. And when he wascome, she said that she had repented of her anger against him, and thatnow he seemed to her to have done wisely, strengthening himself and hishouse by this marriage; and she prayed him that he would pardon her, being a woman and weak. And then she called to her children that theyshould come forth from the house, and take their father by his hand, forthat her anger had ceased, and there was peace between them. 

And Jason praised her that she had so changed her thoughts; and to hischildren he said, "Be sure, my sons, that your father hath counselledwisely for you. Live, you shall yet be the first in this land ofCorinth. "

And as he spake these words, he perceived that Medea wept, and said, "Why weepest thou?"

And she answered, "Women are always ready with tears for their children. I bare them; and when thou saidst to them 'Live, ' I doubted whether thismight be. But listen. Doubtless it is well that I depart from this land, both for me and for you. But as for these children, wilt thou notpersuade the King that he suffer them to dwell here?"

"I know not whether I shall persuade him; but I will endeavour. "

"Ask thy wife to intercede for these children, that they be not banishedfrom this land. "

"Even so. With her doubtless I shall prevail, if she be like to otherwomen. "

"I will help thee in this, sending her gifts so fair that there could befound nothing more beautiful on the earth--a robe exceeding fine and acrown of gold. These shall my children bear to her. So shall she be thehappiest of women, having such a husband as thou art, and this adornmentwhich the Sun, my grandsire, gave to his descendants after him that theyshould possess it. "

Then she turned herself to her children, and said, "Take these casketsin your hands, my sons, and take them to the new bride, the King'sdaughter. "

"But why wilt thou empty thy hands? Are there not, thinkest thou, robesenough and gold enough in the treasure of the King? Keep them forthyself. She will make more account of me than of thy gifts. "

"Nay, not so. Is it not said that even the Gods are persuaded by gifts, and that gold is mightier than ten thousand speeches? Go, then, mychildren, to the King's palace. Seek your father's new wife, and falldown before her, and beseech her, giving her these adornments, that yebe not banished from the land. "

So the two boys went to the palace bearing the gifts. And all theservants of Jason that were therein rejoiced to see them, thinking thatMedea had put away her anger against her husband. And they kissed theirhands and their heads; and one led them into the chambers of the women, to the King's daughter. And she, who before sat looking with much loveupon Jason, when she saw the boys, turned her head from them in anger. 

But Jason soothed her, saying, "Be not angry with thy friends, but lovethem whom thy husband loveth, and take the gifts which they bring, andpersuade thy father for my sake that he banish them not. "

And when she saw the gifts, she changed her thoughts, and consented tohis words. And in a very brief space she took the robe and clothedherself with it, and put the crown upon her head, and ordered her hair, looking in the glass and smiling at the image of herself. And then sherose from her seat, and walked through the house, stepping daintily, andoften regarding herself. 

But then befell a dreadful thing; for she grew pale, and trembled, andhad well-nigh fallen upon the ground, scarce struggling to her chair. 

And an old woman that was of her attendants set up a great cry, thinkingthat Pan or some other god had smitten her. But when she saw that shefoamed at her mouth, and that her eyes rolled, and that there was noblood left in her, she ran to tell Jason of the matter, and anotherhastened to the King's chamber. 

And then there came upon the maiden a greater woe than at the first, forthere came forth a marvellous stream of fire from the crown of gold thatwas about her head, and all the while the robe devoured her flesh. Thenshe rose from her seat, and ran through the house, tossing her hair, andseeking to cast away the crown. But this she could not, for it clung toher very closely. And at the last she fell dead upon the ground, sorelydisfigured so that none but her father only had known her. And allfeared to touch her, lest they should be devoured also of the fire. 

But when the King was come, he cast himself upon the dead body, saying, "O my child! what God hath so smitten thee? Why hast thou left me in myold age?"

And when he would have lifted himself, the robe held him fast, and hecould not, though he struggled sorely. So he also died; and the two, father and daughter, lay together dead upon the ground. 

Now in the meanwhile the old man that had the charge of the boys ledthem back to the house of the mother, and bade her rejoice, for thatthey were released from the sentence of banishment, and that some dayshe should also return by their means. 

But the woman wept and answered doubtfully. Then she bade him go intothe house and prepare for the lads what they might need for the day. Andwhen he was departed she said, "O my sons, I go to a strange land andshall not see you come to fair estate and fortune; nor shall I makepreparations for your marriage when you have grown to manhood. Vainlydid I bear you with pangs of travail; vainly did I rear you; vainly didI hope that ye should cherish me in my old age, and lay me out for myburial. O my children, why do ye so regard me? Why do ye laugh at methat shall never laugh again? Nay, I cannot do the deed. When I see theeyes of my children how bright they are, I cannot do it. And yet shallmy enemies triumph over me and laugh me to scorn? Not so; I will dare itall. " And she bade her children go into the house. But after a space shespake again, "O my heart, do not this deed. Spare my children! They willgladden thee in the land of thy banishment. " And then again, after aspace, "But no, it is otherwise ordained, and there is no escape. And Iknow that by this time the King's daughter hath the robe upon her andthe crown about her head, and what I do I must do quickly. "

Then she called to the boys again and said, "O my children! give me yourright hands. O hands and mouths that I love, and faces fair exceedingly. Be ye happy--but not here. All that is here your father hath taken fromyou. O dear regard, O soft, soft flesh, O sweet, sweet breath of mychildren! Go, my children, go; I cannot look upon your faces any more. "

And now there came a messenger from the King's palace and told her allthat had there befallen. But when she heard it she knew that the timewas come, and went into the house. 

And the women that stood without heard a terrible cry from the childrenas they sought to flee from their mother and could not. And while theydoubted whether they should not hasten within and, it might be, deliverthem from their mother, came Jason to the gate and said to them, "Tellme, ladies, is Medea in this place, or hath she fled? Verily she musthide herself in the earth, or mount into the air, if she would notsuffer due punishment for that which she hath done to the King and tohis daughter. But of her I think not so much as of her children. For Iwould save them, lest the kinsmen of the dead do them some harm, seekingvengeance for the bloody deed of their mother. "

Then the women answered, "O Jason, thou knowest not the truth, or thouwouldst not speak such words. "

"How so? Would she kill me also?"

"Thy children are dead, slain by the hand of their mother. "

"Dead are they? When did she slay them?"

"If thou wilt open the gates thou wilt see the dead corpses of thychildren. "

But when he battered at the gates, and cried out that they should opento him, he heard a voice from above, and saw Medea borne in a chariot, with winged dragons for horses, who cried to him, "Why seekest thou thedead and me that slew them? Trouble not thyself. If thou wantest aughtof me, say on, but thou shalt never touch me with thy hand. For thischariot, which my father the Sun hath given me, shalt deliver me out ofthy hands. "

Then Jason cried, "Thou art an accursed woman, that hast slain thy ownchildren with the sword, and yet darest to look upon the earth and thesun. What madness was it that I brought thee from thy own country tothis land of Greece, for thou didst betray thy father and slay thybrother with the sword, and now thou hast killed thine own children, toavenge what thou deemest thine own wrong. No woman art thou, but alioness or monster of the sea. "

And to these things she answered, "Call me what thou wilt, lioness ormonster of the sea; but this I know, that I have pierced thy heart. Andas for thy children, thou shalt not touch them or see them any more; forI will bear them to the grove of Heré and bury them there, lest someenemy should break up their tomb and do them some dishonour. And Imyself go to the land of Attica, where I shall dwell with King Ægeus, the son of Pandion. And as for thee, thou shalt perish miserably, for abeam from the ship Argo shall smite thee on the head. So shalt thoudie. "

Thus was the vengeance of Medea accomplished. 

THE STORY OF THE DEATH OF HERCULES. 

Oeneus, who was king of the city of Pleuron in the land of Ætolia, hada fair daughter, Deïaneira by name. Now the maiden was sought inmarriage by the god of the river Acheloüs; but she loved him not, for hewas strange and terrible to look at. Sometimes he had the shape of agreat dragon with scales, and sometimes he had the shape of a man, onlythat his head was the head of a bull, and streams of water flowed downfrom his beard. But it came to pass that Hercules, who was stronger thanall the men that dwelt upon the earth, coming to the city of Pleuron, saw the maiden and loved her, and would have her to wife. And when shetold him, saying that the river-god Acheloüs sought her in marriage, hebade her be of good courage, for that he would vanquish the creature inbattle, so that it should not trouble her any more. Which thing he did, for when the river-god came, after his custom, Hercules did battle withhim, and came nigh to strangling him, and brake off one of his horns. And the maiden looked on while the two fought together, and was wellpleased that Hercules prevailed. King Oeneus also was glad, andwillingly gave her to him to wife. So after a while he departed with herunto his own country. And as they journeyed they came to the riverEvenus. Now on the banks of this river there dwelt one Nessus, acentaur. (These centaurs had heads as the heads of men, but their bodieswere like horses' bodies; and they were a savage race and a lawless. )This Nessus was wont to carry travellers across the river, which indeedwas very broad and deep. And when he saw Deïaneira that she was veryfair, he would have taken her from her husband; but Hercules drew hisbow and smote him with an arrow. 

Now when Nessus knew that he should die of his wound--for neither mannor beast lived that was wounded of these arrows--he thought in hiswicked heart that he would be avenged on this man that had slain him. Whereupon he said to the woman, "Behold I die. But first I would givethee a gift. Take of the blood that cometh from this wound, and it shallcome to pass that if the love of thy husband fail thee, thou shalt takeof this blood and smear it on a garment, and give him the garment towear, and he shall love thee again as at the first. "

So the woman took of the blood and kept it by her. And it came to passafter a time that the two went to the city of Trachis and dwelt there. Now Trachis is in the land of Thessaly, near unto the springs of Oeta. And Hercules loved his wife, and she dwelt in peace and happiness, onlythat he sojourned not long at home, but wandered over the face of theearth, doing many wonderful works at the commandment of Eurystheus, hisbrother. For the Gods had made Eurystheus to be master over him, for allthat he was so strong. Now for the most part this troubled not his wifeovermuch; for he departed from his house as one who counted it certainthat he should return thereto. But at the last this was not so. For heleft a tablet wherein were written many things such as a man writeth whois about to die. For he had ordered therein the portion which his wifeshould have as her right of marriage, and how his possessions should bedivided among his children. Also he wrote therein a certain space oftime, even a year and three months, for when that was come to an end, hesaid, he must either be dead or have finished happily all his labours, and so be at peace continually. And this he had heard as an oracle fromthe doves that dwell in the oaks of Dodona. And when this time waswell-nigh come to an end, Deïaneira, being in great fear, told thematter to Hyllus, her son. And even as she had ended, there came amessenger, saying, "Hail, lady! Put thy trouble from thee. The son ofAlcmena lives and is well. This I heard from Lichas the herald; andhearing it I hastened to thee without delay, hoping that so I mightplease thee. "

"But, " said the Queen, "why cometh not the herald himself?"

"Because all the people stand about him, asking him questions, andhinder him. "

And not a long while after the herald came; and the name of the man wasLichas. And when the Queen saw him she cried, "What news hast thou of myhusband? Is he yet alive?"

"Yea, " said the herald, "he is alive and in good health. "

"And where didst thou leave him? In some country of the Greeks, or amongbarbarians?"

"I left him in the land of Euboea, where he ordereth a sacrifice toZeus. "

"Payeth he thus some vow, or did some oracle command it?"

"He payeth a vow. And this vow he made before he took with his spear thecity of these women whom thou seest. "

"And who are these? For they are very piteous to behold. "

"These he led captive when he destroyed the city of King Eurytus. "

"And hath the taking of the city so long delayed him? For I have notseen him for the space of a year and three months. "

"Not so. The most of this time he was a slave in the land of Lydia. Forhe was sold to Omphalé, who is Queen of that land, and served her. Andhow this came about I will tell thee. Thy husband sojourned in the houseof King Eurytus, who had been long time his friend. But the King dealtill with him, and spake to him unfriendly. For first he said thatHercules could not excel his sons in shooting with the bow, for all thathe had arrows that missed not their aim. And next he reviled him, forthat he was but a slave who served a free man, even King Eurystheus, hisbrother. And at the last, at a banquet, when Hercules was overcome withwine, the King cast him forth. Wherefore Hercules, being very wroth, slew the man. For the King came to the land of Tiryns, looking forcertain horses, and Hercules caught him unawares, having his thoughtsone way and his eyes another, and cast him down from the cliff that hedied. Then Zeus was very wroth because he had slain him by craft, as hehad never slain any man before, and caused that he should be sold for ayear as a bond-slave to Queen Omphalé. And when the year was ended, andHercules was free, he vowed a vow that he would destroy this city fromwhich there had come to him this disgrace; which vow he accomplished. And these women whom thou seest are the captives of his spear. And asfor himself, be sure that thou wilt see him in no long space. "

When Lichas had thus spoken, the Queen looked upon the captives, and hadcompassion on them, praying to the Gods that such an evil thing mightnot befall her children, or if, haply, it should befall them, she mightbe dead before. And seeing that there was one among them who surpassedthe others in beauty, being tall and fair exceedingly, as if she werethe daughter of a king, she would fain know who she was; and when thewoman answered not a word, she would have the herald tell her. But hemade as if he knew nothing at all; only that she seemed to be well born, and that from the first she had spoken nothing, but wept continually. And the Queen pitied her, and said that they should not trouble her, buttake her into the palace and deal kindly with her, lest she should havesorrow upon sorrow. 

But Lichas having departed for a space, the messenger that came at thefirst would have speech of the Queen alone. And when she had dismissedall the people, he told her that Lichas had not spoken truly, sayingthat he knew not who was this stranger, for that she was the daughter ofKing Eurytus, Iolé by name, and that indeed for love of her Hercules hadtaken the city. 

And when the Queen heard this she was sore troubled, fearing lest theheart of her husband should now have been turned from her. But first shewould know the certainty of the matter. So when Lichas came, being nowabout to depart, and inquired what he should say, as from the Queen toHercules, she said to him, "Lichas, art thou one that loveth the truth?"

"Yea, by Zeus!" said he, "if so be that I know it. "

"Tell me, then, who is this woman whom thou hast brought?"

"A woman of Euboea; but of what lineage I know not. "

"Look thou here. Knowest thou who it is to whom thou speakest?"

"Yea, I know it; to Queen Deïaneira, daughter of Oeneus and wife toHercules, and my mistress. "

"Thou sayest that I am thy mistress. What should be done to thee if thoube found doing wrong to me?"

"What wrong? What meanest thou? But this is idle talk, and I had bestdepart. "

"Thou departest not till I shall have inquired somewhat further ofthee. "

So the Queen commanded that they should bring the messenger who had setforth the whole matter to her. And when the man was come, and had toldwhat he knew, and the Queen also spake fair, as bearing no wrath againsther husband, Lichas made confession that the thing was indeed as the manhad said, and that the woman was Iolé, daughter of King Eurytus. 

Then the Queen took counsel with her companions, maidens that dwelt inthe city of Trachis, and told them how she had a charm with her, theblood of Nessus the Centaur; and that Nessus had given it to her in oldtime because she was the last whom he carried over the river Evenus; andthat it would win back for her the love of her husband. So she calledLichas, the herald, and said to him that he must do a certain thing forher. And he answered, "What is it, lady? Already I have lingered toolong. "

And she said, "Take now this robe, which thou seest to be fair and wellwoven, and carry it as a gift from me to my husband. And say to him fromme that he suffer no man to wear it before him, and that the light ofthe sun touch it not, no, nor the light of a fire, till he himself shallclothe himself with it on a day on which he doeth sacrifice to the Gods. And say that I made this vow, if he should come back from this journey, that I would array him in this robe, wherein to do sacrifice. And thathe may know thee to be a true messenger from me, take with thee thisseal. "

And Lichas said, "So surely as I know the craft of Hermes, who is thegod of heralds, I will do this thing according to thy bidding. "

Now the Queen had anointed the fair garment which she sent with theblood of Nessus the Centaur, that when her husband should clothe himselfwith it, his heart might be turned to her as at the first. 

So Lichas the herald departed, bearing the robe. But after no long timethe Queen ran forth from the palace in great fear, wringing her hands, and crying to the maidens, her companions, that she was sore afraid lestin ignorance she had done some great mischief. And when they would knowthe cause of her grief and fear, she spake, saying, "A very marvellousand terrible thing hath befallen me. There was a morsel of sheep's woolwhich I dipped into the charm, even the blood of the Centaur, that Imight anoint therewith the robe which ye saw me send to my husband. Now, this morsel of wool hath perished altogether. But that ye may understandthis thing the better, I will set it forth to you at length. Know thenthat I have not forgotten aught of the things which the Centaurcommanded me when he gave me this charm, but have kept them in my heart, even as if they were written on bronze. Now he bade me keep the thingwhere neither light of the sun nor fire might touch it. And this have Idone; and when I anointed the robe, I anointed it in secret, in acertain dark place in the palace; but the morsel of wool wherewith Ianointed it I threw, not heeding, into the sunshine. And, lo! it hathwasted till it is like unto dust which falleth when a man saweth wood. And from the earth whereon it lay there arise great bubbles of foam, like to the bubbles which arise when men pour into the vats the juice ofthe vine. And now I know not what I should say; for indeed, though Ithought not so of the matter before, it seemeth not a thing to bebelieved that this Centaur should wish well to the man that slew him. Haply he deceived me, that he might work him woe. For I know that thisis a very deadly poison, seeing that Chiron also suffered grievously byreason of it, albeit he was a god. Now if this be so, as I fear, thenhave I, and I only, slain my husband. "

And she had scarce finished these words when Hyllus her son came ingreat haste; and when he saw her, he cried, "O my mother! would that Ihad found thee dead, or that thou wert not my mother, or that thou wertof a better mind than I know thee to be of. "

But she said, "What have I done, my son, that thou so abhorrest me?"

"This day thou hast done my father to death. "

"What sayest thou? Who told thee this horrible thing that thou bringestagainst me?"

"I saw it with mine own eyes. And if thou wilt hear the whole matter, hearken. My father, having taken with his spear the city of Eurytus, went to a certain place hard by the sea, that he might offer sacrificesto Zeus, according to his vow. And even as he was about to begin, therecame Lichas the herald bringing thy gift, the deadly robe. And he put itupon him as thou badest, and slew the beasts for the sacrifice, eventwelve oxen chosen out of the prey, and one hundred other beasts. Andfor a while he did worship to the Gods with a glad heart, rejoicing inthe beauty of his apparel. But when the fire grew hot, and the sweatcame out upon his skin, the robe clung about him as though one hadfitted it to him by art, and there went a great pang of pain throughhim, even as the sting of a serpent. And then he called to Lichas theherald, and would fain know for what end he had brought this accursedraiment. And when the wretch said that it was thy gift, he caught him bythe foot, and cast him on a rock that was in the sea hard by, and allhis brains were scattered upon it. And all the people groaned to seethis thing, that the man perished so miserably, and that such madnesswrought in thy husband. Nor did any one dare to draw near to him, for hethrew himself now into the air, and now upon the ground, so fierce wasthe pain; and all the rocks about sounded again with his groaning. Butafter a while he spied me where I stood waiting in the crowd, and calledto me, and said, 'Come hither, my son; fly not from me in my trouble, even if it needs be that thou die with me. But take me, and set me whereno man may see me; but above all carry me from this land, that I die nothere. ' Whereupon we laid him in the hold of a ship, and brought him tothis place, where thou wilt see him soon, either newly dead or on thepoint to die. This is what thou hast done, my mother; for thou hastslain thy husband, such a man as thou shalt never more see upon thisearth. "

And when the Queen heard this, she spake not a word, but hasted into thepalace, and ran through it like unto one that is smitten with madness. And at the last she entered the chamber of Hercules, and sat down inthe midst and wept piteously, saying, "O my marriage-bed, where nevermore I shall lie, farewell!" And as she spake she loosed the goldenbrooch that was upon her heart, and bared all her left side; and beforeany could hinder her--for her nurse had seen what she did, and had runto fetch her son--she took a two-edged sword and smote herself to theheart, and so fell dead. And as she fell there came her son, that nowknew from them of the household how she had been deceived of that evilbeast the Centaur, and fell upon her with many tears and cries, sayingthat now he was bereaved both of father and of mother in one day. 

But while he lamented, there came men bearing Hercules in a litter. Hewas asleep, for the pain had left him for a space, and the old man thatwas guide to the company was earnest with Hyllus that he should not wakehis father. Nevertheless, Hercules heard the young man's voice, and hissleep left him. Then he cried aloud in his agony, complaining to Zeusthat he had suffered such a torment to come upon him, and reproachingthem that stood by that they gave him not a sword wherewith he mightmake an end to his pain. But most of all he cursed his wife that she hadwrought him such woe, saying to Hyllus--

"See now, my son, how that this treacherous woman hath worked such painto me as I have never endured before in all the earth, through which, asthou knowest, I have journeyed, cleansing it from all manner ofmonsters. And now thou seest how I, who have subdued all things, weepand cry as doth a girl. And these hands and arms, with which I slew thelion that wasted the land of Nemea and the great dragon of Lerna, anddragged into the light the three-headed dog that guardeth the gate ofhell, see how these, which no man yet hath vanquished in fight, arewasted and consumed with the fire. But there is one thing which theyshall yet do, for I will slay her that wrought this deed. "

Then Hyllus made answer, "My father, suffer me to speak, for I have thatto tell thee of my mother which thou shouldest hear. "

"Speak on; but beware that thou show not thyself vile, excusing her. "

[Illustration: HERCULES ON MOUNT OETA. ]

"She is dead. "

"Who slew her? This is a strange thing thou tellest. "

"She slew herself with her own hand. "

"'Tis ill done. Would that I had slain her myself!"

"Thy heart will be changed towards her when thou hearest all. "

"This is strange indeed; but say on. "

"All that she did she did with good intent. "

"With good intent, thou wicked boy, when she slew her husband?"

"She sought to keep thy love, fearing that thy heart was turned toanother. "

"And who of the men of Trachis is so cunning in leechcraft?"

"The Centaur Nessus gave her the poison long since, saying that shemight thus win back thy love. "

And when Hercules heard this he cried aloud, "Then is my doom come; forlong since it was prophesied to me that I should not die by the hand ofany living creature, but by one that dwelt in the region of the dead. And now this Centaur, whom I slew long ago, hath slain me in turn. Andnow, my son, hearken unto me. Thou knowest the hill of Oeta. Carry methither thyself, taking also such of thy friends as thou wilt have withthee. And build there a great pile of oak and wild olive, and lay methereon, and set fire thereto. And take heed that thou shed no tear norutter a cry, but work this deed in silence, if, indeed, thou art my trueson: and if thou doest not so, my curse shall be upon thee for ever. "

And Hyllus vowed that he would do this thing, only that he could not setfire to the pile with his own hand. So they bare Hercules to the top ofthe hill of Oeta, and built a great pile of wood, and laid himthereon. And Philoctetes, who was of the companions of Hyllus, set fireto the pile. For which deed Hercules gave to him his bow and the arrowsthat missed not their aim. And the tale of this bow, and how it faredwith him that had it, may be read in the story of Philoctetes. 

THE STORY OF THE SEVEN CHIEFS AGAINST THEBES. 

It befell in times past that the Gods, being angry with the inhabitantsof Thebes, sent into their land a very noisome beast which men calledthe Sphinx. Now this beast had the face and breast of a very fair woman, but the feet and claws of a lion; and it was wont to ask a riddle ofsuch as encountered it; and such as answered not aright it would tearand devour. Now when it had laid waste the land many days, there chancedto come to Thebes one Oedipus, who had fled from the city of Corinththat he might escape the doom which the Gods had spoken against him. Andthe men of the place told him of the Sphinx, how she cruelly devouredthe people, and that he who should deliver them from her should have thekingdom. So Oedipus, being very bold, and also ready of wit, wentforth to meet the monster. And when she saw him she spake, saying--

 "Read me this riddle right, or die: What liveth there beneath the sky, Four-footed creature that doth choose Now three feet and now twain to use, And still more feebly o'er the plain Walketh with three feet than with twain?"

And Oedipus made reply--

 "'Tis man, who in life's early day Four-footed crawleth on his way; When time hath made his strength complete, Upright his form and twain his feet; When age hath bowed him to the ground A third foot in his staff is found. "

And when the Sphinx found that her riddle was answered, she cast herselffrom a high rock and perished. Now for a while Oedipus reigned ingreat power and glory; but afterwards his doom came upon him, so that inhis madness he put out his own eyes. Then his two sons cast him intoprison, and took his kingdom, making agreement between themselves thateach should reign for the space of one year. And the elder of the two, whose name was Eteocles, first had the kingdom; but when his year wascome to an end, he would not abide by his promise, but kept that whichhe should have given up, and drave out his younger brother from thecity. Then the younger, whose name was Polynices, fled to Argos, to KingAdrastus. And after a while he married the daughter of the King, whomade a covenant with him that he would bring him back with a high handto Thebes, and set him on the throne of his father. Then the King sentmessengers to certain of the princes of Greece, entreating that theywould help in this matter. And of these some would not, but othershearkened to his words, so that a great army was gathered together andfollowed the King and Polynices to make war against Thebes. So they cameand pitched their camp over against the city. And after that they hadfought against it many days, and yet had prevailed nothing, Adrastusheld a council of the chiefs, and it was agreed that next day, early inthe morning, they should assault the city with all their might. And whenthe morning was come, the chiefs were gathered together, being seven innumber. And first of all they slew a bull, and caught the blood of thebeast in the hollow of a shield, into which they dipped their hands, and sware a great oath that they would take the city of Thebes or die. And having sworn, they hung upon the chariot of Adrastus what should bememorials of them each for his own father and mother, all weeping thewhile. After this they cast lots for the places which they should take, for there were seven gates to the city, that each chief might assault agate. 

[Illustration: OEDIPUS AND THE SPHINX. ]

But their purpose was known to the King Eteocles, for he had heard thewhole matter from Tiresias, the wise seer, who told beforehand all thatshould come to pass, discovering it from the voice of birds, for beingblind he could not judge from their flight, or from the tokens of fire, as other soothsayers are wont. Wherefore the King gathered together allthat could bear arms, even youths not grown, and old men that were waxedfeeble with age, and bade them fight for the land, for "she, " he said, "gave you birth and reared you, and now asketh that ye help her in thisher need. And though hitherto we have fared well in this war, know yefor certain, for Tiresias the soothsayer hath said it, that therecometh a great danger this day upon the city. Wherefore haste ye to thebattlements, and to the towers that are upon the walls, and take yourstand in the gates, and be of good courage, and quit you like men. "

[Illustration: THE OATH OF THE SEVEN CHIEFS]

And as he made an end of speaking there ran in one who declared thateven now the enemy was about to assault the city. And after him came atroop of maidens of Thebes, crying out that the enemy had come forthfrom the camp, and that they heard the tramp of many feet upon theearth, and the rattling of shields, and the noise of many spears. Andthey lifted up their voices to the Gods that they should help the city, to Ares, the god of the golden helmet, that he should defend the landwhich in truth was his from old time, and to Father Zeus, and to Pallas, who was the daughter of Zeus, and to Poseidon, the great ruler of thesea, and to Aphrodité the Fair, for that she was the mother of theirrace, and to Apollo, the wolf-king, that he would be as a devouring wolfto the enemy, and to Artemis, that she should bend her bow against them, and to Heré, the Queen of heaven, even to all the dwellers in Olympus, that they should defend the city, and save it. 

But the King was very wroth when he heard this outcry, and cried, "Thinkye to make bold the hearts of our men by these lamentations? Now may theGods save me from this race of women; for if they be bold no man canendure their insolence, and if they be afraid they vex both their homeand their country. Even so now do ye help them that are without andtrouble your own people. But hearken to this. He that heareth not mycommand, be he man or woman, the people shall stone him. Speak Iplainly?"

"But, O son of Oedipus, " the maidens made reply, "we hear the rollingof the chariot wheels, and the rattling of the axles, and the jinglingof the bridle reins. "

"What then?" said the King, "if the ship labour in the sea, and thehelmsman leave the helm and fly to the prow that he may pray before theimage, doeth he well?"

"Nay, blame us not that we came to beseech the Gods when we heard thehailstorm of war rattling on the gates. "

"'Tis well, " cried the King, "yet men say that the Gods leave the citythat is at the point to fall. And mark ye this, that safety is the childof obedience. But as for duty, 'tis for men to do sacrifice to the Gods, and for women to keep silence and to abide at home. "

But the maidens made reply, "'Tis the Gods who keep this city, nor dothey transgress who reverence them. "

"Yes, but let them reverence them in due order. And now hearken to me. Keep ye silence. And when I have made my prayer, raise ye a joyful shoutthat shall gladden the hearts of our friends and put away all fear fromthem. And to the Gods that keep this city I vow that if they give usvictory in this war I will sacrifice to them sheep and oxen, and willhang up in their houses the spoils of the enemy. And now, ye maidens, doye also make your prayers, but not with vain clamour. And I will chooseseven men, being myself the seventh, who shall meet the seven that comeagainst the gates of our city. "

Then the King departed, and the maidens made their prayer after thisfashion: "My heart feareth as a dove feareth the serpent for her youngones, so cruelly doth the enemy come about this city to destroy it!Shall ye find elsewhere as fair a land, ye Gods, if ye suffer this to belaid waste, or streams as sweet? Help us then, for indeed it is agrievous thing when men take a city, for the women, old and young, aredragged by the hair, and the men are slain with the sword, and there isslaughter and burning, while they that plunder cry each man to hiscomrade, and the fruits of the earth are wasted upon the ground; nor isthere any hope but in death. "

And as they made an end, the King came back, and at the same time amessenger bringing tidings of the battle, how the seven chiefs hadranged themselves each against a gate of the city. And the man's storywas this. 

"First Tydeus, the Ætolian, standeth in great fury at the gate ofProetus. Very wroth is he because the soothsayer, Amphiaraüs, suffereth him not to cross the Ismenus, for that the omens promise notvictory. A triple crest he hath, and there are bells of bronze under hisshield which ring terribly. And on his shield he hath this device: theheaven studded with stars, and in the midst the mightiest of the stars, the eye of night, even the moon. Whom, O King, will thou set againstthis man?"

Then the King made reply, "I tremble not at any man's adorning, and adevice woundeth not. And, indeed, as for the night that thou tellest tobe on his shield, haply it signifieth the night of death that shall fallupon his eyes. Over against him will I set the son of Astacus, a braveman and a modest. Also he is of the race of the Dragon's Teeth, and mencall him Melanippus. "

And the messenger said, "Heaven send him good fortune! At the gate ofElectra standeth Capaneus, a man of great stature, and his boastings areabove all measure, for he crieth out that he will destroy this citywhether the Gods will or no, and that Zeus with his thunder shall notstay him, for that the thunder is but as the sun at noon. And on hisshield he hath a man bearing a torch, and these words, 'I WILL BURN THISCITY. ' Who now shall stand against this boaster and fear not?"

Then the King said, "His boastings I heed not. They shall turn to hisown destruction. For as he sendeth out swelling words against Zeus, soshall Zeus send against him the thunder, smiting him, but not of a truthas the sun smiteth. Him shall Polyphantus encounter, a valiant man anddear to Queen Artemis. "

"He that is set against the gate of Neïs is called Eteoclus by name. Hedriveth a chariot with four horses, in whose nostrils are pipes making awhistling noise, after the fashion of barbarians. And on his shield hehath this device: a man mounting a ladder that is set against a towerupon a wall, and with it these words, 'NOT ARES' SELF SHALL DRIVE MEHENCE. ' See that thou set a fit warrior against him. "

"Megareus, son of Creon, of the race of the Dragon, shall fight againsthim, who will not leave the gate for any whistling noise of horses; foreither he will die as a brave man dieth for his country, or will take adouble spoil, even this boaster and him also that he beareth upon hisshield. "

"At the next gate to this, even the gate of Athené, standeth Hippomedon. A great shield and a terrible he hath, and on it this device, which nomean workman hath wrought: Typhon breathing out a great blast of blacksmoke, and all about it serpents twined together. And the man also isterrible as his shield, and seemeth to be inspired of Ares. Whom wiltthou set against this man, O King?"

"First shall Pallas stand against him and drive him from this city, evenas a bird driveth a snake from her young ones. And next I have setHyperbius, son of Oeneus, to encounter him, being inferior neither inform nor courage, nor yet in skill of arms, and also dear to Hermes. Enemies shall they be, bearing also on their shields gods that areenemies, for Hippomedon hath Typhon, but Hyperbius hath Zeus; and evenas Zeus prevailed over Typhon, so also shall Hyperbius prevail over thisman. "

"So be it, O King. Know also that at the north gate is set Parthenopæusthe Arcadian. Very young is he, and fair also to behold, and his motherwas the huntress Atalanta. This man sweareth by his spear, which heholdeth to be better than all gods whatsoever, that he will lay wastethis city. And on his shield he beareth a device, the Sphinx, whichholdeth in her claws one of the sons of Cadmus. "

"Against this Arcadian will I set Actor, brother to Hyperbius, noboaster but a man of deeds, who will not let this hateful monster, theSphinx, pass thus into the city; but will rather make it ill content tohave come hither, so many and fierce blows shall he deal it. "

"Hear now of the sixth among the chiefs, the wise soothsayer, Amphiaraüs. Ill pleased is he with these things, for against Tydeus heuttereth many reproaches, that he is an evil counsellor to Argos and toKing Adrastus, stirring up strife and slaughter. And to thy brother alsohe speaketh in like fashion, saying, 'Is this a thing that the Godslove, and that men shall praise in the days to come, that thou bringesta host of strangers to lay waste the city of thy fathers? Shall thisland, if thou subduest it by the spear of the enemy, ever make alliancewith thee? As for me I shall fall in this land, for am I not a seer? Beit so. I shall not die without honour!' No device hath this man on hisshield, for he seeketh not to seem, but to be in very deed mostexcellent. Thou must need send some wise man to stand against him. "

"It is an ill fate that bringeth a just man into company with thewicked. And of a truth there is not a worse thing upon the earth thanill companionship, wherein the sowing is madness and the harvest isdeath. For thus a god-fearing man being on shipboard with godlesscompanions perisheth with them; and one that is righteous, if he dwellin one city with the wicked, is destroyed with the same destruction. Soshall it fare with this Amphiaraüs; for though he be a good man andrighteous, and that feareth God, yet shall he perish because he beareththese boasters company. And I think that he will not come near to thegates, so well knoweth he what shall befall him. Yet have I setLasthenes to stand against him, young in years but old in counsel, verykeen of eye, and swift of hand to cast his javelin from under hisshield. "

"And now, O King! hear how thy brother beareth himself, for he it is whostandeth yonder at the seventh gate. For he crieth aloud that he willclimb upon the wall and slay thee, even though he die with thee, ordrive thee forth into banishment, even as thou, he saith, hast drivenhim. And on his shield there is this device: a woman leading an armedman, and while she leadeth him, she saith, 'I AM JUSTICE, AND I WILLBRING BACK THIS MAN TO THE KINGDOM WHICH IS HIS OF RIGHT. '"

But when the King heard this he brake forth in much fury, "Now will thecurse of this house be fulfilled to the uttermost. Yet must I not bewailmyself, lest there should fall upon us an evil that is yet greater thanthis. And as for this Polynices, thinketh he that signs and devices willgive him that which he coveteth? Thinketh he that Justice is on hisside? Nay, but from the day that he came forth from the womb he hath hadno converse with her, neither will she stand by him this day. I willfight against him. Who more fit than I? Bring forth my armour that I maymake ready. "

And though the maidens entreated with many words that he would not dothis thing, but leave the place to some other of the chiefs, saying thatthere was no healing or remedy for a brother's blood shed in suchfashion, he would not hearken, but armed himself and went forth to thebattle. Thus ever doth the madness of men work out to the full thecurses of the Gods. 

Then the battle grew fierce about the wall, and the men of Thebesprevailed. For when Parthenopæus, the Arcadian, fell like a whirlwindupon the gate that was over against him, Actor the Theban smote him onthe head with a great stone, and brake his head, so that he fell deadupon the ground. And when Capaneus assaulted the city, crying that noteven the Gods should stay him, there came upon him the wrath which hedefied; for when he had mounted the ladder and was now about to leapupon the battlements, Zeus smote him with the thunderbolt, and there wasno life left in him, so fierce was the burning heat of the lightning. But the chiefest fight was between the two brothers; and this, indeed, the two armies stood apart to see. For the two came together in an openspace before the gates; and first Polynices prayed to Heré, for she wasthe goddess of the great city of Argos, which had helped him in thisenterprise, and Eteocles prayed to Pallas of the Golden Shield, whosetemple stood hard by. Then they crouched, each covered with his shield, and holding his spear in his hand, if by chance his enemy should giveoccasion to smite him; and if one showed so much as an eye above the rimof his shield the other would strike at him. But after a while KingEteocles slipped upon a stone that was under his foot, and uncovered hisleg, at which straightway Polynices took aim with his spear, piercingthe skin. And the men of Argos shouted to see it. But so doing he laidhis own shoulder bare, and King Eteocles gave him a wound in the breast;and then the men of Thebes shouted for joy. But he brake his spear instriking, and would have fared ill but that with a great stone he smotethe spear of Polynices, and brake this also in the middle. And now werethe two equal, for each had lost his spear. So they drew their swordsand came yet closer together. But Eteocles used a device which he hadlearnt in the land of Thessaly; for he drew his left foot back, as if hewould have ceased from the battle, and then of a sudden moved the rightforward; and so smiting sideways, drave his sword right through thebody of Polynices. But when thinking that he had slain him he set hisweapons in the earth, and began to spoil him of his arms, the other, forhe yet breathed a little, laid his hand upon his sword, and though hehad scarce strength to smite, yet gave the King a mortal blow, so thatthe two lay dead together on the plain. And the men of Thebes lifted upthe bodies of the dead, and bare them both into the city. 

[Illustration: THE DEAD BROTHERS. ]

So was the doom of the house of Oedipus accomplished; and yet not all, as shall be told in the story of Antigone, who was the sister of thesetwo. 

THE STORY OF ANTIGONE. 

When the two brothers, the sons of King Oedipus, had fallen each bythe hand of the other, the kingdom fell to Creon their uncle. For notonly was he the next of kin to the dead, but also the people held him ingreat honour because his son Menoeceus had offered himself with awilling heart that he might deliver his city from captivity. Now whenCreon was come to the throne, he made a proclamation about the twoPrinces, commanding that they should bury Eteocles with all honour, seeing that he died as beseemed a good man and a brave, doing battle forhis country, that it should not be delivered into the hands of theenemy; but as for Polynices he bade them leave his body to be devouredby the fowls of the air and the beasts of the field, because he hadjoined himself to the enemy, and would have beaten down the walls ofthe city, and burned the temples of the Gods with fire, and led thepeople captive. Also he commanded that if any man should break thisdecree he should suffer death by stoning. 

Now Antigone, who was sister to the two Princes, heard that the decreehad gone forth, and chancing to meet her sister Ismené before the gatesof the palace, spake to her, saying, "O my sister, hast thou heard thisdecree that the King hath put forth concerning our brethren that aredead?"

Then Ismené made answer, "I have heard nothing, my sister, only that weare bereaved of both of our brethren in one day, and that the army ofthe Argives is departed in this night that is now past. So much I know, but no more. "

"Hearken then. King Creon hath made a proclamation that they shall buryEteocles with all honour; but that Polynices shall lie unburied, thatthe birds of the air and the beasts of the field may devour him; andthat whosoever shall break this decree shall suffer death by stoning. "

"But if it be so, my sister, how can we avail to change it?"

"Think whether or no thou wilt share with me the doing of this deed. "

"What deed? What meanest thou?"

"To pay due honour to this dead corpse. "

"What? Wilt thou bury him when the King hath forbidden it?"

"Yea, for he is my brother and also thine, though, perchance, thouwouldst not have it so. And I will not play him false. "

"O my sister, wilt thou do this when Creon hath forbidden it?"

"Why should he stand between me and mine?"

"But think now what sorrows are come upon our house. For our fatherperished miserably, having first put out his own eyes; and our motherhanged herself with her own hands; and our two brothers fell in one day, each by the other's spear; and now we two only are left. And shall wenot fall into a worse destruction than any, if we transgress thesecommands of the King? Think, too, that we are women and not men, andmust of necessity obey them that are stronger. Wherefore, as for me, Iwill pray the dead to pardon me, seeing that I am thus constrained; butI will obey them that rule. "

"I advise thee not, and, if thou thinkest thus, I would not have theefor helper. But know that I will bury my brother, nor could I better diethan for doing such a deed. For as he loved me, so also do I love himgreatly. And shall not I do pleasure to the dead rather than to theliving, seeing that I shall abide with the dead for ever? But thou, ifthou wilt, do dishonour to the laws of the Gods. "

"I dishonour them not. Only I cannot set myself against the powers thatbe. "

"So be it: but I will bury my brother. "

11 O my sister, how I fear for thee!"

"Fear for thyself. Thine own lot needeth all thy care. "

"Thou wilt at least keep thy counsel, nor tell the thing to any man. "

"Not so: hide it not. I shall scorn thee more if thou proclaim it notaloud to all. "

So Antigone departed; and after a while came to the same place KingCreon, clad in his royal robes, and with his sceptre in his hand, andset forth his counsel to the elders who were assembled, how he haddealt with the two Princes according to their deserving, giving allhonour to him that loved his country, and casting forth the otherunburied. And he bade them take care that this decree should be kept, saying that he had also appointed certain men to watch the dead body. 

But he had scarcely left speaking, when there came one of these samewatchers and said, "I have not come hither in haste, O King, nay, Idoubted much, while I was yet on the way, whether I should not turnagain. For now I thought, 'Fool, why goest thou where thou shalt sufferfor it;' and then again, 'Fool, the King will hear the matter elsewhere, and then how wilt thou fare?' But at the last I came as I had purposed, for I know that nothing may happen to me contrary to fate. "

"But say, " said the King, "what troubles thee so much?"

"First hear my case. I did not the thing, and know not who did it, andit were a grievous wrong should I fall into trouble for such a cause. "

"Thou makest a long preface, excusing thyself, but yet hast, as I judge, something to tell. "

"Fear, my lord, ever causeth delay. "

"Wilt thou not speak out thy news and then begone?"

"I will speak it. Know then that some man hath thrown dust upon thisdead corpse, and done besides such things as are needful. "

"What sayest thou? Who hath dared to do this deed?"

"That I know not, for there was no mark as of spade or pick-axe; nor wasthe earth broken, nor had waggon passed thereon. We were sore dismayedwhen the watchman showed the thing to us; for the body we could not see. Buried indeed it was not, but rather covered with dust. Nor was thereany sign as of wild beast or of dog that had torn it. Then there arose acontention among us, each blaming the other, and accusing his fellows, and himself denying that he had done the deed or was privy to it. Anddoubtless we had fallen to blows but that one spake a word which made usall tremble for fear, knowing that it must be as he said. For he saidthat the thing must be told to thee, and in no wise hidden. So we drewlots, and by evil chance the lot fell upon me. Wherefore I am here, notwillingly, for no man loveth him that bringeth ill tidings. "

Then said the chief of the old men, "Consider, O King, for haply thisthing is from the Gods. "

But the King cried, "Thinkest thou that the Gods care for such an one asthis dead man, who would have burnt their temples with fire, and laidwaste the land which they love, and set at naught the laws? Not so. Butthere are men in this city who have long time had ill will to me, notbowing their necks to my yoke; and they have persuaded these fellowswith money to do this thing. Surely there never was so evil a thing asmoney, which maketh cities into ruinous heaps, and banisheth men fromtheir houses, and turneth their thoughts from good unto evil. But as forthem that have done this deed for hire, of a truth they shall notescape, for I say to thee, fellow, if ye bring not here before my eyesthe man that did this thing, I will hang you up alive. So shall ye learnthat ill gains bring no profit to a man. "

So the guard departed; but as he went he said to himself, "Now may theGods grant that the man be found; but however this may be, thou shaltnot see me come again on such errand as this, for even now have Iescaped beyond all hope. " Notwithstanding, after a space he came backwith one of his fellows; and they brought with them the maiden Antigone, with her hands bound together. And it chanced that at the same time KingCreon came forth from the palace. Then the guard set forth the thing tohim, saying, "We cleared away the dust from the dead body, and satwatching it. And when it was now noon, and the sun was at his height, there came a whirlwind over the plain, driving a great cloud of dust. And when this had passed, we looked, and lo! this maiden whom we havebrought hither stood by the dead corpse. And when she saw that it laybare as before, she sent up an exceeding bitter cry, even as a birdwhose young ones have been taken from the nest. Then she cursed themthat had done this deed; and brought dust and sprinkled it upon the deadman, and poured water upon him three times. Then we ran and laid holdupon her, and accused her that she had done this deed; and she denied itnot. But as for me, 'tis well to have escaped from death, but it is illto bring friends into the same. Yet I hold that there is nothing dearerto a man than his life. "

Then said the King to Antigone, "Tell me in a word, didst thou know mydecree?"

"I knew it. Was it not plainly declared?"

"How daredst thou to transgress the laws?"

"Zeus made not such laws, nor Justice that dwelleth with the Gods below. I judged not that thy decrees had such authority that a man shouldtransgress for them the unwritten sure commandments of the Gods. Forthese, indeed, are not of to-day or yesterday, but they live for ever, and their beginning no man knoweth. Should I, for fear of thee, be foundguilty against them? That I should die I knew. Why not? All men mustdie. And if I die before my time, what loss? He who liveth among manysorrows, even as I have lived, counteth it gain to die. But had I leftmy own mother's son unburied, this had been loss indeed. "

Then said the King, "Such stubborn thoughts have a speedy fall, and areshivered even as the iron that hath been made hard in the furnace. Andas for this woman and her sister--for I judge her sister to have had apart in this matter--though they were nearer to me than all my kindred, yet shall they not escape the doom of death. Wherefore let some onebring the other woman hither. "

[Illustration: ANTIGONE AND THE BODY OF POLYNICES. ]

And while they went to fetch the maiden Ismené, Antigone said to theKing, "Is it not enough for thee to slay me? What need to say more? Forthy words please me not nor mine thee. Yet what nobler thing could Ihave done than to bury my own mother's son? And so would all men say butfear shutteth their mouths. "

"Nay, " said the King, "none of the children of Cadmus thinketh thus, butthou only. But, hold, was not he that fell in battle with this man thybrother also?"

"Yes, truly, my brother he was. "

"And dost thou not dishonour him when thou honourest his enemy?"

"The dead man would not say it, could he speak. "

"Shall then the wicked have like honour with the good?"

"How knowest thou but that such honour pleaseth the Gods below?"

"I have no love for them I hate, though they be dead. "

"Of hating I know nothing; 'tis enough for me to love. "

"If thou wilt love, go love the dead. But while I live no woman shallrule me. "

Then those that had been sent to fetch the maiden Ismené brought herforth from the palace. And when the King accused her that she had beenprivy to the deed she denied not, but would have shared one lot with hersister. But Antigone turned from her, saying, "Not so; thou hast no partor lot in the matter. For thou hast chosen life, and I have chosendeath; and even so shall it be. " And when Ismené saw that she prevailednothing with her sister, she turned to the King and said, "Wilt thouslay the bride of thy son?"

"Aye, " said he, "there are other brides to win!"

"But none, " she made reply, "that accord so well with him. "

"I will have no evil wives for my sons, " said the King. 

Then cried Antigone, "O Hæmon, whom I love, how thy father wrongeththee!"

Then the King bade the guards lead the two into the palace. But scarcelyhad they gone when there came to the place the Prince Hæmon, the King'sson, who was betrothed to the maiden Antigone. And when the King sawhim, he said, "Art thou content, my son, with thy father's judgment?"

And the young man answered, "My father, I would follow thy counsels inall things. "

Then said the King, "'Tis well spoken, my son. This is a thing to bedesired, that a man should have obedient children. But if it beotherwise with a man, he hath gotten great trouble for himself, andmaketh sport for them that hate him. And now as to this matter. There isnought worse than an evil wife. Wherefore I say, let this damsel wed abridegroom among the dead. For since I have found her, alone of all thispeople, breaking my decree, surely she shall die. Nor shall it profither to claim kinship with me, for he that would rule a city must firstdeal justly with his own kindred And as for obedience, this it is thatmaketh a city to stand both in peace and in war. "

To this the Prince Hæmon made answer, "What thou sayest, my father, Ido not judge. Yet bethink thee, that I see and hear on thy behalf whatis hidden from thee. For common men cannot abide thy look if they saythat which pleaseth thee not. Yet do I hear it in secret. Know then thatall the city mourneth for this maiden, saying that she dieth wrongfullyfor a very noble deed, in that she buried her brother. And 'tis well, myfather, not to be wholly set on thy own thoughts, but to listen to thecounsels of others. "

"Nay, " said the King; "shall I be taught by such an one as thou?"

"I pray thee regard my words, if they be well, and not my years. "

"Can it be well to honour them that transgress? And hath not this womantransgressed?"

"The people of this city judgeth not so. "

"The people, sayest thou? Is it for them to rule, or for me?"

"No city is the possession of one man only. "

So the two answered one the other, and their anger waxed hot. And at thelast the King cried, "Bring this accursed woman, and slay her before hiseyes. "

And the Prince answered, "That thou shalt never do. And know this also, that thou shalt never see my face again. "

So he went away in a rage; and the old men would have appeased theKing's wrath, but he would not hearken to them, but said that the twomaidens should die. "Wilt thou then slay them both?" said the old men. 

"'Tis well said, " the King made answer. "Her that meddled not with thematter I harm not. "

"And how wilt thou deal with the other?"

"There is a desolate place, and there I will shut her up alive in asepulchre; yet giving her so much of food as shall quit us of guilt inthe matter, for I would not have the city defiled. There let herpersuade Death, whom she loveth so much, that he harm her not. "

So the guards led Antigone away to shut her up alive in the sepulchre. But scarcely had they departed when there came the old prophet Tiresias, seeking the King. Blind he was, so that a boy led him by the hand; butthe Gods had given him to see things to come. And when the King saw himhe asked, "What seekest thou, wisest of men?"

Then the prophet answered, "Hearken, O King, and I will tell thee. I satin my seat, after my custom, in the place whither all manner of birdsresort. And as I sat I heard a cry of birds that I knew not, verystrange and full of wrath. And I knew that they tare and slew eachother, for I heard the fierce flapping of their wings. And being afraid, I made inquiry about the fire, how it burned upon the altars. And thisboy, for as I am a guide to others so he guideth me, told me that itshone not at all, but smouldered and was dull, and that the flesh whichwas burnt upon the altar spluttered in the flame, and wasted away intocorruption and filthiness. And now I tell thee, O King, that the city istroubled by thy ill counsels. For the dogs and the birds of the air tearthe flesh of this dead son of Oedipus, whom thou sufferest not to havedue burial, and carry it to the altars, polluting them therewith. Wherefore the Gods receive not from us prayer or sacrifice; and the cryof the birds hath an evil sound, for they are full of the flesh of aman. Therefore I bid the be wise in time. For all men may err; but hethat keepeth not his folly, but repenteth, doeth well; but stubbornnesscometh to great trouble. "

Then the King answered, "Old man, I know the race of prophets full well, how ye sell your art for gold. But, make thy trade as thou wilt, thisman shall not have burial; yea, though the eagles of Zeus carry hisflesh to their master's throne in heaven, he shall not have it. "

And when the prophet spake again, entreating him, and warning, the Kinganswered him after the same fashion, that he spake not honestly, but hadsold his art for money. But at the last the prophet spake in greatwrath, saying, "Know, O King, that before many days shall pass, thoushalt pay a life for a life, even one of thine own children, for themwith whom thou hast dealt unrighteously, shutting up the living with thedead, and keeping the dead from them to whom they belong. Therefore theFuries lie in wait for thee, and thou shalt see whether or no I speakthese things for money. For there shall be mourning and lamentation inthine own house; and against thy people shall be stirred up all thecities, whose sons thou hast made to lie unburied. And now, my child, lead me home, and let this man rage against them that are younger thanI. "

So the prophet departed, and the old men were sore afraid, and said, "Hehath spoken terrible things, O King; nor ever since these gray hairswere black have we known him say that which was false. "

"Even so, " said the King, "and I am troubled in heart, and yet am loathto depart from my purpose. "

"King Creon, " said the old men, "thou needest good counsel. "

"What, then, would ye have done?"

"Set free the maiden from the sepulchre, and give this dead man burial. "

Then the King cried to his people that they should bring bars wherewithto loosen the doors of the sepulchre, and hasted with them to the place. But coming on their way to the body of Prince Polynices, they took itup, and washed it, and buried that which remained of it, and raised overthe ashes a great mound of earth. And this being done, they drew near tothe place of the sepulchre; and as they approached, the King heardwithin a very piteous voice, and knew it for the voice of his son. Thenhe bade his attendants loose the door with all speed; and when they hadloosed it, they beheld within a very piteous sight. For the maidenAntigone had hanged herself by the girdle of linen which she wore, andthe young man Prince Hæmon stood with his arms about her dead corpse, embracing it. And when the King saw him, he cried to him to come forth;but the Prince glared fiercely upon him and answered him not a word, butdrew his two-edged sword. Then the King, thinking that his son wasminded in his madness to slay him, leapt back, but the Prince drave thesword into his own heart, and fell forward on the earth, still holdingthe dead maiden in his arms. And when they brought the tidings of thesethings to Queen Eurydice, that was the wife of King Creon and mother tothe Prince, she could not endure the grief, being thus bereaved of herchildren, but laid hold of a sword, and slew herself therewith. 

So the house of King Creon was left desolate unto him that day, becausehe despised the ordinances of the Gods. 

THE STORY OF IPHIGENIA IN AULIS. 

King Agamemnon sat in his tent at Aulis, where the army of the Greekswas gathered together, being about to sail against the great city ofTroy. And it was now past midnight; but the King slept not, for he wascareful and troubled about many things. And he had a lamp before him, and in his hand a tablet of pine wood, whereon he wrote. But he seemednot to remain in the same mind about that which he wrote; for now hewould blot out the letters, and then would write them again; and now hefastened the seal upon the tablet and then brake it. And as he did thishe wept, and was like to a man distracted. But after a while he calledto an old man, his attendant (the man had been given in time past byTyndareus to his daughter, Queen Clytæmnestra), and said "Old man, thouknowest how Calchas the soothsayer bade me offer for a sacrifice toArtemis, who is goddess of this place, my daughter Iphigenia, sayingthat so only should the army have a prosperous voyage from this place toTroy, and should take the city and destroy it; and how when I heardthese words I bade Talthybius the herald go throughout the army and bidthem depart, every man to his own country, for that I would not do thisthing; and how my brother, King Menelaüs, persuaded me so that Iconsented to it. Now, therefore, hearken to this, for what I am about totell thee three men only know, namely, Calchas the soothsayer, andMenelaüs, and Ulysses, King of Ithaca. I wrote a letter to my wife theQueen, that she should send her daughter to this place, that she mightbe married to King Achilles; and I magnified the man to her, saying thathe would in no wise sail with us unless I would give him my daughter inmarriage. But now I have changed my purpose, and have written anotherletter after this fashion, as I will now set forth to thee, --'DAUGHTEROF LEDA, SEND NOT THY CHILD TO THE LAND OF EUBOEA, FOR I WILL GIVEHER IN MARRIAGE AT ANOTHER TIME. '"

"Aye, " said the old man, "but how wilt thou deal with King Achilles?Will he not be wroth, hearing that he hath been cheated of his wife?"

"Not so, " answered the King, "for we have indeed used his name, but heknoweth nothing of this marriage. And now make haste. Sit not thou downby any fountain in the woods, and suffer not thine eyes to sleep. Andbeware lest the chariot bearing the Queen and her daughter pass theewhere the roads divide. And see that thou keep the seal upon this letterunbroken. "

So the old man departed with the letter. But scarcely had he left thetent when King Menelaüs spied him and laid hands on him, taking theletter and breaking the seal. And the old man cried out--

"Help, my lord; here is one hath taken thy letter!"

Then King Agamemnon came forth from his tent, saying, "What meaneth thisuproar and disputing that I hear?"

And Menelaüs answered, "Seest thou this letter that I hold in my hand?"

"I see it: it is mine. Give it to me. "

"I give it not till I have read that which is written therein to all thearmy of the Greeks. "

"Where didst thou find it?"

"I found it while I waited for thy daughter till she should come to thecamp. "

"What hast thou to do with that? May I not rule my own household?"

Then Menelaüs reproached his brother because he did not continue in onemind. "For first, " he said, "before thou wast chosen captain of thehost, thou wast all things to all men, greeting every man courteously, and taking him by the hand, and talking with him, and leaving thy doorsopen to any that would enter; but afterwards, being now chosen, thouwast haughty and hard of access. And next, when this trouble came uponthe army, and thou wast sore afraid lest thou shouldst lose thy office, and so miss renown, didst thou not hearken to Calchas the soothsayer, and promise thy daughter for sacrifice, and send for her to the camp, making pretence of giving her in marriage to Achilles? And now thou artgone back from thy word. Surely this is an evil day for Greece, that istroubled because thou wantest wisdom. "

Then answered King Agamemnon, "What is thy quarrel with me? Why blamestthou me if thou couldst not rule thy wife? And now to win back thiswoman, because forsooth she is fair, thou castest aside both reason andhonour. And I, if I had an ill purpose, and now have changed it for thatwhich is wiser, dost thou charge me with folly? Let them that sware theoath to Tyndareus go with thee on this errand. Why should I slay mychild, and work for myself sorrow and remorse without end that thoumayest have vengeance for thy wicked wife?"

Then Menelaüs turned away in a rage, crying, "Betray me if thou wilt. Iwill betake myself to other counsels and other friends. "

But even as he spake there came a messenger, saying, "King Agamemnon, Iam come, as thou badest me, with thy daughter Iphigenia. Also hermother, Queen Clytæmnestra, is come, bringing with her her little son, Orestes. And now they are resting themselves and their horses by theside of a spring, for indeed the way is long and weary. And all the armyis gathered about them, to see them and greet them. And men questionmuch wherefore they are come, saying, 'Doth the King make a marriage forhis daughter; or hath he sent for her, desiring to see her?' But I knowthy purpose, my lord; wherefore we will dance and shout and make merry, for this is a happy day for the maiden. "

But the King Agamemnon was sore dismayed when he knew that the Queen wascome, and spake to himself. "Now what shall I say to my wife? For thatshe is rightly come to the marriage of her daughter who can deny? Butwhat will she say when she knoweth my purpose? And of the maiden, whatshall I say? Unhappy maiden whose bridegroom shall be death! For shewill cry to me, 'Wilt thou kill me, my father?' And the little Oresteswill wail, not knowing what he doeth, seeing he is but a babe. Cursed beParis, who hath wrought this woe!"

And now King Menelaüs came back, saying that it repented him of what hehad said, "For why should thy child die for me? What hath she to dowith Helen? Let the army be scattered, so that this wrong be not done. "

Then said King Agamemnon, "But how shall I escape from this strait? Forthe whole host will compel me to this deed?"

"Not so, " said King Menelaüs, "if thou wilt send back the maiden toArgos. "

"But what shall that profit, " said the King; "for Calchas will cause thematter to be known, or Ulysses, saying that I have failed of my promise;and if I fly to Argos, they will come and destroy my city and lay wastemy land. Woe is me! in what a strait am I set! But take thou care, mybrother, that Clytæmnestra hear nothing of these things. "

And when he had ended speaking, the Queen herself came unto the tent, riding in a chariot, having her daughter by her side. And she bade oneof the attendants take out with care the caskets which she had broughtfor her daughter, and bade others help her daughter to alight, andherself also, and to a fourth she said that he should take the youngOrestes. Then Iphigenia greeted her father, saying, "Thou hast done wellto send for me, my father. "

"'Tis true and yet not true, my child. "

"Thou lookest not well pleased to see me, my father. "

"He that is a King and commandeth a host hath many cares. "

"Put away thy cares awhile, and give thyself to me. "

"I am glad beyond measure to see thee. "

"Glad art thou? Then why dost thou weep?"

"I weep because thou must be long time absent from me. "

"Perish all these fightings and troubles!"

"They will cause many to perish, and me most miserably of all. "

"Art thou going a journey from me, my father?"

"Aye, and thou also hast a journey to make. "

"Must I make it alone, or with my mother?"

"Alone; neither father nor mother may be with thee. "

"Sendest thou me to dwell elsewhere?"

"Hold thy peace: such things are not for maidens to inquire. "

"Well, my father, order matters with the Phrygians, and then make hasteto return. "

"I must first make a sacrifice to the Gods. "

"'Tis well. The Gods should have due honour. "

"Aye, and thou wilt stand close to the altar. "

"Shall I lead the dances, my father?"

"O my child, how I envy thee, that thou knowest nought! And now go intothe tent; but first kiss me, and give me thy hand, for thou shalt beparted from thy father for many days. "

And when she was gone within, he cried, "O fair bosom and very lovelycheeks and yellow hair of my child! O city of Priam, what woe thoubringest on me! But I must say no more. "

Then he turned to the Queen, and excused himself that he wept when heshould rather have rejoiced for the marriage of his daughter. And whenthe Queen would know of the estate of the bridegroom, he told her thathis name was Achilles, and that he was the son of Peleus by his wifeThetis, the daughter of Nereus of the sea, and that he dwelt in Phthia. And when she inquired of the time of the marriage he said that itshould be in the same moon, on the first lucky day; and as to the place, that it must be where the bridegroom was sojourning, that is to say, inthe camp. "And I, " said the King, "will give the maiden to her husband. "

"But where, " answered the Queen, "is it your pleasure that I should be?"

"Thou must return to Argos, and care for the maidens there. "

"Sayest thou that I must return? Who then will hold up the torch for thebride?"

"I will do that which is needful. For it is not seemly that thoushouldst be present where the whole army is gathered together. "

"Aye, but it is seemly that a mother should give her daughter inmarriage. "

"But the maidens at home should not be left alone. "

"They are well kept in their chambers. "

"Be persuaded, lady. "

"Not so: thou shalt order that which is without the house, but I thatwhich is within. "

But now came Achilles, to tell the King that the army was growingimpatient, saying that, unless they might sail speedily to Troy, theywould return each man to his home. And when the Queen heard hisname--for he had said to the attendant, "Tell thy master that Achilles, the son of Peleus, would speak with him"--she came forth from the tentand greeted him, and bade him give her his right hand. And when theyoung man was ashamed (for it was not counted a seemly thing that menshould speak with women) she said--

"But why art thou ashamed, seeing that thou art about to marry mydaughter?"

And he answered, "What sayest thou, lady? I cannot speak for wonder atthy words. "

"Often men are ashamed when they see new friends, and the talk is ofmarriage. "

"But, lady, I never was suitor for thy daughter. Nor have the sons ofAtreus said aught to me of the matter. "

But the Queen was beyond measure astonished, and cried, "Now this isshameful indeed, that I should seek a bridegroom for my daughter in suchfashion. "

But when Achilles would have departed, to inquire of the King what thisthing might mean, the old man that had at the first carried the lettercame forth, and bade him stay. And when he had assurance that he shouldreceive no harm for what he should tell them, he unfolded the wholematter. And when the Queen had heard it, she cried to Achilles, "O sonof Thetis of the sea! help me now in this strait, and help this maidenthat hath been called thy bride, though this indeed be false. 'Twill bea shame to thee if such wrong be done under thy name; for it is thy namethat hath undone us. Nor have I any altar to which I may flee, nor anyfriend but thee only in this army. "

Then Achilles made answer, "Lady, I learnt from Chiron, who was the mostrighteous of men, to be true and honest. And if the sons of Atreusgovern according to right, I obey them; and if not, not. Know, then, that thy daughter, seeing that she hath been given, though but in wordonly, to me, shall not be slain by her father. For if she so die, thenshall my name be brought to great dishonour, seeing that through it thouhast been persuaded to come with her to this place. This sword shall seeright soon whether any one will dare to take this maiden from me. "

And now King Agamemnon came forth, saying that all things were ready forthe marriage, and that they waited for the maiden, not knowing that thewhole matter had been revealed to the Queen. Then she said--

"Tell me now, dost thou purpose to slay thy daughter and mine?" And whenhe was silent, not knowing, indeed, what to say, she reproached him withmany words, that she had been a loving and faithful wife to him, forwhich he made her an ill recompense slaying her child. 

And when she had made an end of speaking, the maiden came forth from thetent, holding the young child Orestes in her arms, and cast herself uponher knees before her father, and besought him, saying, "I would, myfather, that I had the voice of Orpheus, who made even the rocks tofollow him, that I might persuade thee; but now all that I have I give, even these tears. O my father, I am thy child; slay me not before mytime. This light is sweet to look upon. Drive me not from it to theland of darkness. I was the first to call thee father; and the first towhom thou didst say 'my child. ' And thou wouldst say to me, 'Some day, my child, I shall see thee a happy wife in the home of a rich husband. 'And I would answer, 'And I will receive thee with all love when thou artold, and pay thee back for all the benefits thou hast done unto me. 'This I indeed remember, but thou forgettest; for thou art ready to slayme. Do it not, I beseech thee, by Pelops thy grandsire, and Atreus thyfather, and this my mother, who travailed in childbirth of me, and nowtravaileth again in her sorrow. And thou, O my brother, though thou artbut a babe, help me. Weep with me; beseech thy father that he slay notthy sister. O my father, though he be silent, yet, indeed, he beseecheththee. For his sake, therefore, yea, and for mine own, have pity upon me, and slay me not. "

But the King was sore distracted, knowing not what he should say or do, for a terrible necessity was upon him, seeing that the army could notmake their journey to Troy unless this deed should first be done. Andwhile he doubted came Achilles, saying that there was a horrible tumultin the camp, the men crying out that the maiden must be sacrificed, andthat when he would have stayed them from their purpose, the people hadstoned him with stones, and that his own Myrmidons helped him not; butrather were the first to assail him. Nevertheless, he said that he wouldfight for the maiden, even to the utmost; and that there were faithfulmen who would stand with him and help him. But when the maiden heardthese words, she stood forth and said, "Hearken to me, my mother. Be notwroth with my father, for we cannot fight against fate. Also we musttake thought that this young man suffer not, for his help will availnought, and he himself will perish. Therefore I am resolved to die; forall Greece looketh to me; for without me the ships cannot make theirvoyage, nor the city of Troy be taken. Thou didst bear me, my mother, not for thyself only, but for this whole people. Wherefore I will givemyself for them. Offer me for an offering; and let the Greeks take thecity of Troy, for this shall be my memorial for ever. "

Then said Achilles, "Lady, I should count myself most happy if the Godswould grant thee to be my wife. For I love thee well, when I see theehow noble thou art. And if thou wilt, I will carry thee to my home. AndI doubt not that I shall save thee, though all the men of Greece beagainst me. "

But the maiden answered, "What I say, I say with full purpose. Nor willI that any man should die for me, but rather will I save this land ofGreece. "

And Achilles said, "If this be thy will, lady, I cannot say nay, for itis a noble thing that thou doest. "

Nor was the maiden turned from her purpose though her mother besoughther with many tears. So they that were appointed led her to the grove ofArtemis, where there was built an altar, and the whole army of theGreeks gathered about it. But when the King saw her going to her deathhe covered his face with his mantle; but she stood by him, and said, "Igive my body with a willing heart to die for my country and for thewhole land of Greece. I pray the Gods that ye may prosper, and win thevictory in this war, and come back safe to your homes. And now let noman touch me, for I will offer my neck to the sword with a good heart. "

And all men marvelled to see the maiden of what a good courage she was. Then the herald Talthybius stood in the midst and commanded silence tothe people; and Calchas the soothsayer put a garland about her head, anddrew a sharp knife from his sheath. And all the army stood regarding themaiden and the priest and the altar. 

Then there befell a marvellous thing. For Calchas struck with his knife, for the sound of the stroke all men heard, but the maiden was not there. Whither she had gone no one knew; but in her stead there lay gasping agreat hind, and all the altar was red with the blood thereof. 

And Calchas said, "See ye this, men of Greece, how the goddess hathprovided this offering in the place of the maiden, for she would notthat her altar should be defiled with innocent blood. Be of goodcourage, therefore, and depart every man to his ship, for this day yeshall sail across the sea to the land of Troy. "

But how it fared with the maiden may be read in the story of "Iphigeniaamong the Taurians. "

THE STORY OF PHILOCTETES, OR THE BOW OF HERCULES. 

Prince Philoctetes, who reigned in Methone, which is in the land ofThessaly, sailed with the other Princes of Greece to make war againstthe great city of Troy. For he also had been one of the suitors of Helenthe Fair, and had bound himself with a great oath that he would avengeher and her husband, whomsoever she should choose, on any man thatshould dare to do her wrong. Now Philoctetes had been companion toHercules in many of his labours, and also had been with him when he diedupon Mount Æta. For which cause Hercules gave him the bow and the arrowswhich he bare, having received them at the first from Apollo. A verymighty bow it was, shooting arrows so as none other could do, and thearrows were sure dealers of death, for they had been dipped in the bloodof the great dragon of Lerna, and the wounds which they made nophysician might heal. But it chanced that the Prince, being on hisvoyage to Troy, landed at the island of Chrysa, where there was an altarof Athené, the goddess of the place, and, desiring to show the altar tohis companions, he approached it too nearly; whereupon the serpent thatguarded it lest it should be profaned, bit him in the foot. The woundwas very sore and could not be healed, but tormented him day and nightwith grievous pains, making him groan and cry aloud. And when men weretroubled with his complainings, and also with the noisome stench of hiswound, the chiefs took counsel together, and it seemed good to the sonsof Atreus, King Agamemnon and King Menelaüs, who were the leaders of thehost, that he should be left alone on the island of Lemnos. This matterthey committed to Ulysses, who did according to their bidding. But whenthe Greeks had laid siege to the city of Troy, nigh upon ten years, theyremembered Prince Philoctetes and how they had dealt with him. For nowthe great Achilles was dead, having been slain by Prince Paris with anarrow in the Scæan Gate, when he was ready to break into the city; andthe soothsayers affirmed that the Greeks should not have their wish uponTroy, till they should bring against it the great archer to whom theyhad done wrong. Then the chiefs took counsel together, and choseUlysses, who was crafty beyond all other men, to accomplish this matter, and with him they sent Neoptolemus, the son of Achilles, who excelled instrength, even as his father had done. 

Now when these two were landed upon the island, Ulysses led the way tothe place where in time past he had left Philoctetes. A cave it was inthe cliff, with two mouths to it, of which the one looked to the eastand the other to the west, so that in winter time a man might see thesun and be warm, but in summer the wind blew through it, bringingcoolness and sleep, and a little below was a spring of fair water todrink. Then said Ulysses to Neoptolemus, "Go and spy out the place, andsee whether or no the man be there. "

And the Prince went up and looked into the cave, and found that it wasempty, but that there were signs of one who dwelt there, a bed ofleaves, and a cup of wood, very rudely fashioned, and pieces of woodfor kindling fires, and also, a very piteous sight, the rags wherewiththe sick man was wont to dress his wound. And when he had told what hesaw, Ulysses said, "That the man dwelleth here is manifest; nor can hebe far away, for how can one that is wounded travel far? Doubtless he isgone to some place whither the birds resort to slay them, or, haply, tofind some herb wherewith to assuage his pain. But do thou set one whowill wait for his coming, for it would fare ill with me should he findme. "

And when the watch had been set Ulysses said again, "I will tell what itis needful for thee to say and do. Only thou must be bold, son ofAchilles, and that not only with thy hand, but in heart also, if what Ishall now unfold to thee shall seem new or strange. Hearken then: whenthe man shall ask thee who thou art and whence thou comest, thou shaltanswer him that thou art the son of Achilles, and that thou hast leftthe host of the Greeks, because they had done thee great wrong, forthat, having prayed thee to come as not being able to take the greatcity of Troy without thee, yet they would not deliver to thee the armsof thy father Achilles, but gave them to Ulysses. And here thou mayestspeak against me all kinds of evil, for such words will not trouble me, but if thou accomplish not this thing thou wilt trouble the whole hostof the Greeks. For know that without this man's bow thou canst not takethe city of Troy; know also that thou only canst approach him withoutperil, not being of the number of those who sailed with him at thefirst. And if it please thee not to get the bow by stealth, for thisindeed thou must do--and I know thee to be one that loveth not to speakfalsely or to contrive deceit--yet bethink thee that victory is sweet. Be thou bold to-day, and we will be righteous to-morrow. "

Then the Prince made reply, "'Tis not in me, son of Laertes, to work bycraft and guile, neither was it in my father before me. I am ready tocarry off this man with a strong arm; and how, being a cripple, shall hestand against us? but deceit I will not use. And though I should beloath to fail thee in this our common enterprise, yet were this betterthan to prevail by fraud. "

Then said Ulysses, "And I, too, in my youth would do all things by thehand and not by the tongue; but now I know that the tongue hath alonethe mastery. "

And the Prince replied, "But thou biddest me speak the thing that isfalse. "

"I bid thee prevail over Philoctetes by craft. "

"But why may I not persuade him, or even constrain him by force?"

"To persuasion he will not hearken, and force thou mayest not use, forhe hath arrows that deal death without escape. "

"But is it not a base thing for a man to lie?"

"Surely not, if a lie save him. "

"Tell me what is the gain to me if this man come to Troy. "

"Without this bow and these arrows Troy falleth not. For though it isthe pleasure of the Gods that thou take the city, yet canst not thoutake it without these, nor indeed these without thee. "

And when the Prince had mused awhile, he said, "If this be so with thearms, I must needs get them. "

Then Ulysses said, "Do this, and thou shalt gain a double honour. "

And the Prince said, "What meanest thou by thy 'double honour'? Tellme, and I refuse no more. "

"The praise of wisdom and of courage also. "

"Be it so: I will do this deed, nor count it shame. "

"'Tis well, " said Ulysses, "and now I will despatch this watcher to theship, whom I will send again in pilot's disguise if thou desire, and itseems needful. Also I myself will depart, and may Hermes, the god ofcraft, and Athené, who ever is with me, cause us to prevail. "

After a while Philoctetes came up the path to the cave very slowly, andwith many groans. And when he saw the strangers (for now some of theship's crew were with Prince Neoptolemus) he cried, "Who are ye that arecome to this inhospitable land? Greeks I know you to be by your garb;but tell me more. "

And when the Prince had told his name and lineage, and that he wassailing from Troy, Philoctetes cried, "Sayest thou from Troy? Yet surelythou didst not sail with us in the beginning. "

"What?" cried the Prince. "Hadst thou then a share in this matter ofTroy?"

And Philoctetes made reply, "Knowest thou not whom thou seest? Hast thounot heard the story of my sorrows?" And when he heard that the young manknew nothing of these things: "Surely this is sorrow upon sorrow if noreport of my state hath come to the land of Greece, and I lie herealone, and my disease groweth upon me, but my enemies laugh and keepsilence!" And then he told his name and fortunes, and how the Greeks hadleft him on the shore while he slept, and how it was the tenth year ofhis sojourning in the island. "For know, " he said, "that it is withouthaven or anchorage, and no man cometh hither of his free will; and ifany come unwilling, as indeed it doth sometimes chance, they speak softwords to me and give me, haply, some meat; but when I make suit to themthat they carry me to my home, they will not. And this wrong the sons ofAtreus and Ulysses have worked against me; for which may the Gods whodwell in Olympus make them equal recompense. "

"And I, " said the Prince, "am no lover of these men. For when Achilleswas dead--"

"How sayest thou? Is the son of Peleus dead?"

"Yea; but it was the hand of a God and not of a man that slew him. "

"A mighty warrior slain by a mighty foe! But say on. "

"Ulysses, and Phoenix who was my sire's foster-father, came in a shipto fetch me; and when I was come to the camp they even greeted mekindly, and sware that it was Achilles' self they saw, so like was I tomy sire. And, my mourning ended, I sought the sons of Atreus and askedof them the arms of my father, but they made answer that they had giventhem to Ulysses; and Ulysses, chancing to be there, affirmed that theyhad done well, seeing that he had saved them from the enemy. And when Icould prevail nothing, I sailed away in great wrath. "

"'Tis even, " Philoctetes made reply, "as I should have judged of them. But I marvel that the Greater Ajax endured to see such doings. "

"Ah! but he was already dead. "

"This is grievous news. And how fares old Nestor of Pylos?"

"But ill, for his eldest born, Antilochus, is dead. "

"I could have spared any rather than these two, Ajax and Antilochus. ButPatroclus, where was he when thy father died?"

"He was already slain. For 'tis ever thus that war taketh the true manand leaveth the false. But of these things I have had enough and morethan enough. Henceforth my island of Scyros, though it be rocky andsmall, shall content me. And now, Prince Philoctetes, I go, for the windfavours us, and we must take the occasion which the Gods give us. "

And when Philoctetes knew that Neoptolemus was about to depart, hebesought him with many prayers that he would take him also on his ship;for the voyage, he said, would not be of more than a single day. "Putme, " he said, "where thou wilt, in forecastle, or hold, or stern, andset me on shore even as it may seem best to thee. Only take me from thisplace. " And the sailors also made entreaty to the Prince that he woulddo so; and he, after a while, made as if he consented to their prayers. 

But while Philoctetes was yet thanking him and his companions, therecame two men to the cave, of whom one was a sailor in the Prince's ship, and the other a merchant. And the merchant said that he was sailing fromTroy to his home, and that chancing to come to the island, and knowingthat the Prince was there, he judged it well to tell him his news; 'twasbriefly this, that Phoenix and the sons of Theseus had sailed, havingorders from the sons of Atreus that they should bring the Prince back;and also that Ulysses and Diomed were gone on another errand, even tofetch some one of whom the rulers had need. And when the Prince wouldknow who he might be, the merchant bade him say who it was standingnear, and when he heard that it was Philoctetes, he cried, "Haste theeto thy ship, son of Achilles, for this is the very man whom the two arecoming to fetch. Haply thou hast not heard what befell at Troy. There isa certain Helenus, son of King Priam, and a famous soothsayer. HimUlysses, the man of craft, took a prisoner, and brought into theassembly of Greeks; and the man prophesied to them that they shouldnever take the city of Troy, unless they should bring thither thePrince Philoctetes from the island whereon he dwelt. And Ulysses said, 'If I bring not the man, whether willing or unwilling, then cut off myhead. '"

And when Philoctetes heard this his anger was very great, and he becameyet more eager to depart. But first he must go into the cave and fetchsuch things as he needed, herbs with which he was wont to soothe thepains of his wounds, and all the furniture of his bow. And when he spakeof the bow, the Prince asked whether it was indeed the famous bow ofHercules that he carried in his hand, and would fain, he said, touch it, if only it were lawful so to do. And Philoctetes answered, "Yes, thoushalt touch it and handle it, which, indeed, no other man hath everdone, for thou hast done a good deed to me, and it was for a good deedthat I myself also received it. "

But when they would have gone towards the ship, the pangs of his woundcame upon Philoctetes. And then at first he cried, saying, that it waswell with him; but at the last, he could endure no more, and cried tothe Prince that he should draw his sword and smite off the foot, norheed if he should slay him; only he would be rid of the pain. And thenhe bade him take the bow and keep it for him while he slept, for thatsleep came ever upon him after these great pains. Only he must keep itwell, especially if those two, Ulysses and Diomed, should chance to comein the meanwhile. And when the Prince had promised this, Philoctetesgave him the bow, saying, "Take it, my son, and pray to the jealous Godsthat it bring not sorrow to thee as it hath brought sorrow to me, and tohim that was its master before me. "

And after a while the sick man slept. And the Prince, with the sailorsthat were his companions, watched by him the while. 

But when the sailors would have had the Prince depart, seeing that hehad now the great bow and the arrows, for whose sake he had come, hewould not, for they would be of no avail, he said, without the archerhimself. And in no long space of time the sick man woke. Right glad washe to see that the strangers had not departed, for, indeed, he hadscarce hoped that this might be. Therefore commending the young manmuch for his courage and loving kindness, he would have him help himstraightway to the ship, that his pain having now ceased awhile, theymight be ready to depart without delay. So they went, but the Prince wassorely troubled in his mind and cried, "Now what shall I do?" and "nowam I at my wits' end so that even words fail me. " At which words, indeed, Philoctetes was grieved, thinking that it repented the Prince ofhis purpose, so that he said, "Doth the trouble of my disease thenhinder thee from taking me in thy ship?"

Then said the Prince, "All is trouble when a man leaveth his nature todo things that are not fitting. "

And Philoctetes made answer, "Nay, is not this a fitting thing, seeingof what sire thou art the son, to help a brave man in his trouble?"

"Can I endure to be so base, " said the Prince, "hiding that which Ishould declare, and speaking the thing that is false?" And whilePhiloctetes still doubted whether he repented not of his purpose, hecried aloud, "I will hide the thing no longer. Thou shalt sail with meto Troy. "

"What sayest thou?"

"I say that thou shalt be delivered from these pains, and shalt prevailtogether with me over the great city of Troy. "

"What treachery is this? What hast thou done to me? Give me back thebow. "

"Nay, that I cannot do, for I am under authority, and must needs obey. "

And when Philoctetes heard these words, he cried with a very piteousvoice, "What a marvel of wickedness thou art that hast done this thing. Art thou not ashamed to work such wrong to a suppliant? Give me my bow, for it is my life. But I speak in vain, for he goeth away and heedeth menot. Hear me then, ye waters and cliffs, and ye beasts of the field, whohave been long time my wonted company, for I have none else to hearkento me. Hear what the son of Achilles hath done to me. For he sware thathe would carry me to my home, and lo! he taketh me to Troy. And he gaveme the right hand of fellowship, and now he robbeth me of the bow, thesacred bow of Hercules. Nay--for I will make trial of him oncemore--give back this thing to me and be thy true self. What sayestthou? Nothing? Then am I undone. O cavern of the rock wherein I havedwelt, behold how desolate I am! Nevermore shall I slay with my arrowsbird of the air or beast of the field; but that which I hunted shallpursue me, and that on which I fed shall devour me. "

And the Prince was cut to the heart when he heard these words, hatingthe thing which he had done, and cursing the day on which he had comefrom Scyros to the plains of Troy. Then turning himself to the sailors, he asked what he should do, and was even about to give back the bow, when Ulysses, who was close at hand, watching what should be done, ranforth crying that he should hold his hand. 

Then said Philoctetes, "Is this Ulysses that I see? Then am I undone. "

"'Tis even so: and as for what thou askest of this youth, that he shouldgive back the bow, he shall not do it; but rather thou shalt sail withus to Troy; and if thou art not willing, these that stand by shall takethee by force. "

"Lord of fire, that rulest this land of Lemnos, hearest thou this?"

"Nay, 'tis Zeus that is master here, and Zeus hath commanded this deed. "

"What lies are these? Thou makest the Gods false as thyself. "

"Not so. They are true and I also. But this journey thou must take. "

"Methinks I am a slave, and not freeborn, that thou talkest thus. "

"Thou art peer to the bravest, and with them shalt take the great cityof Troy. "

"Never; I had sooner cast myself down from this cliff. "

Then Ulysses cried to the men that they should lay hold on him; and thisthey straightway did. Then Philoctetes in many words reproached him withall the wrongs that he had done; how at the first he had caused him tobe left on this island, and now had stolen his arms, not with his ownhands, indeed, but with craft and deceit, serving himself of a simpleyouth, who knew not but to do as he was bidden. And he prayed to theGods that they would avenge him on all that had done him wrong, andchiefly on this man Ulysses. 

Then Ulysses made reply, "I can be all things as occasion serveth; suchas thou sayest, if need be; and yet no man more pious if the time callfor goodness and justice. One thing only I must needs do, and that is toprevail. Yet here I will yield to thee. Thou wilt not go; so be it. Loose him! We need thee not, having these arms of thine. Teucer is withus, an archer not one whit less skilful than thou. And now I leave theeto this Lemnos of thine. May be this bow shall bring me the honour whichthou refusest. "

When he had thus spoken he departed, and the Prince Neoptolemus withhim. Only the Prince gave permission to the sailors that they shouldtarry with the sick man till it was time to make ready for the voyage. 

Then Philoctetes bewailed himself, crying to his bow, "O my bow, mybeloved, that they have wrested from my hands, surely, if thou knowestaught, thou grievest to see that the man who was the comrade of Herculeswill never hold thee more, but that base hands will grasp thee, mixingthee with all manner of deceit. " And then again he called to the birdsof the air and the beasts of the field, that they should not fly fromhim any more, seeing that he had now no help against them, but shouldcome and avenge themselves upon him and devour him. And still thesailors would have comforted him. Also they sought to persuade him thathe should listen to the chiefs; but he would not, crying that thelightning should smite him before he would go to Troy and help them thathad done him such wrong. And at the last he cried that they should givehim a spear or a sword, that he might be rid of his life. 

But while they thus talked together, the Prince came back like one thatis in haste, with Ulysses following him, who cried, "Wherefore turnestthou back?"

"To undo what I did amiss. "

"How sayest thou? When didst thou thus?"

"When I listened to thee, and used deceit to a brave man. "

"What wilt thou then? (I fear me much what this fool may do. )"

"I will give back this bow and these arrows to him from whom I took themby craft. "

"That shalt thou not do. "

"But who shall hinder me?"

"That will I, and all the sons of the Greeks with me. "

"This is idle talk for a wise man as thou art. "

"Seest thou this sword whereto I lay my hand?"

"If thou talkest of swords, thou shalt see right soon that I also have asword. "

"Well--I let thee alone. To the host will I tell this matter; they shalljudge thee. "

"Now thou speakest well; be ever as wise; so shalt thou keep thy footout of trouble. "

Then the Prince called to Philoctetes, who, being loosed by the sailors, had hidden himself in the cave, and asked of him again whether he werewilling to sail with him, or were resolved to abide in the island. 

And when the man had denied that he would go, and had begun again tocall down a curse on the sons of Atreus, and on Ulysses, and on thePrince himself, then the Prince bade him stay his speech, and gave himback the bow and the arrows. 

And when Ulysses, seeing this deed, was very wroth, and threatenedvengeance, Philoctetes put an arrow to the string, and drew the bow tothe full, and would have shot at the man, but the Prince stayed hishand. 

And then again the Prince was urgent with him that he should cease fromhis anger, and should sail with him to Troy, saying that there he shouldbe healed by the great physician, the son of Asclepius, and should alsowin great glory by taking the city, and that right soon; for that thesoothsayer Helenus had declared that it was the will of the Gods thatthe city of Troy should be taken that same summer. 

But for all this he prevailed nothing; for Philoctetes was obstinatethat he would not go to Troy, nor do any pleasure to the chiefs who haddone him such wrong. But he would that the Prince should fulfil thepromise which he had made, that he would carry him in his ship to hisown country. And this the Prince said that he would do. 

And now the two were about to depart to the ship, when lo! thereappeared in the air above their heads the great Hercules. Very wonderfulwas he to behold, with bright raiment, and a great glory shining fromhis face, even as the everlasting Gods beheld him with whom he dwelt inthe place of Olympus. And Hercules spake, saying--

"Go not yet, son of Poeas, before thou hearest what I shall say tothee. For 'tis Hercules whom thou seest and hearest; and I am come frommy dwelling in heaven to declare to thee the will of Zeus. Know thenthat even as I attained to this blessedness after much toil, so shall itbe with thee. For thou shalt go to the land of Troy; and first thoushalt be healed of thy grievous sickness, and afterwards thou shalt slayParis with thine arrows, and shalt take the city of Troy, whereof thoushalt carry the spoils to thy home, even to Poeas thy father, havingreceived from thy fellows the foremost prize for valour. But rememberthat all that thou winnest in this warfare thou must take as an offeringto my tomb. And to thee, son of Achilles, I say; thou canst not take thecity of Troy without this man, nor he without thee. Whereof, as twolions that consort together, guard ye each other. And I will sendAsclepius to heal him of his sickness; for it is the will of the Godsthat Troy should yet again be taken by my bow. And remember this, whenye lay waste the land, to have the Gods and that which belongeth to themin reverence. "

Then said Philoctetes, "O my master, whom I have long desired to hearand see, I will do as thou sayest. "

And the Prince also gave his consent. 

Then Philoctetes bade farewell to the island in these words--

 "Home that hast watched with me, farewell! And nymphs that haunt the springs or dwell In seaward meadows, and the roar Of waves that break upon the shore; Where often, through the cavern's mouth, The drifting of the rainy South Hath coldly drenched me as I lay; And Hermes' hill, whence many a day, When anguish seized me, to my cry Hoarse-sounding echo made reply. O fountains of the land, and thou, Pool of the Wolf, I leave you now; Beyond all hope I leave thy strand, O Lemnos, sea-encircled land! Grant me with favouring winds to go Whither the mighty Fates command, And this dear company of friends, And mastering Powers who shape our ends To issues fairer than we know. "

THE STORY OF THE DEATH OF AGAMEMNON. 

On the roof of King Agamemnon's palace in Argos a watchman sat watching. So had he sat night after night, through a whole year, nor was there oneof the stars of heaven which he had not seen to rise and set. And as hewatched, his eyes were fixed ever on the north, looking for the signalof fire which should bring good tidings to the Queen and to all Argos. For now the great city of Troy was tottering to its fall, and the tenyears' toil was coming to an end. 

And lo! even as it drew towards morning, there was a light in the skythat was not the light of the sun, and the man cried aloud, "Now blessedbe this light that I have watched for, seeing that it bringeth goodtidings to this land. I will straightway to the Queen that she send thenews about the city. And may the Gods grant that I join hand to handwith my master when he cometh back to his home, wherein if there beaught that is ill-ordered, who am I that I should speak thereof? Let thewalls cry out, if they will, only I will keep silence. "

Then he made haste and told the Queen, who sent messengers throughoutArgos, bidding that men should burn thank-offerings of incense on everyaltar. Also she would that the old men, who were the chiefs andcounsellors of the city, should be gathered together to the palace, thatthey might know the truth of the matter. And while they waited for theQueen, they talked much of what had been in days gone by, in thebeginning of the ten years' war, when King Agamemnon, with KingMenelaüs, who was his brother, sailed from that very land of Argos, seeking vengeance for Queen Helen. And one said, "Remember ye not whatwe saw when the army set forth from the city? how upon the right hand asthey marched there appeared two eagles, one black altogether and theother with feathers of white in him, that devoured a hare big with youngones? and how Calchas, the soothsayer, interpreted the thing, saying, 'The eagles are the two kings; and as these have devoured the hare, soshall the kings devour the city of Troy together with her children! Onlywe must needs pray that there come not wrath upon the army. For QueenArtemis loveth not these winged dogs of her father Zeus, even theeagles. And if her anger be kindled against us, we shall not turn itaway save by an evil sacrifice, from which also shall spring great wrathin the time to come. Therefore may Apollo help us, who is the healer ofall evils, ' So spake Calchas, the soothsayer, knowing indeed that QueenArtemis was wroth with King Agamemnon, for that he had hunted and slain, even in her own grove, a beautiful hart which she loved. "

Then said another of the elders, "Nor indeed did the wrath of thegoddess tarry. For when the army was gathered together in Aulis shecaused that the winds blew ever from the north and hindered the shipsfrom their voyage, so that the men were pinched with hunger and wastedwith disease. Then said Calchas, the soothsayer, 'This is the thingwhereof I spake: the goddess asketh the sacrifice that thou knowestof. ' But when the kings heard this, they wept, and smote with theirsceptres upon the ground. And King Agamemnon said, 'How shall I do thisthing, and slay my own daughter, even Iphigenia, who is the joy andbeauty of my dwelling? Yet it were base to be false to them that havetrusted me to be their leader in this war. Therefore the Gods shall havetheir will. ' Thus he hardened his heart to the evil work; nor did thechiefs have pity on her for all that she was young and fair exceedingly. So when the priests had ended their prayers, her father bade theministers take her as she lay with her robes about her, and lift her upon the altar, even as men lift a kid which they slay for sacrifice, putting a bridle upon her lips, that she should not cry aloud. Then shelet fall to the earth her saffron veil, being fair to see as a verylovely picture, and smote all that stood by with a look exceedingpiteous: yea, and would fain have spoken to them, for often had theyheard her voice when she sang in the guest-hall of her father. But ofthe end what need to speak? Who knoweth it not? For indeed the counselsof Calchas were fulfilled. "

While they talked these things one to another the Queen Clytæmnestracame forth from the palace, and they asked her, "Hast thou heard goodnews, O Queen, that thou biddest them burn incense on the altars?"

"Good news, indeed, " she said, "for the Greeks have taken the great cityof Troy. "

And when they doubted if this could be so, and would know when the thinghad happened, and how she had heard it so speedily, she set the matterforth to them, as the king had ordered it. "For first, " she said, "theymade a great fire on Mount Ida, which is over Troy; and from Ida thelight passed to the island of Lemnos, and from Lemnos to the mountain ofAthos. But Athos sent it on southward across the sea, on a path of goldlike the sunshine, even to Makistus in Euboea, and Makistus toMessapius, and Messapius, kindling a great pile of heath, sent it, bright as is the moon, across the plain of the Asopus to the cliffs ofCithæron. And from Cithæron it travelled, brighter than before, by thelake Gorgopis to the hill of Ægiplanctus, which looketh down upon theSaronic gulf, and hence to Arachneüs, which is hard by the city. Thushath the King sent the tidings to me. "

"Tell us more, " said the old man, "for we can scarcely believe thisthing. "

"Of a truth, " said the Queen, "this day the Greeks possess the city ofTroy, wherein, I trow, are many things which ill agree. For women aremaking lamentation for husbands and brothers slain with the sword, whilethe conquerors feast and live softly, being quit of hunger and cold andwatchings. Only let them do honour to the gods of the city, nor layhands greedy of gain on that which is holy. So shall they have a safereturn. But if they anger the Gods, haply there shall come upon them thevengeance of them that are slain. "

Then the Queen departed, and the old men spake again among themselves. "Now are the sinners, the men of Troy, caught in the net of destruction!Long since did Zeus bend the bow and make it ready against thetransgressor, and now hath the arrow sped to the mark! Evil was the daywhen Paris shamed the table of his host, stealing the wife of hisbosom! Evil the hour when she went, as one that goeth lightly andcarelessly, through the gates of Troy, and brought with her the dowry ofdestruction and death. Sorrow she left behind her in her home; thedesolate couch and the empty hall, for here, the grace of the shapelystatues mocked her husband's grief with the stony stare of theirloveless eyes, and there, but the empty joy remained that dwells in thedreams of the night. Aye! and a sorrow she left that was greater thanthis. For the heroes went forth from the land of Greece, valiant andwise and true; and lo! all that Ares, the changer, but not of money, sendeth back is a handful of ashes shut in an urn of brass! Thereforethere is wrath in the city against the sons of Atreus, the leaders ofthe host; nor does the vengeance of the Gods forget the shedder ofblood. "

But while they talked thus among themselves, some yet doubting whetherthe thing were true, cried one of them, "Now shall we know the certaintyof this matter, for here cometh a herald with leaves of olive on hishead, and he hath dust on his garments and mire on his feet, as one whocometh from a journey. "

Then the herald, whose name was Talthybius, came to the place where theyhad assembled, and when he had saluted Zeus and Apollo, whom, havingbeen an enemy at Troy, he would fain have as friend, and Hermes, who wasthe god of his heralds' craft he said, "Know ye all that King Agamemnonhath come, having, by the help of Zeus, executed judgment to the fullagainst Troy and her children, for the evil which they wrought againstthe Gods and against this land. "

Then he told the elders what things they had suffered, first on sea, being crowded together on shipboard; and then on land, having theirlodging near to the walls of their enemies, and under the open canopy ofheaven, being drenched with rains and dews, and frozen with snows fromMount Ida, and burnt with the sun in the windless days of summer. "Butnow, " he said, "these things are past and gone. And we will nail thespoils of Troy in the temples of the Gods, to be a memorial for themthat shall come after. But let the people rejoice, and praise theirKing and his captains. "

[Illustration: THE EMPTY JOY THAT DWELLS IN THE DREAMS OF THE NIGHT. ]

Then came forth Queen Clytæmnestra, and said, "Mark ye who doubted, howthat all things are even as I said. And now, herald, go tell thy lordthat I wait to receive him with all honour; wherefore let him come withwhat speed he may; so shall he find a faithful guardian in his house whohath kept true watch and ward over all that he left behind, for this isthe boast I make, both true and well beseeming a noble dame. "

Then said the chief of the elders, "Listen to her, herald, for her wordsare fair. But tell me now, hath Menelaüs had safe return?"

"Would, " said he, "I had some better thing to tell! But what profitethit to deceive? Truly, the man, together with his ship, is vanished outof our sight. "

"Sailed he then before you?" said the elder, "or was he parted from youin a storm?"

"Twas even so, " answered the herald. 

"And did men judge of him as living or dead?"

"That, indeed, no man knoweth, but only the sun who seeth all things. But hearken, I will declare the whole matter. There went out wrath fromheaven against us. For after we had set sail, the waves rose high in thenight, and the fierce winds from the north dashed our ships one againstanother, so that when the morning came, lo! the sea was covered withbodies of men and wrecks. But the ship of the King suffered not, for thehand of a god, I trow, and not of a man, held the helm. But be of goodcheer. For doubtless they too think of us as of those that haveperished, even as we of them. And as for Menelaüs, be assured that hewill yet return, for the will of Zeus is not that this house shouldperish. "

Then said one of the old men, "Rightly they named her Helen, for like_hell_ hath she devoured men and ships, aye, and this great city ofTroy. I have heard tell how a man reared a lion's cub in his house. Verypleasant was he at the first, for the children played with him, and hemade sport for the old; but when he grew he showed the temper of hisrace, and filled the house with blood. Even so came Helen, smiling andfair, to Troy, and now behold the end! But here cometh King Agamemnon. Let us greet him in fitting fashion. "

And as he spake the King came near to the doors of the palace, sittingin a chariot drawn by mules; and by him sat Cassandra, who was daughterto King Priam, having been given to him by the princes when they dividedthe spoil of Troy. And when the King had saluted the Gods, giving themthanks that they had helped him to take vengeance on the men of Troy, and had also set forth his purpose to order all things in a regularassembly if anything had been done amiss in his absence, there cameforth the Queen to greet him, saying, "I am not ashamed, men of Argos, to confess that with great gladness of heart I receive my husband. Fortruly it is an evil lot for a woman when she sitteth alone in her house, hearing continually rumours and tidings of misfortune. Verily, had mylord here been wounded as oft as fame related this thing of him, thesesame wounds had been more in number than the meshes of a net; and had hedied as often as men reported him dead, three bodies such as the storytelleth Geryon to have had, had not sufficed him. Hence it is, O King, that our son Orestes is not here, for I sent him to Strophius thePhocian, who is, as thou knowest, an ancient friend of our house, fearing, if aught should befall thee at Troy, lest some tumult of thepeople should work harm also unto him. Scant truly and light have beenmy slumbers, and with many tears have I watched for thee. And now thouart come, what shall I say? Truly this man is to me as the strong pillarof a roof, as an only child to a father, as land seen beyond all hope bysailors, after much toil at sea, as a clear shining after storm, as afountain springing forth to one that journeyeth in a thirsty land. Andnow, my lord, I would that thou step from thy car, not setting thy footupon the earth, seeing that it hath trampled upon the great city ofTroy. Why linger ye, ye maids? Strew the pathway with carpeting ofpurple!"

And King Agamemnon made answer, "Truly, daughter of Leda, thy speechhath been even as my absence, exceeding long. But why dost thou pamperme with luxury, or make my goings hateful to the Gods, strewing thispurple under my feet? It is not well, me thinks, that a man shouldtrample on such wealth. "

[Illustration: THE RETURN OF AGAMEMNON]

"Nay, " said the Queen, "be content. Thinkest thou that Priam would nothave walked on purple if perchance he had been the conqueror?"

And after they had talked awhile, she prevailed, only the King bade themloose the sandals from under his feet, thinking it shame to waste thesubstance of his house. Also he gave commandment that they should dealvery kindly with the strange woman that had ridden with him in hischariot, for that the Gods have a favour unto them that use theirvictory with mercy. And when he had said these things he went into thepalace, the Queen leading the way. 

Then one of the elders said, "There is a nameless fear in my heart; andwhen I should rejoice for the return of the King and the host, a voiceof boding riseth to my lips. If a man be wealthy above measure, let himfling over-board a part, and so escape shipwreck of his house. But bloodthat hath been spilt upon the earth, what charmer can bring back? Didnot Zeus slay the man who raised the dead? For a while 'twere best to besilent. "

Then the Queen came forth from the palace, and bade Cassandra descendfrom the car and enter the gates. For why, she said, should she struggleagainst fate which made her to be a slave? Happy indeed was the lotwhich had brought her to a house of ancient wealth. 'Twas the newly richthat used harshness to their slaves. But her persuasion availed nothingwith the maiden, for she sat and made no answer; and though the old menjoined their counsel to the same end, she moved not nor spake. But whenthe Queen was departed again into the palace, she began to cry aloud, like unto one that was possessed, that there came a smell from thehouse, as the smell of a slaughter-house, and that she saw the shapes ofchildren who had been cruelly murdered; and then, that another crime wasnow about to be wrought, a bath made ready, and an entangling robe, anda double-headed axe lifted to strike. And then she spake of herself, that the doom was upon her, and that the King had brought her to diewith him, and that she should fall even as the city of her father hadfallen. But after awhile her fury abated, and she began to speakplainly. And first she told the elders how it came to pass that she hadthis gift of prophecy, that she could see what had been, as indeed shehad spoken of ancient wickedness that had been done in the house, andalso could tell beforehand what should come hereafter. For that Apollohad loved her, and had given her this art; but, because she had deceivedhim, he had added thereto this curse, that no one should believe hereven speaking truth. And then she told them that the old crimes of thehouse should end in yet another crime; that there was one in the house, a woman to look at, but in truth a very Scylla, a monster of the sea. And at the last she declared plainly that they should see the KingAgamemnon lying dead. But the curse was upon her, and they believed hernot And then crying out that she saw a lioness that had taken a wolf tobe her paramour, she cast away the tokens of prophecy that she carried, the staff from her hand, and the necklace from about her neck. And whenshe had done this she went to the palace gates, knowing that she went toher death. But first she said that there should come an avenger whoshould execute vengeance for his father that had been slain and alsofor her. And when she was arrived at the door of the palace, at thefirst she started back, for the smell of blood smote her in the face;but then she took heart again and passed on. Only first she turned andsaid, "O Sun, whose light I see now for the last time, grant that thehand that taketh vengeance for the King may take it also for theslave-woman whom they slay--a conquest, in good sooth, right easy to bemade. "

But while the old men doubted what these things might mean, saying thatno man could trust in prosperous fortune, if the King, who had won sucha victory over the city of Troy, should himself perish, there came adreadful voice from within, crying out, "Woe is me! I am smitten with amortal blow!" And while they doubted, it came again, crying, "Woe again!I am smitten with a second blow!" Then they debated what were best todo; and one would have them call to the citizens for help, and anotherthat they should rush into the palace; and some doubted whether aughtmight now avail. And lo! the great doors of the palace were thrown backand there appeared a dreadful sight--two dead bodies, covered each witha veil, and the Queen, with an axe in her hand, standing beside them, who said--

"I spake before words fitting the time, and now I am not ashamed tospeak that which is contrary to them. For this is in truth an oldpurpose that I have executed. Yea, from the day that he shed theinnocent blood, even the blood of Iphigenia, my daughter, it hath beenin my heart to slay him. I threw a net about him, whence there was noescape, entangling his limbs in a royal robe. Twice I smote him; twicehe groaned, stretching out his limbs in death; aye, and a third blow Iadded--my offering of thanks to the Ruler of the dead. Right glad was Iwhen the blood spirted on me; glad as the seed when the increase-givingrain cometh down from the sky. "

Then the old men, the counsellors of the city, cried shame upon her thatshe had done so foul a deed, saying that the people should curse her andcast her out. But she was not one whit fearful or ashamed, saying thathe whom she had slain was a man of blood, and unfaithful, and that hehad suffered a just punishment together with his paramour. And when theymade lamentation over the King that he had been treacherously slain, shesaid, "Think not that I am this dead man's wife, as indeed I seem to be;rather am I the avenger that executeth judgment for the ancient evils ofthis house. "

And when they cried, "O my King, who shall do thee due honour at thyburial, and speak thy praise, and weep for thee?" she made reply, "Trouble not yourselves with these things. As I slew him so will I buryhim. And though many tears follow him not from his house, yet doubtlesswhen he cometh to the dwellings of the dead, Iphigenia, his daughter, whom he loved, will meet him, and throw her arms about him, and kisshim, so dear a father he was to her. "

[Illustration: THE MURDER OF AGAMEMNON. ]

And while they talked thus with each other, there came forward thePrince Ægisthus, with his guard about him, boasting that now the wrongsof his father Thyestes were avenged. Then again the strife of words grewfierce, for the counsellors reproached the Prince that he wastreacherous, having bound himself with a false woman against his lordthe King; and cowardly also and base, in that he had not dared to dothis deed himself, but had left it to the hands of another; also theyprophesied that Orestes should come and execute the just judgment of theGods on them that had slain his father. And the Prince endured not tohear such words, but threatened bonds and imprisonment. So had strifenearly begun, for Ægisthus called to his guards, and the counsellorswould fain have roused the citizens, but the Queen, for indeed she wouldthat the shedding of blood should have an end, spake and soothed theanger of the Prince, saying, "Heed not what these babblers say. Thou andI are rulers in this place, aye, and will order all things aright. "

So the two lived together for a while in great pride and joy. But theblood cried against them from the ground, and the Gods forgat them not. 

THE STORY OF ELECTRA, OR THE RETURN OF ORESTES. 

When King Agamemnon was slain by his wicked wife Clytæmnestra, the boyOrestes his son had perished also by the hands of his mother, but thathis sister Electra took him and delivered him out of the hands of themthat would have slain him. And having saved him, she sent him to thehouse of Strophius the Phocian, who was a friend to the house of theKing, her father. And here Orestes abode till he was of age and strengthto fulfil the law. For the law of the land was that, if a man should befoully slain, his son should avenge him on him that had done this wrong. Also the youth sought counsel of Apollo at his oracle of Delphi, and thegod answered him that he should avenge the blood of his father even uponher that bare him. Therefore, being now grown to manhood, he came tothe city of Argos, having disguised himself that no man might know him. And he had with him Pylades that was the son of Strophius. Now these twoloved each other exceedingly, so that men spake of them in after time asfamous among friends. Also there came with Orestes an old man, a slavethat had waited on him from a boy. Now the three had devised a storywherewith they might deceive the Queen and her husband; and being thusprepared they came into the city at dawn. 

[Illustration: ELECTRA AND ORESTES. ]

Then the old man spake, saying, "Son of Agamemnon, thou seest the citywhich thou hast long desired to see. There is the grove of Io, whom thegad-fly drave over the earth, and there on the left hand the temple ofHeré, which all men know, and before us the palace of the children ofPelops, a house of many woes, from which I carried thee forth in timepast, when thy mother would have slain thee. But now we must takecounsel and that speedily, for the sun is risen and hath wakened thebirds, and we must be ready before that men come forth to their work. "

Then Orestes made reply, "'Tis well said, old man. Hearken then to whatI purpose. And first know that when I would hear from Apollo at hisoracle in Delphi how I should best avenge my father, he bade me trustneither in shield nor spear, but accomplish the deed by craft. Do thouthen go when occasion shall offer into the palace, and spy out thethings that are therein. For they will not know thee who thou art, sochanged art thou. And thou shalt tell them such a tale about me as shallsurely deceive them. And we meanwhile will do honor to the spirit of myfather at his grave, offering hair that has been shorn from my head anddrink offerings, and afterwards will return and accomplish what shallremain to be done. "

And when he had so spoken, he prayed, "O my country and ye gods of theland, help me, and thou house of my father which I have come at thebidding of the Gods to cleanse from the guilt of blood. "

Then the old man said, "I hear the voice of some one that groans. " AndOrestes made answer, "Doubtless it is my sister Electra. Shall we stayand listen to her?" "Not so, " said the old man, "let us do our businesswithout delay. " So they departed. 

And then came forth Electra, making great lamentation for her father, and praying that the Gods would speedily send her brother Orestes toavenge him. And with her was a company of the daughters of Argos, whosought to comfort her, saying that it was idle to make such weeping andmoaning for the dead; and that others also were in like case with her;and that she should have patience, for that time would bring punishmenton the evildoers. Also they would have her curb her tongue, seeing howshe angered those that had the rule in her house. 

And then Electra unfolded her grief to them saying, "I pray you, daughters of Argos, that ye think no evil of me as of one thataltogether wanteth wisdom and patience. For what woman of the bettersort would not do even as I? For think how I am constrained to live withthem that slew my father; and that every day I see this base Ægisthussitting upon that which was his throne, and wearing the selfsame robes;and how he is husband to this mother of mine, if indeed she be a motherwho can stoop to such vileness. And know that every month on the day onwhich she slew my father she maketh festival and offereth sacrifice tothe Gods. And all this am I constrained to see, weeping in secret, forindeed it is not permitted to me publicly to show such sorrow as myheart desireth. Ofttimes indeed this woman mocketh me, and would knowwhy I sorrow more than others, seeing that others also have lost theirfathers. But sometimes, if it so chance that she hear from some one thatOrestes prepareth to come back to this land, she is furious abovemeasure, and rageth as a wild beast; and her husband, this coward thatmaketh war against women, stirreth up her fury against me. And still doI look for Orestes when he shall come; but he tarrieth long, and in themeantime I perish with sorrow and trouble. "

Then the daughters of Argos, when they had made inquiry and heard thatÆgisthus was absent and that they could speak more freely of thesematters, would fain know whether she had heard news of her brotherOrestes, and bade her be of good heart concerning him. But as they spaketogether, the sister of Electra, Chrysothemis, came forth withofferings for the tomb of her father in her hand, and other maidensfollowed her. Now these two were different one from the other, forElectra was full of courage, and would have no peace with those whom shehated, and sought not to hide what was in her heart, but Chrysothemiswas fearful, and would live peaceably with them that she loved not, andwould speak them fair. And now, when Electra saw her sister come forth, she brake out against her with many angry words, saying that she did illto choose the part of a mother who had done such wickedness, and toforget her father; and that it was a base thing in her to live softlyand at ease, consorting with the evildoers. 

And when the Argive maidens would have made peace between them, Chrysothemis answered, "These words are not strange to me; nor should Itake note of them, but that I have heard of a great trouble that isready to fall upon my sister here, and stay her complaints even forever. "

"Nay, what is this?" said Electra. "Speakest thou of trouble greaterthan that which I now endure?"

"Surely, " the other made reply, "for they will send thee far hence, andshut thee up where thou shalt never more see the light of the sun, ifthou stayest not these complaints. "

But Electra did not fear one whit to hear these things, but waxedfiercer in her anger. And, after a while, as the strife ceased notbetween them, Chrysothemis would have gone on her way. And when Electraperceived this, she asked her for what purpose and whither she wascarrying these offerings to the dead. 

And Chrysothemis made reply that she was carrying them at the bidding ofher mother to the tomb of King Agamemnon. For that the Queen was in muchfear, having seen a vision in the night which had sorely troubled her;and that the vision was this. The King her husband, whom she slew, seemed to bear her company, even as he had done in time past. And hetook the sceptre which he had been wont to carry, and which Ægisthuscarried after him, and planted it in the earth; and there sprang from ita very flourishing branch, by which the whole land of Mycenæ wasovershadowed. "So much, " she said, "I heard her say, when she told herdream to the light of the day; but more I know not, save that shesendeth me to make these offerings, by reason of her fear. "

Then Electra answered, "Nay, my sister; lay not aught of these thingsupon our father's tomb, for they would be an abomination to him; butscatter them to the winds, or cover them with earth. So let them be keptfor her, when she shall die. And surely, but that she is the mostshameless of women, she had not sought to pay this honour to him whomshe slew so foully. Thinketh she to atone in such sort for the bloodthat she hath shed? Not so. Put these things away; but thou and I willlay upon this tomb hair from thy head and from mine; small gifts, intruth, yet what we have. And do thou pray to our father that he willhelp us even where he dwelleth below the earth, and also that Orestesmay come speedily, and set his foot upon the necks of them that hateus. "

This Chrysothemis promised that she would do, and so departed. And in ashort space came forth the Queen Clytæmnestra, and, finding herdaughter Electra without the gate of the palace, was very wroth, sayingthat King Ægisthus had forbidden her to do this thing, and that it wasnot well that, he being absent, she should take no account of hermother. 

"But now, " she said, "let us reason together. Thou speakest ill of me, because I slew thy father. 'Tis even so. I deny it not. But mark, Justice slew him, not I only; and thou shouldest be on the side ofJustice. He slew thy sister, sacrificing her to the Gods, as no otherGreek had done. For what cause did he slay her? 'For the sake of theGreeks, ' thou wilt say. But what had the Greeks to do with child ofmine? Or was it for the sake of King Menelaüs his brother? But had notMenelaüs two children, and should not one of these have the rather died, seeing of what father and mother they came, even of those for whose sakethe Greeks waged this war? Had Death, thinkest thou, desire for mychildren rather than for his? Or had this accursed father no care for mychildren, but only for the children of his brother? Surely this was thedeed of a foolish and wicked man. Aye, I say it, whatever thou mayestthink, and so would say she who died, could she take voice and speak. "

Then said Electra, "If thou permittest, I would say somewhat for him andfor her. "

And the Queen answered, "Say on. Didst thou always speak in such mood, thou wert not so ill to hear. "

Then Electra spake: "Thou sayest, 'I slew thy father, ' 'Tis enough. Worse thou couldst not say, whether 'twere justly done or no. But ofjustice thou hadst never a thought. 'Twas the ill persuasion of him withwhom thou now consortest that urged thee to this deed. And as for mysister, thou knowest well that my father slew a stag in the grove ofArtemis, and boasted himself of the deed, and that the goddess was wrothwith him, and hindered the voyage of the Greeks; and that for this causemy father slew his daughter, knowing that otherwise the ships could sailneither to Troy nor homewards. Yea, he slew her, sorely against hiswill, for the people's sake, and for nought else. But consider whetherthis that thou sayest be not altogether a pretence. Art thou not wifeto him that was thy fellow in this deed? Callest thou this takingvengeance for thy daughter that was slain? And thy children--art thou amother to them? What ill do not I suffer at thy hand and the hand of thypartner? And Orestes, whom I barely saved from thy hand, liveth he notin exile? Surely, whatsoever it be that thou chargest against him, thouhast no cause to be ashamed of me. "

Then the two spake many bitter words to each other; and at the last, when Electra held her peace, the Queen prayed to the Gods, and made herofferings to the tomb. And first she addressed herself to Phoebus: "OPhoebus, hear that which is in my heart; for to say the thing aloud Idare not, seeing that I am not among friends. But of the dreams that Isaw this night past, grant that the good be accomplished and the evil beturned away to my enemies; and that I be not cast down from the wealthwherein I now live; and that I may wield this sceptre of the son ofAtreus which now I have, and may have the company of my friends, even asnow, and the love of my children, if so be that they love theirmother. "

And while she thus spake, the old man came in, and would fain knowwhether that which he saw was the palace of Atreus. And when he heardthat it was, he asked whether the lady whom he saw was the Queen. Andhearing this also, he spake, "Lady, I have good tidings for thee andKing Ægisthus. "

"First tell me who thou art. "

"I come from Phanoteus of Phocis: I bring great news. "

"Tell me; for the man is a friend, and the tidings, I doubt not, good. "

"I will say it in one word--Orestes is dead. "

And when Electra heard this, she brake forth into a great cry, sayingthat she was undone. But the Queen said, "What? What sayest thou? Heednot this woman. "

And the man said, "I told thee, and tell thee yet again, that Orestes isdead. "

[Illustration: THE CHARIOT RACE. ]

And again Electra brake forth into a cry; but the Queen bade her holdher peace, and would have the stranger tell the story. And the mansaid--

"He came to Delphi, whither the Greeks greatly resort, purposing tocontend in the games of the Pythian Apollo. And first there was a raceof runners on foot; and for this he came forward, and passing all thatran with him so won the prize. Nor indeed did I ever see such a man; forthere was not one contest in which he had not the pre-eminence. Veryfair was he to look upon, and his name, he said, was Orestes of Argos, and he was the son of that Agamemnon who in days past was captain of thehost of the Greeks at Troy. But when the Gods are minded to destroy aman, who is so strong that he can escape? It fell out then that on thenext day at sunset there was proclaimed a race of chariots, to whichthere came one man from Achaia, and from Sparta one, and two from Barcain Africa. After these came Orestes, being the fifth, with horses ofThessaly. And the sixth was a man of Ætolia, with bay horses, and theseventh a man of Magnesia in Thessaly, and the eighth was a man ofOenea, whose horses were white, and the ninth from Athens, a citywhich, they say, was builded of Gods, and a Boeotian was the tenth. First the heralds shook lots for each in a helmet, and each man had hisplace according as his lot came forth. And after this the trumpetsounded, and the horses leapt forward, while the men shouted to them andshook the reins, and spared not the goad. Great was the noise, and thedust rose up like a cloud from the plain. And on the backs of thecharioteers and on the wheels of them that went before came the foamfrom the horses that followed, so close did they lie together. AndOrestes, when he came to the pillar where the chariots turned, drave sothat his wheel wellnigh touched it, and slackened the rein for the righthorse, and pressed on that which was on the left. So far no mishap hadbefallen the chariots, but all had fared well. But here the steeds ofthe man of Oenea, being very hard to hold, brake from their course, and drave against the side of one of the chariots from Barca. And nowthey had ended six courses, and were about to begin the seventh. Butwith this beginning of trouble went all things wrong, for one draveagainst another till all the plain of Crissa was covered with brokenchariots as the sea with shipwrecks. But the man of Athens was veryskilful in driving, and, when he saw the beginning of confusion, hedrew his horses aside and held back, and so escaped without damage. NowOrestes was the hindermost of all, trusting to what he should do at theend; and when he saw that only the man of Athens was left, he shouted tohis horses and made haste to come up with him. Then the two dravetogether, having their chariots equal, and first one showed somewhat inthe front and then the other. And for eleven courses of the twelve allwent well with Orestes; but as he was rounding the pillar for the lasttime, he loosed the left rein and knew not that he loosed it overmuch, and smote against the pillar and brake his axle in the midst, and so wasthrown out of his chariot; but the reins were tangled about him and heldhim. And all the people cried aloud when they saw the young man draggedover the plain. But at last they that had driven the other chariotshardly stayed the horses, and loosed him. Covered with blood was he andsorely mangled, that none could have known him. And we burnt his body;and certain Phocians, whom the Prince hath sent for this purpose, bringthat which remaineth of him, being but a few ashes in an urn of brass, for all he was so tall and strong. This is a sad tale for thee to hear;but for us who saw it never was anything in this world more grievous. "

Then the Queen said, "Shall I say that this hath happened ill or well?or that it is an evil thing, yet profitable to me? Surely it is grievousthat I find safety in the death of my own kindred. "

"What troubleth thee, lady, in these news?" said the false messenger. 

"'Tis a dreadful thing to be a mother. Whatever wrong she suffereth shecannot hurt him whom she bare. "

"Then, " said he, "it seemeth that I have come in vain. "

"Not so, " the Queen made answer, "if thou showest proof that Orestes isdead. For he hath long been a stranger to me, and when he departed hencehe knew me not, being very young; and of late, accusing me of the bloodof his father, he hath made dreadful threats against me, so that I couldnot sleep in peace day or night. And now this day I am quit of this fearthat wasted my very life. "

Then the Queen and the false messenger went into the palace; and whenthey were gone Electra cried, saying, "See here, forsooth, a mother thatweepeth and mourneth for her son! O my Orestes, how utterly hast thouundone me! For now all the hope I had is gone that thou wouldst come andavenge my father. Whither can I go, for thou and he are gone? Must I beas a slave among them that slew my father? This gate at least I willenter no more. If I weary them, let them slay me, if they will; I shouldcount it a grace so to die. "

And the maidens of Argos bewailed the dead brother with her. But in themidst of their lamentations came Chrysothemis in great joy, saying, "Omy sister, I bring thee good tidings that will give thee ease from thysorrows!"

"What ease, when they are past all remedy?"

"Orestes is here. Know this as surely as thou now seest me before thee. "

"Surely thou art mad, and laughest at thy woes and mine. "

"Not so. By the hearth of my fathers I swear it. Orestes is here. "

"Who told thee this tale that thou believest so strangely?"

"'Tis from proofs that I saw with mine own eyes, and not another's, thatI believe. Listen, therefore. When I came to the tomb of my father, Isaw on the top of the pillar offerings of milk that had been newlypoured, and garlands of all manner of flowers. And marvelling much atthis, I looked to see if any man was at hand; and seeing none, I drewnear; and on the tomb I espied a lock of hair newly cut; and as soon asI espied it I knew that it was a token of Orestes, dearest of men in allthe world to thee and me. And as I touched it I held my tongue from allwords that might do hurt, and my eyes were filled with tears. And nowthink whose should this be but his? Who should do this but thou or I;and I did not, nor thou, who canst not go so far from this house; and mymother is not wont to do such things. 'Tis Orestes surely. And nowsorrow hath passed away, and all things will be well. "

"Nay, " Electra made answer, "I pity thee for thy folly. '

"Do not my tidings please thee?"

"I know not why thou talkest so wildly. "

"But may I not believe that which I have seen with mine own eyes?"

"O my sister, he is dead! Look not to him for help any more. "

"But stay. From whom didst thou learn this?"

"From one who was at hand when he perished. "

"Where is he? This is passing strange. Whose then could be theseofferings on the tomb?"

"Some one hath put them for a remembrance of the dead Orestes. "

"Woe is me, and I made haste with the good tidings, as I thought, andknew not what new trouble worse than the old had fallen upon us. "

Then said Electra, "Hear now what I purpose. Thou knowest that we areutterly bereaved of friends, for Death hath devoured them all. Now, while Orestes yet lived and was prosperous, I hoped that he would cometo avenge our father's death. But now that he is dead, I look to thee, that thou shouldest make common cause with me and work this vengeance onthem that slew him. Canst thou endure that we should live deprived ofthe wealth that was our father's; and also that we should grow oldunmated? For know that a husband thou shalt never have, for indeedÆgisthus is not unwise that he should suffer children to be born of theeor me to be a manifest damage to himself. But if thou wilt hearken tome, first thou wilt do that which is fitting to thy father and brotherthat are dead; and next thou wilt win great renown, and be married to anoble mate, for all men are wont to regard that which is worthy. Andsurely in days to come some man, citizen or stranger, that seeth us willsay, 'Look, my friends, at these sisters, for they wrought deliverancefor the house of their father, and spared not their own lives, but slewtheir enemies in the day of their prosperity. These must we love andreverence; these on feast days, and when the city is gathered together, must we honour by reason of their courage. ' Wherefore, my sister, be ofgood heart. Be bold for thy father's sake and for thy brother's, formine also and for thine, that we may be delivered from these troubles. For to them of noble breeding to live basely is a shame. "

But Chrysothemis made answer, "O my sister, how didst thou find suchdaring purpose as this, making ready thyself as for fight, and callingme to follow? Knowest thou not that thou art a woman and no man, andthat thou art weaker than thine enemies, and that their good luck everincreaseth and ours groweth less and less? And what will it profit us ifwe get great renown, yet die in shameful fashion? And yet to die I thinknot such loss, but to wish to die and not attain to it, sufferingtorture or bonds. Keep thy anger within bounds. What thou hast said Iwill count as unsaid. Only yield to them that are stronger. "

And after many words, Electra urging her sister to this deed and theother excusing herself, the two parted in great anger. And Chrysothemiswent into the palace, but Electra abode where she was. And to her, aftera while, came Orestes, but disguised that no man might know him, andasked the Argive maidens that stood by, whether the house that he beheldwas the palace of King Ægisthus, and when he heard that it was so, hebade them tell the King that certain Phocian strangers were come seekinghim. But when Electra heard it, she said, "Comest thou with proof ofthis ill news that we have heard?"

And Orestes made answer, "I know not what news thou speakest of, but theold man, Strophius, the Phocian, bade me bring tidings of Orestes. "

"What are thy tidings, though I tremble to hear them?"

"We are come bringing all that remaineth of him in this urn. "

And when Electra saw it she cried that they should give the urn into herhands; and Orestes bade them do so. And she took it and said, "OOrestes, that wast dearer to me than all men else, how different is thiscoming of thine to that which I had hoped! Lovely wert thou when I sentthee from this house, and now I hold thee in my hands and thou artnaught. Would to the Gods thou hadst died that day when thy father wasslain; for now thou art dead, an exile, and in the land of strangers, and I paid thee no office of kindness nor took thy ashes from thefuneral fire; but this did strangers for thee, and now thou comest ahandful of ashes in a little urn. Woe is me for the wasted pains ofnurture and the toil wherewith out of a willing heart I tended thee! Forthy mother loved thee not more than I, nor was any one but I thy nurse. And now all this hath departed. My father is dead, and thou art dead, and my enemies laugh me to scorn, and thy mother that is no mother ismad with joy. Let me die with thee, for 'tis the dead alone whom I seeto be quit of pain. "

But while she so spake Orestes was much troubled in heart and knew notwhat to do. But at the last he said, "Is this the Princess Electra whomI see?"

And she answered, "Even so, and very ill she fareth. "

Then he looked upon her again and said to himself, "What a noble lady isthis, and in what ungodly fashion hath she been afflicted!"

And when Electra would know why he was so troubled, he said, "It painethme to see thee excelling all women in sorrow. "

"Nay, " she said, "thou seest but a small part of my sorrows. "

"Hast thou, then, yet worse to bear than these?"

"Yea, for I live with them that are murderers. "

"Whom sayest thou they murdered?"

"They murdered my father--and I am constrained to serve them. "

"Who constraineth thee?"

"A mother that is no mother. "

"And is there none that can help thee?"

"None, for him that was my helper thou bringest in this urn. But whypitiest thou me as doth no other man? Art thou, perchance, a kinsman?"

"Put down this urn and I will tell thee. "

"Nay, stranger, take this not from me, for it holds all that is dearestto me. "

"Speak not such idle words: thy sorrow is without cause. "

"Sayest thou 'without cause' when my brother is dead?"

"Thou dost ill to speak thus of thy brother. "

"Doth the dead then think so lightly of me?"

"No man thinketh lightly of thee; yet with these ashes thou hast noconcern. "

"How so, if this is the body of my Orestes?"

"Here is no true body, only one that is feigned. "

"Unhappy man! where, then, is his tomb?"

"He hath none--what need hath the living of a tomb?"

"Liveth he, then?"

"Yea, if I am alive. "

"Art thou, then, he?"

"Yea; look at this my father's seal, and say whether I speak truly. "

And when she saw the seal, she knew that it was her father's, and thatthis stranger was indeed Orestes. And she cried aloud for joy, andembraced him. Then, after the two had talked together for a very briefspace, Orestes said, "Tell me not how ill thy mother hath done, nor howÆgisthus hath wasted the substance of my house; but rather instruct mein this: shall I do this thing secretly or openly? Take heed also lestthy mother see thee bear a joyful face, and so take warning. "

And Electra made answer, "As for this present, know that Ægisthus isabsent, and that the Queen is alone. Therefore do as thou deemest best. And as for me, be sure that I shall not cease from tears; for the oldsorrow is inveterate in me; and also, now that I have seen thee, I weepfor joy. "

But while they talked together came the old man in haste, and rebukedthem that they so spent the time; and to Orestes he said that no oneknew him who he was, but that all deemed him dead, and that he must makehaste and do the deed; for that now the Queen was alone, nor was thereany man in the palace. 

And Orestes, having prayed to the Gods, and especially to Apollo, whoindeed had bidden him do this work, went into the palace. And at thefirst Electra went with him, but afterwards hastened out, to keep watch, lest perchance King Ægisthus should return. So she and the woman waitedwithout and listened. And after a while there came a cry, "O my son, myson, have pity on thy mother. " And Electra said, "Aye, but thou hadst nopity on him, or on the father that begat him. " And then again a cry, "Woe is me! I am smitten. " And Electra said, "Smite, if thou canst, adouble blow. " And then the voice came a third time, "I am smittenagain. " But Electra made reply, "Would that Ægisthus were smitten withthee!" After this Orestes came forth, with his sword dripping withblood. And when the women asked him how it fared in the palace, heanswered, "All is well, if only Apollo hath spoken the thing that istrue. "

But as he spake King Ægisthus came back, asking, "Where be thesestrangers from Phocis that are come, telling how Prince Orestes hathcome by his death in a chariot race?"

And Electra made answer that they were within. Then Ægisthus cried, "Open the gates, and let all men of Argos and of Mycenæ see the body;and if perchance any man hath been lifted up with vain hopes, let himlook upon Orestes that he is dead, and so submit himself to me. "

Then the gate was opened, and there appeared a dead body, lying coveredwith a sheet. And Ægisthus said, "Take the covering from off his face;for he is my kinsman, and should not miss due mourning from me. "

But Orestes answered, "Take it thyself; for this dead body is thine, notmine. "

Then said Ægisthus, "Thou speakest well: if the Queen be within thepalace, bid her come. "

And Orestes said, "She is near thee; look not elsewhere. " And whenÆgisthus lifted the covering, lo! it was the Queen who lay dead. Then heknew the whole matter, and turned to the stranger saying, "Thou must beOrestes. "

"'Tis even so, " cried Orestes. "And now go into the palace. "

"But why slayest thou me in darkness, if this deed be just?"

"I slay thee where thou didst slay him that is dead. "

So he drave him before him into the palace, and slew him there. Thus theblood of King Agamemnon was avenged. 

THE STORY OF THE FURIES, OR THE LOOSING OF ORESTES. 

The gift of prophecy Earth had at the first, and after her Themis; andafter her Phoebe, who was of the race of the Titans, and Phoebe gaveit to Apollo--who is also called Phoebus--at his birth. Now Apollo hada great temple and famous upon the hill of Delphi, to which men werewont to resort from all the earth, seeking counsel and knowledge of thethings that should come to pass hereafter. And it came to pass on a daythat the priestess--for the temple was served by a woman, whom mencalled Pythia--when she went into the shrine, after her custom, in themorning, saw therein a dreadful sight. For by the very seat of the Godthere sat a man, a suppliant, whose hands were dripping with blood, andhe bare a bloody sword, and on his head there was a garland of oliveleaves, cunningly twined with snow-white wool. And behind there sat astrange company of women sleeping, if indeed they could be called women, that were more hideous than the Gorgons, on which if a man looks he isturned to stone, or the Harpies, of which they say that they have thefaces of women and the bodies of vultures. Now this man was Orestes, andthe blood that was upon his hands was the blood of his motherClytæmnestra, whom he slew, taking vengeance for his father KingAgamemnon, and the women were the Furies, who pursue them that shed theblood of kindred, and torment them even unto death. But the priestesswhen she saw this sight fell down for fear and crawled forth from thetemple. And when she was gone there appeared Apollo himself. Now Apollohad counselled Orestes that he should slay his mother, and so avenge hisfather's blood that had been shed. And now he spake, saying, "Fear not, I will not betray thee, but will keep to thee to the end. But now thoumust flee from this place; and know that these, the hateful ones, withwhom neither God nor man nor beast consorts, will pursue thee both overthe sea and over the land; but do thou not grow weary or faint, buthaste to the city of Pallas, and sit in the temple of the goddess, throwing thy arms about the image, and there will I contrive that whichshall loose thee from this guilt. "

[Illustration: THE BIRTHDAY GIFTS OF PHOEBUS. ]

And when the God had said this, he bade his brother Hermes (for he alsostood near) to guide the man by the way in which he should go. 

So Orestes went his way. And straightway, when he was gone, rose up thespirit of Queen Clytæmnestra, clad in garments of black, and on her neckwas the wound where her son smote her. And the spirit spake to theFuries, for these were yet fast asleep, saying, "Sleep ye? What profitis there in them that sleep? Shamefully do ye dishonour me among thedead; for they whom I slew reproach me, and my cause, though I was slainby my own son, no one taketh in hand. Do ye not mind with whatsufferings, with what midnight sacrifices upon the hearth in old time Ihonoured you, and now, while ye sleep, this wretch hath escaped from thenet. "

[Illustration: ORESTES SUPPLIANT TO APOLLO. ]

Then they began to stir and rouse themselves, the spirit still goadingthem with angry words till they were now fully awake and ready topursue. Then there appeared the God Apollo with his silver bow in hishand, and cried, "Depart from this place, ye accursed ones. Depart withall speed, lest an arrow leap forth from this string and smite you sothat ye vomit forth the blood of men that ye have drunk. This is no fithalting-place for you; in the habitations of cruelty is your best abode, or in some lion's den, dripping with blood, not, verily, where men cometo hear the oracles of truth. Depart ye, therefore, with all speed. "

"Nay, " said they; "hear, King Apollo, what we would say. For thou artverily guilty of this matter. "

"How so? So much thou mayest say. "

"Thou badest this stranger slay his mother. "

"I bade him take vengeance for his father's blood. "

"And thou wast ready to answer for this deed?"

"I bade him come for succour to this shrine. "

"Yet they who attend him please thee not?"

"No, for it fitteth not that they should approach this place. "

"Yet 'tis our appointed task to follow him that slayeth his mother. "

"And what if a wife slay her husband?"

"Between wife and husband there is no kindred blood. "

"Thou dost dishonour, saying this, to great Heré that is wife to Zeus, and to all love, than which there is nothing dearer to men. "

"Yet will I hunt this man to the death, for the blood of his motherdrives me on. "

"And I will help him and save him. "

But in the meantime Orestes fled with all speed to the city of Athens, and came to the temple of Athené, and sat clasping the image of thegoddess, and cried to her that he was come at the bidding of Apollo, andwas ready to abide her judgment. But the Furies followed hard upon him, having tracked him as a dog tracks a fawn that hath been wounded, by theblood. And when they were come and had found him in the temple, theycried that it was of no avail that he sought the help of the Gods, forthat the blood of his mother that had been shed cried against him fromthe ground, and that they would drink his blood, and waste him, anddrive him a living man among the dead, that all men might shun to dosuch deeds in time to come. 

Then said Orestes, "I have learnt in many troubles both how to be silentand how to speak. And now I speak as a wise man biddeth me. For lo! thestain of blood that is upon my hand groweth pale, and the defilement iscleansed away. Therefore, I call to Athené that is Queen of this land, to help me, wherever she be; for though she be far, yet being a goddess, she can hear my voice. And helping me, she shall gain me, and my people, and my land to be friends to her and to her people for ever. "

But not the less did the Furies cry out against him that he was accursedand given over to them as a prey; for that they were appointed of theGods to execute vengeance upon evildoers, of whom he was the chief, seeing that he had slain the mother that bare him. 

But while they thus cried out against him, there appeared the GoddessAthené, very fair to see, with the spear of gold in her hand; and shespake, saying, "From the banks of Scamander am I come, for I heard thecry of one that called upon my name. And now I would fain know whatmeaneth all this that I see. Who art thou, stranger, that sittestclasping this image? And who are ye that are so strange of aspect, beinglike neither to the Gods nor to the daughters of men?"

Then the Furies made answer, "We will tell thee the matter shortly, daughter of Zeus. We are the children of Night, and we are called theCurses, and our office is to drive the murderer from his home. "

Then said the goddess, "And whither do ye drive him?"

"We drive him to the land where no joy abideth. "

"And why do ye pursue this man?"

"Because he dared to slay his mother. "

"Did aught compel him to this deed?"

"What should compel a man to such wickedness?"

"There are two stories to be told, and I have heard but one. "

And when they had thus talked together for a while the Furies said thatthey would abide by the judgment of the goddess. Whereupon she turnedherself to Orestes, and bade him set forth his case; who he was, andwhat deed he had done. To which he made this answer: "I am a man ofArgos, and my sire, King Agamemnon, thou knowest well; for he was rulerof the host of the Greeks, and by his hands thou madest the great cityof Troy to be no city. Now this man perished in a most unrighteousfashion, when he was returned to his home, for my mother, having an evilheart, slew him foully in the bath. And I, coming back to my country, from which in time past I had fled, slew her that bare me. This I denynot. Yea, I slew her, taking vengeance for my father. And in this matterApollo hath a common share with me, for he said that great woes shouldpierce my heart if I recompensed not them that had done this deed. Butdo thou judge this matter; for with thy judgment, whatsoever it be, Iwill be content. "

Then the goddess said, "This is a hard matter to judge; for thou, Orestes, art come as a suppliant to this house, being innocent ofguilt, and I may not reject thee. And yet these have a suit which maynot lightly be dismissed; for haply, if they fail of that which theyseek, they will send a wasting disease upon this land and consume it. But seeing that this great matter has fallen to me to deal with, I willdo this. Judges will I choose, binding them with an oath, and they shalljudge in all cases, whensoever one man hath slain another. And this willI stablish for all time to come. Do you, therefore, call witnesses andproofs with oaths for confirmation thereof. And I will choose such asare worthiest among my citizens, righteous men, who will have regardunto their oath, and they shall judge this matter. "

So they went all of them to the hill of Ares, where the cause should bejudged. And twelve men that were worthiest in the city sat on the seatof judgment, and Athené came forth and said to the herald that stood by, "Blow the trumpet, that the people keep silence, and that this cause maybe tried justly, as is meet. "

Then came forth Apollo. And when the Furies saw him they cried, "Whathast thou to do with this matter, King Apollo?"

And he said, "As a witness am I come, for I commanded this man to dothis deed. "

Then Athené commanded that the Furies should speak the first, being theaccusers. So they began saying to Orestes, "Answer what we shall askthee. Didst thou slay thy mother?"

"I slew her. This I deny not. "

"How didst thou slay her?"

"I drew my sword, and smote her on the neck. "

"Who counselled thee to this deed?"

"Apollo counselled me; therefore I fear not; also my father shall helpme from the tomb. "

"Shall the dead help thee that didst slay thy mother?"

"Yea, for she also had slain her husband. Say, why did ye not pursue herwhile she lived?"

"Because she was not akin to him she slew. "

"Not akin? then was I not akin to her. But do thou bear witness, KingApollo. "

Then said Apollo, "I am a prophet and lie not. Never have I spoken aboutman or woman or city save as my Father Zeus gave me to speak. "

Then said the Furies, "How sayest thou? that Zeus gave this commandthat this man should slay his mother?"

"'Twas even so. For think how basely this woman slew her husband, hisfather. For she smote him not with an arrow, as might some Amazon, butwhen he was come back from the war, full of honour, in the bath sheentangled him, wrapping a robe about him, and so slew him. Whereforethis man did righteously, taking vengeance for the blood that was shed. And as for this kinship that ye say is between a man and his mother, hearken to this. Had Pallas here a mother? Nay, for no womb bare her, seeing that she came from the head of Zeus her father. "

[Illustration: THE FURIES DEPARTING. ]

Then said Athené, "It is enough. Judges, judge ye this cause, doingjustice therein. But first hear the statute that I make establishingthis court. On this hill did the Amazons in old time build theirfortress when they waged war with King Theseus and the men of this land;and hence it is called the hill of Ares, who is the god of war. And heredo I make this as an ordinance for ever, that it may be a bulwark tothis land; that judges may sit herein, keen to avenge the wrong, notblinding their eyes with gifts, but doing true judgment and justicebetween man and man. And now rise, ye judges, from your place, and takethese pebbles in your hand, and vote according to right, not forgettingyour oath. "

So the judges rose up from their place and dropped the pebbles into theurns, Apollo on the one side and the Furies on the other urging themwith many promises and threats. And at the last Athené stood up andsaid, "'Tis for me to give the casting vote; and I give it to Orestes. For I myself was not born of a mother; wherefore I am on the father'sside. And I care not to avenge the death of a woman that slew herhusband, the ruler of her house. Now, if the votes be equal, Orestes isfree. Take the pebbles from the urns, ye to whom this office is given. And see that ye do it justly and well, that no wrong be done. "

So they that were appointed to this took the pebbles forth from the urnsand counted them. And lo! the votes were equal on this side and on that. And Athené stood forth and said, "The man is free. "

Thus was accomplished the loosing of Orestes. 

THE STORY OF IPHIGENIA AMONG THE TAURIANS. 

It has been told in the story of King Agamemnon that the GoddessArtemis, being wroth with him because he had slain a hart which sheloved, suffered not the ships of the Greeks to sail till he had offeredhis daughter Iphigenia for a sacrifice. But when the King consented, andall things had been made ready for slaying the maiden, the goddess wouldnot that her blood should be shed, but put a fair hind in her place, andcarried away the maiden to the land of the Taurians, where she had atemple and an altar. Now on this altar the King of the land was wont tosacrifice any stranger, being Greek by nation, who was driven by stressof weather to the place, for none went thither willingly. And the nameof the King was Thoas, which signifieth in the Greek tongue, "swift offoot. "

Now when the maiden had been there many years she dreamed a dream. Andin the dream she seemed to have departed from the land of the Tauriansand to dwell in the city of Argos, wherein she had been born. And as sheslept in the women's chamber there befell a great earthquake, and castto the ground the palace of her fathers, so that there was left onepillar only which stood upright. And as she looked on this pillar, yellow hair seemed to grow upon it as the hair of a man, and it spakewith a man's voice. And she did to it as she was wont to do to thestrangers that were sacrificed upon the altar, purifying it with water, and weeping the while. And the interpretation of the dream she judged tobe that her brother Orestes was dead, for that male children are thepillars of a house, and that he only was left to the house of herfather. 

Now it chanced that at this same time Orestes, with Pylades that was hisfriend, came in a ship to the land of the Taurians. And the cause of hiscoming was this. After that he had slain his mother, taking vengeancefor the death of King Agamemnon his father, the Furies pursued him. ThenApollo, who had commanded him to do this deed, bade him go to the landof Athens that he might be judged. And when he had been judged andloosed, yet the Furies left him not. Wherefore Apollo commanded that heshould sail for the land of the Taurians and carry there the image ofArtemis and bring it to the land of the Athenians, and that after thishe should have rest. Now when the two were come to the place, they sawthe altar that it was red with the blood of them that had been slainthereon. And Orestes doubted how they might accomplish the things forthe which he was come, for the walls of the temple were high, and thegates not easy to be broken through. Therefore he would have fled to theship, but Pylades consented not, seeing that they were not wont to goback from that to which they had set their hand, but counselled thatthey should hide themselves during the day in a cave that was hard bythe seashore, not near to the ship, lest search should be made for them, and that by night they should creep into the temple by a space thatthere was between the pillars, and carry off the image, and so depart. 

[Illustration: ORESTES AND THE FURIES. ]

So they hid themselves in a cavern by the sea. But it chanced thatcertain herdsmen were feeding their oxen in pastures hard by the shore;one of these, coming near to the cavern, spied the young men as they sattherein, and stealing back to his fellows, said, "See ye not them thatsit yonder. Surely they are Gods;" for they were exceeding tall and fairto look upon. And some began to pray to them, thinking that they mightbe the Twin Brethren or of the sons of Nereus. But another laughed andsaid, "Not so; these are shipwrecked men who hide themselves, knowingthat it is our custom to sacrifice strangers to our Gods. " To him theothers gave consent, and said that they should take the men prisonersthat they might be sacrificed to the Gods. 

But while they delayed Orestes ran forth from the cave, for the madnesswas come upon him, crying out, "Pylades, seest thou not that dragon fromhell; and that who would kill me with the serpents of her mouth, andthis again that breatheth out fire, holding my mother in her arms tocast her upon me?" And first he bellowed as a bull and then howled as adog, for the Furies, he said, did so. But the herdsmen, when they sawthis, gathered together in great fear and sat down. But when Orestesdrew his sword and leapt, as a lion might leap, into the midst of theherd, slaying the beasts (for he thought in his madness that he wascontending with the Furies), then the herdsmen, blowing on shells, called to the people of the land; for they feared the young men, sostrong they seemed and valiant. And when no small number was gatheredtogether, they began to cast stones and javelins at the two. And now themadness of Orestes began to abate, and Pylades tended him carefully, wiping away the foam from his mouth, and holding his garments before himthat he should not be wounded by the stones. But when Orestes came tohimself, and beheld in what straits they were, he groaned aloud andcried, "We must die, O Pylades, only let us die as befitteth brave men. Draw thy sword and follow me. " And the people of the land dared not tostand before them; yet while some fled, others would cast stones atthem. For all that no man wounded them. But at the last, coming aboutthem with a great multitude, they smote the swords out of their handswith stones, and so bound them and took them to King Thoas. And the Kingcommanded that they should be taken to the temple, that the priestessmight deal with them according to the custom of the place. 

So they brought the young men bound to the temple. Now the name of theone they knew, for they had heard his companion call to him, but thename of the other they knew not. And when Iphigenia saw them, she badethe people loose their bonds, for that being holy to the goddess theywere free. And then--for she took the two for brothers--she asked them, saying, "Who is your mother, and your father, and your sister, if asister you have? She will be bereaved of noble brothers this day. Andwhence come ye?"

To her Orestes answered, "What meanest thou, lady, by lamenting in thisfashion over us? I hold it folly in him who must die that he shouldbemoan himself. Pity us not; we know what manner of sacrifices ye havein this land. "

"Tell me now, which of ye two is called Pylades?"

"Not I, but this my companion. "

"Of what city in the land of Greece are ye? And are ye brothers born ofone mother?"

"Brothers we are, but in friendship, not in blood. "

"And what is thy name?"

"That I tell thee not. Thou hast power over my body, but not over myname. "

"Wilt thou not tell me thy country?"

And when he told her that his country was Argos, she asked him manythings, as about Troy, and Helen, and Calchas the prophet, and Ulysses;and at last she said, "And Achilles, son of Thetis of the sea, is he yetalive?"

"He is dead, and his marriage that was made at Aulis is of no effect. "

"A false marriage it was, as some know full well. "

"Who art thou that inquirest thus about matters in Greece?"

[Illustration: IPHIGENIA AND ORESTES. ]

"I am of the land of Greece, and was brought thence yet being a child. But there was a certain Agamemnon, son of Atreus, what of him?"

"I know not. Lady, leave all talk of him. "

"Say not so; but do me a pleasure, and tell me. "

"He is dead. "

"Woe is me! How died he?"

"What meaneth thy sorrow? Art thou of his kindred?"

"'Tis a pity to think how great he was, and now he hath perished. "

"He was slain in a most miserable fashion by a woman. But ask no more. "

"Only this one thing. Is his wife yet alive?"

"Nay; for the son whom she bare slew her, taking vengeance for hisfather. "

"A dreadful deed, but righteous withal. "

"Righteous indeed he is, but the Gods love him not. "

"And did the King leave any other child behind him?"

"One daughter, Electra by name. "

"And is his son yet alive?"

"He is alive, but no man more miserable. "

Now when Iphigenia heard that he was alive, and knew that she had beendeceived by the dreams which she had dreamt, she conceived a thought inher heart, and said to Orestes, "Hearken now, for I have somewhat to sayto thee that shall bring profit both to thee and to me. Wilt thou, if Isave thee from this death, carry tidings of me to Argos to my friends, and bear a tablet from me to them? For such a tablet I have with me, which one who was brought captive to this place wrote for me, pityingme, for he knew that I caused not his death, but the law of the goddessin this place. Nor have I yet found a man who should carry this thing toArgos. But thou, I judge, art of noble birth, and knowest the city andthose with whom I would have communication. Take then this tablet, andthy life as a reward; and let this man be sacrificed to the goddess. "

Then Orestes made answer, "Thou hast said well, lady, save in one thingonly. That this man should be sacrificed in my stead pleaseth me not atall. For I am he that brought this voyage to pass; and this man camewith me that he might help me in my troubles. Wherefore it would be agrievous wrong that he should suffer in my stead and I escape. Give thenthe tablet to him. He shall take it to the city of Argos, and thou shalthave what thou wilt. But as for me, let them slay me, if they will. "

"'Tis well spoken, young man. Thou art come, I know, of a noble stock. The Gods grant that my brother--for I have a brother, though he be farhence--may be such as thou. It shall be as thou wilt. This man shalldepart with the tablet, and thou shalt die. "

Then Orestes would know the manner of the death by which he must die. And she told him that she slew not the victims with her own hand, butthat there were ministers in the temple appointed to this office, shepreparing them for sacrifice beforehand. Also she said that his bodywould be burned with fire. 

And when Orestes had wished that the hand of his sister might pay duehonour to him in his death, she said, "This may not be, for she is faraway from this strange land. But yet, seeing that thou art a man ofArgos, I myself will adorn thy tomb, and pour oil of olives and honey onthy ashes. " Then she departed, that she might fetch the tablet from herdwelling, bidding the attendants keep the young men fast, but withoutbonds. 

But when she was gone, Orestes said to Pylades, "Pylades, what thinkestthou? Who is this maiden? She had great knowledge of things in Troy andArgos, and of Calchas the wise soothsayer, and of Achilles and the rest. And she made lamentation over King Agamemnon. She must be of Argos. "

And Pylades answered, "This I cannot say; all men have knowledge of whatbefell the King. But hearken to this. It were shame to me to live ifthou diest. I sailed with thee, and will die with thee. For otherwisemen will account lightly of me both in Argos and in Phocis, which is myown land, thinking that I betrayed thee, or basely slew thee, that Imight have thy kingdom, marrying thy sister, who shall inherit it in thystead. Not so: I will die with thee, and my body shall be burnt togetherwith thine. "

But Orestes answered, "I must bear my own troubles. This indeed would bea shameful thing, that when thou seekest to help me, I should destroythee. But as for me, seeing how the Gods deal with me, it is well that Ishould die. Thou, indeed, art happy, and thy house is blessed; but myhouse is accursed. Go, therefore, and my sister, whom I have given theeto wife, shall bear thee children, and the house of my father shall notperish. And I charge thee that when thou art safe returned to the cityof Argos, thou do these things. First, thou shalt build a tomb for me, and my sister shall make an offering there of her hair and of her tearsalso. And tell her that I died, slain by a woman of Argos, that offeredme as an offering to her Gods; and I charge thee that thou leave not mysister, but be faithful to her. And now farewell, true friend andcompanion in my toils; for indeed I die, and Phoebus hath lied untome, prophesying falsely. "

And Pylades sware to him that he would build him a tomb, and be a truehusband to his sister. After this Iphigenia came forth, holding a tabletin her hand. And she said, "Here is the tablet of which I spake. But Ifear lest he to whom I shall give it shall haply take no account of itwhen he is returned to the land Therefore I would fain bind him with anoath that he will deliver it to them that should have it in the city ofArgos. " And Orestes consented, saying that she also should bind herselfwith an oath that she would deliver one of the two from death. So shesware by Artemis that she would persuade the King, and deliver Pyladesfrom death. And Pylades sware on his part by Zeus, the father of heaven, that he would give the tablet to those whom it should concern. Andhaving sworn it, he said, "But what if a storm overtake me, and thetablet be lost, and I only be saved?"

"I will tell thee what hath been written in the tablet; and if itperish, thou shalt tell them again; but if not, then thou shalt give itas I bid thee. "

"And to whom shall I give it?"

"Thou shalt give it to Orestes, son of Agamemnon. And that which iswritten therein is this: 'I THAT WAS SACRIFICED IN AULIS, EVENIPHIGENIA, WHO AM ALIVE AND YET DEAD TO MY OWN PEOPLE, BID THEE--'"

[Illustration: OFFERINGS TO THE DEAD. ]

But when Orestes heard this, he brake in, "Where is this Iphigenia?Hath the dead come back among the living?"

"Thou seest her in me. But interrupt me not 'I BID THEE FETCH ME BEFOREI DIE TO ARGOS FROM A STRANGE LAND, TAKING ME FROM THE ALTAR THAT IS REDWITH THE BLOOD OF STRANGERS, WHEREAT I SERVE. ' And if Orestes ask bywhat means I am alive, thou shalt say that Artemis put a hind in mystead, and that the priest, thinking that he smote me with the knife, slew the beast, and that the goddess brought me to this land. "

Then said Pylades, "My oath is easy to keep. Orestes, take thou thistablet from thy sister. "

Then Orestes embraced his sister, crying--for she turned from him, notknowing what she should think--"O my sister, turn not from me; for I amthy brother whom thou didst not think to see. "

And when she yet doubted, he told her of certain things by which shemight know him to be Orestes--how that she had woven a tapestry whereinwas set forth the strife between Atreus and Thyestes concerning thegolden lamb; and that she had given a lock of her hair at Aulis to be amemorial of her; and that there was laid in her chamber at Argos theancient spear of Pelops, her father's grandsire, with which he slewOenomaüs, and won Hippodamia to be his wife. 

And when she heard this, she knew that he was indeed Orestes, whom, being an infant and the latest born of his mother, she had in time pastheld in her arms. But when the two had talked together for a space, rejoicing over each other, and telling the things that had befallenthem, Pylades said, "Greetings of friends after long parting are well;but we must needs consider how best we shall escape from this land ofthe barbarians. "

But Iphigenia answered, "Yet nothing shall hinder me from knowing howfareth my sister Electra. "

"She is married, " said Orestes, "to this Pylades, whom thou seest. "

"And of what country is he, and who is his father?"

"His father is Strophius the Phocian; and he is a kinsman, for hismother was the daughter of Atreus, and a friend also such as none otheris to me. "

Then Orestes set forth to his sister the cause of his coming to the landof the Taurians. And he said, "Now help me in this, my sister, that wemay bear away the image of the goddess; for so doing I shall be quit ofmy madness, and thou wilt be brought to thy native country, and thehouse of thy father shall prosper. But if we do it not, then shall weperish altogether. "

And Iphigenia doubted much how this thing might be done. But at the lastshe said, "I have a device whereby I shall compass the matter. I willsay that thou art come hither, having murdered thy mother, and that thoucanst not be offered for a sacrifice till thou art purified with thewater of the sea. Also that thou hast touched the image, and that thisalso must be purified in like manner. And the image I myself will bearto the sea; for, indeed, I only may touch it with my hands. And of thisPylades also I will say that he is polluted in like manner with thee. Soshall we three win our way to the ship. And that this be ready it willbe thy care to provide. "

And when she had so said, she prayed to Artemis: "Great goddess, thatdidst bring me safe in days past from Aulis, bring me now also, andthese that are with me, safe to the land of Greece, so that men maycount thy brother Apollo to be a true prophet. Nor shouldst thou beunwilling to depart from this barbarous land, and to dwell in the faircity of Athens. "

After this came King Thoas, inquiring whether they had offered thestrangers for sacrifice, and had duly burnt their bodies with fire. Tohim Iphigenia made answer, "These were unclean sacrifices that thoubroughtest to me, O King. "

"How didst thou learn this?"

"The image of the goddess turned upon her place of her own accord, andcovered also her face with her hands. "

"What wickedness, then, had these strangers wrought?"

"They slew their mother, and had been banished therefore from the landof Greece. "

"O monstrous! Such deeds we barbarians never do. And now what dost thoupurpose?"

"We must purify these strangers before we offer them for a sacrifice. "

"With water from the river, or in the sea?"

"In the sea. The sea cleanseth away all that is evil among men. "

"Well, thou hast it here, by the very walls of the temple. "

"Aye, but I must seek a place apart from men. "

"So be it; go where thou wilt; I would not look on things forbidden. "

"The image also must be purified. "

"Surely, if the pollution from these murderers of their mother hathtouched it. This is well thought of in thee. "

Then she instructed the King that he should bring the strangers out ofthe temple, having first bound them and veiled their heads. Also thatcertain of his guards should go with her, but that all the people of thecity should be straitly commanded to stay within doors, that so theymight not be defiled; and that he himself should abide in the temple, and purify it with fire, covering his head with his garments when thestrangers should pass by. 

"And be not troubled, " she said, "if I seem to be long doing thesethings. "

"Take what time thou wilt, " he said "so that thou do all things inorder. "

So certain of the King's guards brought the two young men from out ofthe temple, and Iphigenia led them towards the place where the ship ofOrestes lay at anchor. But when they were come near to the shore, shebade them halt nor come over near, for that she had that to do in whichthey must have no part. And she took the chain wherewith the young menwere bound in her hands, and set up a strange song as of one that soughtenchantments. And after that the guard sat where she bade them for along time, they began to fear lest the strangers should have slain thepriestess, and so fled. Yet they moved not, fearing to see that whichwas forbidden. But at the last with one consent they rose up. And whenthey were come to the sea, they saw the ship trimmed to set forth, andfifty sailors on the benches having oars in their hands ready forrowing; and the two young men were standing unbound upon the shore nearto the stern. And other sailors were dragging the ship by the cable tothe shore that the young men might embark. Then the guards laid hold ofthe rudder, and sought to take it from his place, crying, "Who are yethat carry away priestesses and the images of our Gods?" Then Orestessaid, "I am Orestes, and I carry away my sister. " But the guards laidhold of Iphigenia; and when the sailors saw this they leapt from theship; and neither the one nor the other had swords in their hands, butthey fought with their fists and their feet also. And the sailors beingstrong and skilful, the King's men were driven back sorely bruised andwounded. And when they fled to a bank that was hard by and cast stonesat the ship, the archers standing on the stern shot at them with arrows. Then--for his sister feared to come further--Orestes leapt into the sea, and raised her upon his shoulder and so lifted her into the ship, andthe image of the goddess with her. And Pylades cried, "Lay hold of youroars, ye sailors, and smite the sea, for we have that for the which wecame to this land. " So the sailors rowed with all their might; and whilethe ship was in the harbour it went well with them, but when it wascome to the open sea a great wave took it, for a violent wind blewagainst it, and drave it backwards to the shore. 

And one of the guards when he saw this ran to King Thoas and told him, and the King made haste and sent messengers mounted upon horses, to callthe men of the land that they might do battle with Orestes and hiscomrade. But while he was yet sending them there appeared in the airabove his head the Goddess Athené, who spake, saying, "Cease, KingThoas, from pursuing this man and his companions; for he hath comehither on this errand by the command of Apollo; and I have persuadedPoseidon that he make the sea smooth for him to depart. "

And King Thoas answered, "It shall be as thou wilt, O goddess; andthough Orestes hath borne away his sister and the image, I dismiss myanger, for who can fight against the Gods?"

So Orestes departed and came to his own country and dwelt in peace, being set free from his madness, according to the word of Apollo. 

THE STORY OF THE PERSIANS, OR THE BATTLE OF SALAMIS. 

Xerxes, King of Persia, made war against the men of Greece, beingdesirous to have them for his servants. For being a man of a haughtysoul, he thought to make the whole world subject to him; and against themen of Greece he had especial wrath, seeing that in the days of KingDarius his father the Persians had fled before them. Wherefore hegathered together a great army from all parts of his dominions, everytribe and nation that there was in the whole land of the East, Indians, and Arabs, and such as dwelt in the plain country of Asia, havingwaggons for their houses, and Egyptians, and men from the upper parts ofLibya. But the chief strength of his army was of the Medes and Persians, that were his own people. And for sailors he had Phoenicians, dwellersin Tyre and Sidon, and in the coasts thereof. Also many Greeks withhim, such as inhabited the cities of Asia that are near to the Greeksea, and the islands which are neighbours to them. But these loved himnot, hating to fight against their brethren, but were constrained tojoin with him by fear. And when these were gathered together, being asthe sand that is on the seashore for multitude, he marched into the landof Greece; and the ships also, being in number a thousand and more, sailed along as near as might be to the army, that there might be noescape for the Greeks either by land or sea. 

But when the King had been gone now many days, and there came no tidingsof him and the army, the old men, counsellors and princes, to whom hadbeen committed the care of the realm while he should be absent, weregathered together before the palace in Susa, the royal city. Not alittle troubled were they in mind, for the whole strength of the landwas gone to the war. "Invincible, " they said, "is the host of thePersians, and the people is valiant; but yet what man that is mortal canescape from the craft of the Gods, when they lure him to his ruin? Whois so nimble of foot that he can spring out of the net which they layfor his feet? Now of old the Persians fought ever upon the land, but nowhave they ventured where the waves of the sea grow white with the wind;and my heart is sore afraid, lest there come evil news that the city ofSusa is emptied of her men. Then should there be heard great wailing ofwomen; and the fine linen of the daughters of Persia, who even now sitat home alone, would be rent for grief. But come, let us sit and takecounsel together, for our need is sore, and reckon the chances which ofthe two hath prevailed--the Persian bow or the spear of Greece. "

But while they thus spake together there came forth to them from withinthe palace Queen Atossa, borne in a litter. And the old men didobeisance to her, bowing their heads to the ground. (Now Queen Atossahad been wife to Darius, and was the mother of King Xerxes. ) And whenthey had greeted her, she told them for what cause she had come forthfrom the palace, for that she feared greatly lest the wealth which KingDarius had gathered together should be overset. "For I know not, " shesaid, "which is the worse thing, store of wealth without manhood, orlack of riches to them that are strong. "

Then the old men bade her speak on, for that they would give her withall willingness such counsel as they could. After this the Queen setforth the matter to them, saying--

"I have been visited with many dreams and visions of the night since theday when King Xerxes my son departed hence with his army, purposing tosubdue the men of Greece; but never have I seen vision so clear as thatwhich I beheld in this night that is last past. I saw two women clothedwith fair garments, the one being clad in Persian apparel, and the otherin that which Grecian women used to wear. Very tall were they, above thestature of women in these days, and fair, so that no man might blametheir beauty. Sisters also were they of the same race; but the one dweltin the land of the Greeks, and the other in the land of Asia. Betweenthese two there arose a strife; and my son took and soothed them, andwould have yoked them to his chariot. Then she that wore the Persiangarb was quiet and obedient to the bit; but the other fought againsthim, and tare with her hands the trappings of the chariot, and brake theyoke in the midst, so that my son fell upon the ground; and when he wasfallen, lo! his father Darius stood over him, pitying him. This was mydream; and when I had risen and washed my hands in the running stream, Iwent to the altar, that I might offer incense to the Gods that avertevil from men; and there I saw an eagle fleeing to the altar ofPhoebus, and a kite pursued after him, and flew upon him, and tare hishead with his claws; nor did the eagle aught but yield himself up to hisadversary. Now these are fearful things for me to see and also for youto hear. But remember that if my son shall prosper, all men will do himhonour; and if he shall fail, yet shall he give account to no man, butbe still ruler of this land. "

To this the chief of the old men made answer, "O lady, we would counselthee first to ask the Gods that they turn away all evils, and bring topass all that is good; and next to make offerings to Earth and to thedead, and specially to thy husband King Darius, whom thou sawest invisions of the night, that he may send blessings from below to thy son, and turn away all trouble into darkness and nothingness. "

"This will I do, " said the Queen, "so soon as I shall have gone back tothe palace. But first I would hear certain things of you. Tell me, myfriends, in what land is this Athens of which they speak?"

"It is far to the west, " the old men made reply, "towards the setting ofthe sun. "

"And why did my son seek to subdue this city?"

"Because he knew that if he prevailed against it all Greece should besubject unto him. "

"Hath it, then, so many men that draw the sword?"

"Such an army it hath as hath wrought great damage to the Medes. "

"And hath it aught else, as wealth sufficient?"

"There is a spring of silver, a treasure hid in their earth. "

"Do the men make war with bows?"

[Illustration: ATOSSA'S DREAM. ]

"Not so; they have spears for close fighting and shields. "

"And who is master of their army?"

"They are not slaves or subjects to any man. "

"How, then, can they abide the onset of the Persians?"

"Nay, but so well they abide it that they slew a great army of KingDarius. "

"What thou sayest is ill to hear for the mothers of them that are gone. "

And when the Queen had thus spoken, the counsellors espied a man ofPersia running to them with all speed, and knew that he bare tidingsfrom the hosts, whether good or evil. And when the man was come, hecried out, "O land of Persia, abode of proud wealth, how are thy richesdestroyed, and the flower of thy strength perished! 'Tis an ill task tobring such tidings, yet I am constrained to tell all our trouble. O menof Persia, the whole army of our land hath perished. "

Then the old men cried out, bewailing themselves that they had lived tosee this day. And the messenger told them how he had himself seen thisgreat trouble befall the Persians, and had not heard it from others, andthat it was at Salamis that the army had perished, and the city ofAthens that had been chief among their enemies, the old men breaking inupon his story as he spake with their lamentations. But after a whilethe Queen Atossa stood forward, saying, "For a while I was dumb, for thetrouble that I heard suffered me not to speak. But we must bear what theGods send. Tell me, therefore, who is yet alive? and for whom must wemake lamentation?"

"Know, O Queen, " said the messenger, "that thy son, King Xerxes, is yetalive. "

And the Queen cried, "What thou sayest is as light after darkness to me;but say on. "

And when the messenger had told the names of many chiefs that hadperished, the Queen said, "Come, let us hear the whole matter from thebeginning. How many in number were the ships of the Greeks that theydared to meet the Persians in battle array?"

Then the man made reply, "In numbers, indeed, they might not comparewith us; for the Greeks had three hundred ships in all, and ten besidesthat were chosen for their swiftness; but King Xerxes, as thou knowest, had a thousand, and of ships excelling in speed two hundred and seven. Of a truth, we wanted not for strength; but some God hath destroyed ourhost, weighing us against our enemies in deceitful balances. "

And the Queen made reply, "'Tis even so: the Gods preserve the city ofPallas. "

"Yea, " said the man, "Athens is safe, though it be laid waste with fire;for the city that hath true men hath a sure defence. "

"But say, " said the Queen, "who began this battle of ships? Did theGreeks begin, or my son, trusting in the greatness of his host?"

Then the messenger answered, "Some evil demon set on foot all thistrouble. For there came a man from the army of the Athenians to KingXerxes, saying that when night should come the Greeks would not abide intheir place, but, taking with haste to their ships, would fly as bestthey could, and so save their lives. And he straightway, not knowingthat the man lied, and that the Gods were jealous of him, made aproclamation to all the captains. "So soon as the sun be set upon theearth and the heavens dark, order your ships in three companies, andkeep the channels this way and that, and compass about the whole islandof Salamis; for if by any means the Greeks escape, know that ye shallpay your lives for their lives. " This commandment did he give in hispride, not knowing what should come to pass. Whereupon all the people indue order made provision of meat and fitted their oars to the rowlocks;and when night was come, every man-at-arms embarked upon the ships. Andthe word of the command passed from line to line, and they sailed eachto his appointed place. They then watched the channels all the night, yet nowhere was there seen any stir among the Greeks as of men thatwould fly by stealth. And when the fiery chariot of the Sun was seen inheaven, the Greeks set up with one accord a great shout, to which theecho from the rocks of the island made reply; and the Persians weretroubled, knowing that they had been deceived, for the Greeks shoutednot as men that were afraid. And after this there came the voice of atrumpet exceeding loud, and then, when the word was given, the dash ofmany oars that struck the water together, and, clearly heard above all, the sound of many voices, saying, 'RISE, CHILDREN OF THE GREEKS; SETFREE YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR CHILDREN AND YOUR WIVES, AND THE HOUSES OFYOUR GODS, AND THE SEPULCHRES OF YOUR FOREFATHERS. NOW MUST YE FIGHT FORALL THAT YE HOLD DEAR. ' And from us there came a great tumult of Persianspeech, and the battle began, ship striking against ship. And a ship ofthe Greeks led the way, breaking off all the forepart of a ship ofPhoenicia. For a while, indeed, the Persian fleet bare up; but seeingthat there were many crowded together in narrow space, and that theycould not help one another, they began to smite their prows together, and to break the oars one of the other. And the ships of the Greeks in acircle round about them drave against them right skilfully; and manyhulls were overset, till a man could not see the sea, so full was it ofwrecks and of bodies of dead men, with which also all the shores androcks were filled. Then did all the fleet of the Persians take to flightwithout order, and our enemies with oars and pieces of wreck smote us, as men smite tunnies or a shoal of other fish; and there went up adreadful cry, till the darkness fell and they ceased from pursuing. Butall the evils that befell us I could not tell, no, not in ten days; onlybe sure of this, that never before in one day died such a multitude ofmen. "

[Illustration: THE HORSES OF THE MORNING. ]

Then the Queen said, "'Tis surely a great sea of troubles that hathbroken upon our race. "

But the messenger made reply, "Listen yet again, for I have yet more totell. There is an island over against Salamis, small, not easy ofapproach to ships. Hither the King, thy son, sent the chosen men of hisarmy, being in the vigour of their age, and noble of birth, and faithfulto himself. For it was in his mind that they should slay such of theGreeks as should seek to save themselves out of the ships, and shouldhelp any of his own people that might be in need. But he judged ill ofwhat should come to pass. For when the ships of the Greeks had prevailedas I have said, certain of their host clad themselves in arms, andleapt out of the ships on to the island, which they circled about sothat the Persians knew not whither they should turn. And many weresmitten down with stones, and many with arrows, till at the last the menof Greece, making an onslaught together, slew them with their swords sothat there was not a man left alive. Which thing when the King beheld, for he sat on a hill nigh unto the shore of the sea, whence he couldregard the whole army, he uttered a great cry, and rent his garments, and bade his army that was on the land fly with all speed. "

And when the Queen heard these things she said, "O my son, ill hast thouavenged thyself on this city of Athens! But tell me, messenger, whatbefell them that escaped from the battle?"

"As for the ships, " he said; "O Queen, such as perished not in the bayfled without order, the wind favouring them. But of the army many indeedperished of thirst in the land of Boeotia, and the rest departed withall speed through the land of Phocis and the coasts of Doris till wecame to the region of Thessaly, being in sore straits for food. And herealso many perished of hunger and thirst; but such as were left cameinto the land of Macedonia, and thence to the coasts of Thrace, even tothe great river of Strymon. And there the Gods caused that there shouldbe a frost out of season, so that the river was covered with ice in onenight; which marvel when we beheld we worshipped the Gods, yea, such ashad said before in their hearts that there were no Gods. And when ourprayers were ended we crossed over; and with such as crossed before thesun was risen high upon the earth, it was well; for as the day grewtowards noon, the ice was melted in the midst of the river, and thepeople fell through, one upon the other, and perished miserably, so thathe might be counted happiest that died most speedily. But such asremained fled across the plains of Thrace with much toil and trouble, and are now come to our homes, being but a very few out of many. "

Then said the Queen, "Truly my dream is fulfilled to the utmost. But nowlet us do what we may. For the past no man may change; but for thefuture we may take thought. Wherefore I will offer incense to the Godsand to the dead; and do you take faithful counsel together, and if theKing my son should come before I be returned, comfort him and bring himto the palace, lest a yet worse thing befall us. "

Then the Queen departed; and the old men made lamentation for the dead, and bewailed themselves for the trouble that had befallen the land ofPersia. But after a while she returned, walking on her feet and in soberarray, for she would put away all pride and pomp, knowing that the Godswere wroth with the land and its rulers. And she brought with her suchthings as men are wont to offer to the dead--milk and honey, and purewater from a fountain, and pure juice of a wild vine; also the fruit ofthe olive, and garlands of flowers; and she bade the old men sing a hymnto the dead, and call up the spirit of King Darius, while she offeredher offerings to them that bear rule in hell. 

So the old men chanted their hymn. To Earth they cried and to Hermesthat they would send up the spirit of King Darius; also to the Kinghimself they cried, that he would come and give them counsel in theirneed. 

And after a while the spirit of the King rose up from his sepulchre, having a royal crown upon his head, and a purple robe about him, andsandals of saffron upon his feet. And the spirit spake, saying, "Whattrouble is this that seemeth to have come upon the land? For my wifestandeth near to my tomb with offerings; and ye have called me with thecries that raise the dead. Of a truth this is a hard journey to take;for they that bear rule below are more ready to take than to give back. Yet am I come, for I have power among them. Yet hasten, for my time isshort. Tell me, what trouble hath come upon the land of Persia?"

But the old men could not answer him for fear. Whereupon he turned himto the Queen, and said, "My wife that was in time past, cease awhilefrom these lamentations and tell me what hath befallen this land. "

And when she had told him all, he said, "Truly the Gods have broughtspeedy fulfilment to the oracles, which I had hoped might yet be delayedfor many years. But what madness was this in Xerxes my son! Much do Ifear lest our wealth be the prey of the spoiler. "

Then the Queen made reply, "O my lord, Xerxes hath been taught by evilcounsellors; for they told him that thou didst win great wealth for thycountry by thy spear, but that he sat idly at home; wherefore he plannedthis thing that hath now had so ill an end. "

With this the old men, taking heart, would know of the King what counselhe gave them for the time to come. And he said, "Take heed that ye makenot war again upon these men of Greece. " And when they doubted whetherthey might not yet prevail, he said, "Listen, for ye know not yet allthat shall be. When the King, my son, departed, he took not with him hiswhole army, but left behind him many chosen men of war in the land ofBoeotia by the river Æsopus. And for these there is a grievous fate instore. For they shall suffer punishment for all that they have doneagainst Gods and men, seeing that they spared not the temples of theGods, but threw down their altars, and brake their images in pieces. Wherefore they shall perish miserably, for the spear of the Greeks shallslay them in the land of Platæa. For the Gods will not that a man shouldhave thoughts that are above the measure of a man. Also full-floweredinsolence groweth to the fruit of destructions, and men reap from it aharvest of many tears. Do ye then bear Athens and the land of Greece inmind, and let no man, despising what is his and coveting another man'sgoods, so bring great wealth to ruin. For Zeus is ever ready to punishthem that think more highly than they ought to think, and taketh a sternaccount. Wherefore do ye instruct the King with counsels that he ceaseto sin against the Gods in the pride of his heart. And do thou that arthis mother go to thy house, and take from it such apparel as is seemly, and go to meet thy son, for the many rents that he hath made for griefgape in his garments about him. Comfort him also with gentle words; forI know that 'tis thy voice only that he will hear. And to you old men, farewell; and live happily while ye may, for there is no profit ofwealth in the grave whither ye go. "

And with these words the spirit of King Darius departed. 

THE STORY OF ION. 

In the temple of Apollo at Delphi there dwelt a fair youth, whose namewas Ion. Tall he was and comely, like to the son of a King, but of hisbirth no man knew anything; for he had been laid, being yet a babe, atthe door of the temple, and the priestess had brought him up for herson. So he had served the God from a child, being fed from the altar andfrom the gifts of the strangers that were wont to resort to the place. Now it was the lad's custom to rise early in the morning and to sweepthe temple with boughs of bay, and to sprinkle it with water from thefountain of Castalia. Also he was wont to keep the birds from thetemple--for they would come from the woods of Parnassus hard by, eagles, and swans, and others--lest they should settle on the pinnacles ordefile the altar with their prey. And for this end he carried arrowsand a bow, slaying the birds if need was, but rather seeking to frightenthem away, for he knew that some carried messages from the Gods tomortal men, and warned them of things to come, even as did Apollo thatwas his master. 

Now it befell on a day, when he had done his office in the temple, thatthere drew near to the doors a company of women. Maidens they were fromthe land of Attica, and they had come with Creüsa, who was Queen of thecountry. And first they marvelled at the graved work that was on thedoors and in the porch, for some cunning workmen had wrought thereonHercules slaying the great dragon of Lerna, and Iolaüs standing with atorch to sear that which he cut with his knife. Also Bellerophon was tobe seen on a horse with wings, slaying the Chimæra; and Pallas fightingagainst the Sons of Earth, with the thunderbolt of her father Zeus andthe shield of the Gorgon head. And when they had made an end of seeingthese things came the Queen Creüsa herself and had speech with Ion. Andshe told him that she was the daughter of Erechtheus, King of Athens, and that she was married to Xuthus, a Prince from the island of Pelops. And when Ion would know how it had come to pass that Xuthus, being astranger and a foreigner, had received her that was a Princess of theland in marriage, she said that the Prince had fought for the men ofAthens against the land of Euboea, and had subdued it, and so had wonfor himself this reward. Also when the youth would know for what end shehad come to the oracles of Delphi, she said that she had come becausehaving been long married she was yet childless, and that her husbandalso was with her, and that he was even then making inquiry about thissame matter in the cave of Trophonius. For there also was an oraclegiving answers to men about things to come. Then the Queen asked Ion ofhis estate, and heard from him that the priestess of Apollo had broughthim up, having found him laid at the door of the temple. 

After these things came King Xuthus himself, who, after he had greetedthe Queen, said that Trophonius would not indeed go before the answer ofApollo, yet promised this, that he should not go to his home childless. So the two went together into the shrine that they might inquire yetfurther of the matter; and Ion abode without, meditating much on thethings which these strangers had said. 

But after a while the King came forth in great joy, and when he saw theyouth Ion standing without the shrine, he caught him by the hand, andwould have thrown his arms about him, but the youth drew back, thinkingthat the God had smitten him with madness, and even would have drawn hisbow against him. Then the King set forth to him the answer that Apollohad given him. For the God had said, "Thou art not childless as thouthinkest, but the father of a fair son. And thy son is he whom firstthou shalt meet going forth from my shrine. " "And now, " said the King, "thou art he whom first I meet coming forth, and I claim thee to be myson. " And when Ion would know how this might be, the King said that indays past, before he had married the Princess Creüsa, being young andfoolish, he had taken to wife a maiden of low degree in this very cityof Delphi, and that if she had borne him a son--for that he knew not, having left her long since--the child would bear such age as Ion. Andwhen Ion heard this he was glad, for he had feared lest haply he shouldbe found to be the son of some slave. Only he said to himself, "O mydear mother, shall I ever see thee? For now do I long more than ever tolook upon thee; but haply thou art dead and this may never be. "

And the maidens of Athens standing by heard the talk between the two, and said, "It is well for the people that the royal house shouldprosper. Yet it had pleased us well that our lady the Queen should havehope of offspring, and that the house of Erechtheus should not be leftwithout an heir. "

Then said the King to Ion, "My son, it is well both with thee and me, for I have found that which I most desired and thou also. And as to thatwhich thou now sayest about thy mother, haply, if only we have patience, this also shall be as thou wouldst have it. But now I would have theeleave the temple of Apollo and this thy subsistence of alms, and comewith me to the great city of Athens, where thou shalt have great wealth, and in due time this sceptre that I hold. But why art thou silent andcastest thine eyes to the ground? Suddenly art thou changed from joy tosorrow, and the heart of thy father misgiveth him. "

Then spoke Ion, saying, "My father, the aspect of many things changethaccording as a man seeth them, whether it be near or afar off. Rightglad was I to find a father in thee; but as to what else thou sayest, hearken to me. Men say that the Athenians are a people that have dweltin the land from the beginning. Wherefore I shall have among them adouble reproach, being both basely born and also a foreigner. And if Icome to high place in the state, they that are beneath me shall hate me, seeing that men love not those that are above them. Also those that areof high account among the citizens shall have much jealousy against me, for such men have ever great enmity against their rivals. Think also ofthy house, how matters shall stand there. For before, thy wife the Queenshared with thee this reproach of childlessness, but now will she standalone and bear her sorrow by herself. How then shall she not hate mewhen she seeth me at thy right hand? And so shalt thou either for loveof her go back from what thou hast promised to me, or else, seeking myprofit, shalt trouble thine own house. For thou knowest what deadlydeeds with the sword and with poison women holding themselves to bewronged have wrought against their husbands. And of a truth, my father, I hold that thy wife, seeing that she groweth old without hope ofchildren, is most miserable among women. And then as to kingship, Icount that this is more pleasant to regard from afar than to possess;for how can he be happy who liveth in daily fear of death? And if thousayest that great store of wealth out-weigheth all other things, andthat it is pleasant to be rich, I hold otherwise. I would have neitherpoverty nor riches, but to live quietly and without trouble. For listen, my father, to the good things that I have had in this place--that whichall men count dear, even leisure; and such labour as I did, nottoilsome, and to be free from all ill company, and to be constant inprayers to the Gods, or in talk with men, ever consorting with newcompany among such as came to inquire of the god. Surely, my father, this life is better than that which thou promisest to me. "

"My son, " the King made answer, "learn to take the good which the Godshave provided for thee. First, then, I will bring thee to the feastwhich I purpose to hold in this place as though thou wert a stranger. And afterwards I will take thee to the city of Athens, yet not declaringat the first thy birth, for I would not vex my wife with my good luck, seeing that she is yet childless. Only in time I will work with her thatthou shalt bear rule in the land with her good will. And now call suchof thy friends as thou wilt to the feast, for thou must even bidfarewell to this city of Delphi. "

And Ion made answer, "Let it be so; only if I find not my mother, mylife is nothing worth. "

And to the maidens the King said, "Take heed that ye keep silence onthese matters, or ye shall surely die. "

But they were much troubled in heart for their mistress that she shouldbe childless, while the King her husband had found a son. Also theydoubted much whether they should not tell the Queen the things whichthey had heard. 

And now there was seen to come near to the shrine an old man who had indays past been servant to King Erechtheus; and when the Queen saw him, she reached her hand to him, and helped him to climb the steps of thetemple, for he was very feeble with age. And when he was come to thetop, the Queen turned her to the maidens that stood by and inquired ofthem whether they knew aught of the answer which the God had given toher husband in the matter of his childlessness. But they were loath tomake answer, remembering that the King had bidden them to be silentunder pain of death; but at the last, for the thing pleased them not, both for pity of their mistress and also for hatred that a strangershould be King in Athens, they said, "O lady, thou must never hold achild in thy arms or nurse a babe at thy breast. " And when the old manasked--for the Queen was distraught with grief--whether the King alsoshared this trouble, they said, "Not so, old man; to him Apollo giveth ason. "

"How so?" said he; "is this son yet to be born, or doth he livealready?"

"He is a youth full grown. For the God said, 'He whom thou shalt firstmeet, coming forth from this shrine, is thy son. ' And know, lady, thatthis youth is he who is wont to serve in this shrine, with whom thoutalkedst at the first. But more than this I know not; only that thyhusband is gone without thy knowledge to hold a great feast, and thatthe lad sitteth thereat in much honour. "

And when the old man heard these things he waxed wroth and said, "Lady, there is treachery in this matter. We are betrayed by thy husband, andof fixed purpose set at naught, that he may drive us out of the house ofthy father, King Erechtheus. And this I say not because I hate thyhusband, but that I love thee more. Hearken, then, to my words. He camea stranger to the city of Athens, and took thee to wife, and had withthee the inheritance of thy father's kingdom; and when he found theechildless, he was not content to bear this reproach with thee, butwedded secretly some slave woman, and gave the child whom she bare tohim to some citizen of Delphi to rear for him. And the child grew up, asthou knowest, a minister in the temple of Apollo. And when thy husbandknew that he was come to full age he devised this device that thou andhe should come to this place, and make inquiry of the god, whether theremight be any remedy for thy childlessness. And now thou wilt suffer thefoulest wrong, for he will bring this son of a bondwoman to be lord inthy house. Wherefore I give thee this counsel. Devise some device, andbe it with the sword or with poison, or with whatever thou wilt, slaythy husband and his son, or they shall surely slay thee. For if thouspare them thou wilt surely die. For if there be two enemies under oneroof, it must needs be that the one perish. And now, if thou wilt, Iwill do this deed for thee, and slay them at the feast which heprepareth; for I have had sustenance in the house of thy father to thisday, for which I would fain make this return. "

Then the Queen and the old man talked together about the matter. Andwhen he would have had her slay her husband, she refused, saying thatshe could not do the deed, for that she thought of the time when he wasfaithful and loving to her. But when he would have her execute vengeanceon the youth, she consented. Only she doubted how this might be done. Then the old man cried, "Arm thine attendants with the sword and slayhim. "

"Aye, " said the Queen, "and I would lead them myself; but where shall Islay him?"

"Slay him, " said the old man, "in the tent where he feasteth hisfriends. "

"Nay, " answered the Queen, "the deed would be too manifest; the handsalso of slaves are ever feeble. "

Then the old man cried in a rage, "I see thou playest the coward. Takecounsel for thyself. "

Then said the Queen, "I have a plan in my heart that is both crafty andsure. Listen now, and I will unfold it to thee. Thou knowest how in timepast the Giants that were the sons of Earth made war against the Gods inthe plain of Phlegra; and that Earth, seeking to help her children, brought forth the Gorgon; and that Pallas, the daughter of Zeus, slewthe monster. Know then that Pallas gave to Ericthonius, who was thefirst King of the land of Attica, being sprung from the earth, two dropsof the blood of the Gorgon, whereof the one hath the power to killwhomsoever it shall touch, and the other to heal all manner ofdiseases. And these she shut in gold to keep them; and Ericthonius gavethem to King Erechtheus my father, and he, when he died, gave them tome. And I carry them in a bracelet on my wrist. And thou shalt take theone that worketh death, and with it thou shalt slay this youth. "

"'Tis well thought, " the old man made answer; "but where shall I do thedeed?"

"In Athens, " said the Queen, "when he shall have come to my house. "

But the old man said, "That is not well; for thou wilt have the reputeof the deed, even if thou slay him not. Slay him rather in this place, where thou shalt be more likely to deceive thy husband, for it must notbe that he know it. "

When the Queen heard this she said, "Hear, then, what thou must do. Goto the place where my husband maketh a sacrifice and a feast following. And when the guests are even now ready to cease from their feasting andmake libations to the Gods, drop his drop of death into the cup of himwho would lord it over my house. Of a surety if it pass his throat heshall never come to the city of Athens. "

So the old man went on his errand, and as he went he said to himself, "Old foot of mine, do this thy business as though thou wert young. Thouhast to help the house of thy master against an enemy. Let them that arehappy talk of piety; he that would work his adversary woe must take noaccount of laws. "

But meanwhile Xuthus had bidden the youth Ion have a care for the feast, for that he himself had yet sacrifice to make, at which he might haplytarry long time. Wherefore Ion set up a great tent on poles, lookingneither wholly to the south nor to the west, but between the two. Andthe tent he made foursquare, being of a hundred feet each way, for hepurposed to call the whole people of Delphi to the feast. Then he tookcurtains from the treasure-house to cover it within, very marvellous tobehold; for on them was wrought the Heaven with all the gathering of thestars, and the Sun driving his chariot to the west, and dark-robedNight, with the stars following her, the Pleiades, and Orion with hissword, and the Bear turning about the Pole, and the bright circle of theMoon; and on the other side the Morning chasing the stars. Also therewere tapestries from foreign land, ships fighting with ships, andstrange shapes, half men half beasts, and the hunting of stags andlions. 

But in the midst of the tent great bowls were set for wine; and a heraldbade all the men of Delphi to the feast. But when they had had enough ofeating and drinking, the old man, the servant of the Queen, cameforward; and all men laughed to see him how busy he was. For he took thewater that should have been mixed with the wine and used it for thewashing of hands, and burnt the incense, and took upon himself theordering of the cups. And after a while he said, "Take away those cups, and bring greater that we may be merry. " So they brought great cups ofgold and silver. And the old man took one that was more beautiful thanthe rest, and filled it to the brim and gave it to the youth Ion, asthough he would do him great honour; but he dropped into it the deadlydrop. Only no man saw the thing that he did. But when they were allabout to drink, some one spake an evil word to his neighbour, and Ionheard it, and having full knowledge of augury, held it to be of illomen, and bade them fill another bowl; and that every one should pourout upon the ground that which was in his cup. And on this there camedown a flight of doves, for such dwelt in the temple of Apollo withoutfear, and sipped of the wine that had been poured forth. And all therest drank and suffered no harm; but that which had settled where theyouth Ion had poured out from his cup shook and reeled and screamedaloud, and so died, being sorely rent with the pangs of death. And whenthe youth saw this he cried, "Who is it that hath plotted my death? Tellme, old man, for thou gavest me the cup. " And he leapt over the tableand laid hands on him. And at last the old man, being sorely pressed, unfolded the whole matter. Then Ion gathered all the Princes of Delphitogether, and told them that the strange woman, the daughter ofErechtheus, had plotted his death by poison. And the sentence of thePrinces was that she should be cast down from the rock on which theircity was built, because she had sought to slay with poison the ministerof the god. 

Then one who had seen the whole matter from the beginning to the end, ran with all speed and told it to the Queen; and she, when she heard it, and that the officers of the people were coming to lay hands on her, fled to the altar of Apollo, and sat upon it in the place whereon thesacrifice was laid; for they that flee to the altar are sacred, and itis a sin against the god if any man touch them. But in a short spacecame Ion with a troop of armed men, breathing out threats and furyagainst the Queen. And when he saw her he said, "What a viper is thisthat thou hast brought forth, land of Attica! Worse is she than the dropof Gorgon's blood wherewith she would have slain me. Seize her that shemay be thrown from the rock. 'Tis well for me that I set not foot in herhouse in Athens; for then had she caught me in a net, and I had surelydied. But now the altar of Apollo shall not save her. "

And he bade the men drag her from the holy place. But even as he spakecame in the Pythia, the priestess. And when Ion had greeted her, askingher whether she knew how this woman had sought to slay him, she answeredthat she knew it, but that he too was fierce above measure, and that hemust not defile with blood the house whereto he went in the city ofAthens. And when he was loath to listen to her, she said, "Seest thouthis that I hold in my hand?" Now what she held was a basket with tuftsof wool about it. "This is that in which I found thee, long ago, anew-born babe. And Apollo hath laid it upon me not to say aught of thisbefore, but now to give it into thy hands. Take it, therefore, for theswaddling clothes wherein thou wast wrapped are within, and find out forthyself of what race thou art. And now, farewell; for I love thee as amother loveth her child. "

Then Ion said to himself, "This is a sorrowful thing to see, this basketin which my mother laid me long since, putting me away from her insecret, so that I have grown up as one without a name in this temple. The god hath dealt kindly with me, yet hath my fortune and the fortuneof my mother been but ill. And what if I find that I am the son of somebondwoman. It was better to know nought than to know this. But I may notfight against the will of the god; wherefore I will open it and hear mypast whatever it be. "

So he opened the basket, and marvelled that it was not wasted with time, and that there was no decay upon that which was within. But when theQueen saw the basket, she knew it, and leapt from where she sat upon thealtar, and told him all that was in her heart, that in time past, beforeshe was wedded to King Xuthus, she had borne a son to Apollo, and hadlaid the babe in this basket, and with him swaddling clothes of thingswhich she had woven with her own hands, and "Thou, " she said, "art myson, whom I see after this long time. "

And when the young man doubted whether this was so, the Queen told himthe pattern of the clothes; that there was one which she had woven beingyet a girl, not finished with skill, but like rather to the task of onethat learns, and that there was wrought upon it the head of the Gorgon, and that it was fringed about with snakes, like to Pallas's shield, theægis. Also she said that there were necklaces wrought like to the scalesof a snake, and a wreath of olive besides, as befitted the child of adaughter of Athens. 

Then Ion knew that the Queen was his mother; yet was he sore perplexed, for the god had given him as a son to King Xuthus, nor did he doubt butthat the god ever speaketh that which is true. Then he said that hewould himself inquire of Apollo. But as he turned to go, lo! a greatbrightness in the air, and the shape as of one of the dwellers inheaven. And when he was afraid, and would have fled with the Queen, there came a voice, saying, "Flee not, for I am a friend and not anenemy. I am Pallas, and I come from King Apollo with a message to thisyouth and to the Queen. To Ion he saith, 'Thou art my son, whom thiswoman bare to me in time past. ' And to the Queen, 'Take this thy sonwith thee to the city of Athens, and set him on the throne of thyfather, for it is meet that he, being of the race of Erechtheus, shouldsit thereon. And know that he shall become a great nation, and that hischildren in time to come shall dwell in the islands of the sea, and inthe lands that border thereon, and that they shall be called Ioniansafter his name. Know also that thou shalt bear children to Xuthus--Dorusand Æolus--and that these also shall become fathers of nations. '"

And when the goddess had thus spoken she departed; and the two, Ion andQueen Creüsa, with King Xuthus also, went to their home in great joy andpeace. 

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