theseus-第4节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


their　pursuit。　Demon　writes　that　Taurus；　the　chief　captain　of　Minos；
was　slain　by　Theseus　at　the　mouth　of　the　port；　in　a　naval　combat　as　he
was　sailing　out　for　Athens。　But　Philochorus　gives　us　the　story　thus：
That　at　the　setting　forth　of　the　yearly　games　by　King　Minos；　Taurus
was　expected　to　carry　away　the　prize；　as　he　had　done　before；　and　was
much　grudged　the　honour。　His　character　and　manners　made　his　power
hateful；　and　he　was　accused　moreover　of　too　near　familiarity　with
Pasiphae；　for　which　reason；　when　Theseus　desired　the　combat；　Minos
readily　complied。　And　as　it　was　a　custom　in　Crete　that　the　women
also　should　be　admitted　to　the　sight　of　these　games；　Ariadne；　being
present；　was　struck　with　admiration　of　the　manly　beauty　of　Theseus；
and　the　vigour　and　address　which　he　showed　in　the　combat；　overcoming
all　that　encountered　with　him。　Minos；　too；　being　extremely　pleased
with　him；　especially　because　he　had　overthrown　and　disgraced　Taurus；
voluntarily　gave　up　the　young　captives　to　Theseus；　and　remitted　the
tribute　to　the　Athenians。　Clidemus　gives　an　account　peculiar　to
himself；　very　ambitiously；　and　beginning　a　great　way　back：　That　it　was
a　decree　consented　to　by　all　Greece；　that　no　vessel　from　any　place；
containing　above　five　persons；　should　be　permitted　to　sail；　Jason　only
excepted；　who　was　made　captain　of　the　great　ship　Argo；　to　sail　about
and　scour　the　sea　of　pirates。　But　Daedalus　having　escaped　from
Crete；　and　flying　by　sea　to　Athens；　Minos；　contrary　to　this　decree；
pursued　him　with　his　ships　of　war；　was　forced　by　a　storm　upon
Sicily；　and　there　ended　his　life。　After　his　decease；　Deucalion；　his
son；　desiring　a　quarrel　with　the　Athenians；　sent　to　them；　demanding
that　they　should　deliver　up　Daedalus　to　him；　threatening　upon　their
refusal；　to　put　to　death　all　the　young　Athenians　whom　his　father　had
received　as　hostages　from　the　city。　To　this　angry　message　Theseus
returned　a　very　gentle　answer　excusing　himself　that　he　could　not
deliver　up　Daedalus；　who　was　nearly　related　to　him；　being　his
cousin…german；　his　mother　being　Merope；　the　daughter　of　Erechtheus。　In
the　meanwhile　he　secretly　prepared　a　navy；　part　of　it　at　home　near　the
village　of　the　Thymoetadae；　a　place　of　no　resort；　and　far　from　any
common　roads；　the　other　part　by　his　grandfather　Pittheus's　means　at
Troezen；　that　so　his　design　might　be　carried　on　with　the　greatest
secrecy。　As　soon　as　ever　his　fleet　was　in　readiness；　he　set　sail；
having　with　him　Daedalus　and　other　exiles　from　Crete　for　his　guides；
and　none　of　the　Cretans　having　any　knowledge　of　his　coming；　but
imagining　when　they　saw　his　fleet　that　they　were　friends　and　vessels
of　their　own；　he　soon　made　himself　master　of　the　port；　and　immediately
making　a　descent；　reached　Gnossus　before　any　notice　of　his　coming；
and；　in　a　battle　before　the　gates　of　the　labyrinth；　put　Deucalion
and　all　his　guards　to　the　sword。　The　government　by　this　means
falling　to　Ariadne；　he　made　a　league　with　her；　and　received　the
captives　of　her；　and　ratified　a　perpetual　friendship　between　the
Athenians　and　the　Cretans；　whom　he　engaged　under　an　oath　never　again
to　commence　any　war　with　Athens。
　　There　are　yet　many　other　traditions　about　these　things；　and　as
many　concerning　Ariadne；　all　inconsistent　with　each　other。　Some　relate
that　she　hung　herself；　being　deserted　by　Theseus。　Others　that　she
was　carried　away　by　his　sailors　to　the　isle　of　Naxos；　and　married　to
Oenarus；　priest　of　Bacchus；　and　that　Theseus　left　her　because　he
fell　in　love　with　another…

　　　　　　　　〃For　Aegle's　love　was　burning　in　his　breast；

a　verse　which　Hereas；　the　Megarian；　says　was　formerly　in　the　poet
Hesiod's　works；　but　put　out　by　Pisistratus；　in　like　manner　as　he　added
in　Homer's　Raising　of　the　Dead；　to　gratify　the　Athenians；　the　line…

　　　　　　　　〃Theseus；　Pirithous；　mighty　son　of　gods。〃

Others　say　Ariadne　had　sons　also　by　Theseus；　Oenopion　and　Staphylus；
and　among　these　is　the　poet　Ion　of　Chios；　who　writes　of　his　own　native
city…

　　　　　　　　〃Which　once　Oenopion；　son　of　Theseus　built。〃

But　the　more　famous　of　the　legendary　stories　everybody　（as　I　may
say）　has　in　his　mouth。　In　Paeon；　however；　the　Amathusian；　there　is　a
story　given；　differing　from　the　rest。　For　he　writes　that　Theseus；
being　driven　by　a　storm　upon　the　isle　of　Cyprus；　and　having　aboard
with　him　Ariadne；　big　with　child；　and　extremely　discomposed　with　the
rolling　of　the　sea；　set　her　on　shore；　and　left　her　there　alone；　to
return　himself　and　help　the　ship；　when；　on　a　sudden；　a　violent　wind
carried　him　again　out　to　sea。　That　the　women　of　the　island　received
Ariadne　very　kindly；　and　did　all　they　could　to　console　and　alleviate
her　distress　at　being　left　behind。　That　they　counterfeited　kind
letters；　and　delivered　them　to　her；　as　sent　from　Theseus；　and；　when
she　fell　in　labour；　were　diligent　in　performing　to　her　every　needful
service；　but　that　she　died　before　she　could　be　delivered；　and　was
honourably　interred。　That　soon　after　Theseus　returned；　and　was　greatly
afflicted　for　her　loss；　and　at　his　departure　left　a　sum　of　money　among
the　people　of　the　island；　ordering　them　to　do　sacrifice　to　Ariadne；
and　caused　two　little　images　to　be　made　and　dedicated　to　her；　one　of
silver　and　the　other　of　brass。　Moreover；　that　on　the　second　day　of
Gorpiaeus；　which　is　sacred　to　Ariadne；　they　have　this　ceremony　among
their　sacrifices；　to　have　a　youth　lie　down　and　with　his　voice　and
gesture　represent　the　pains　of　a　woman　in　travail；　and　that　the
Amathusians　call　the　grove　in　which　they　show　her　tomb；　the　grove　of
Venus　Ariadne。
　　Differing　yet　from　this　account；　some　of　the　Naxians　write　that
there　were　two　Minoses　and　two　Ariadnes；　one　of　whom；　they　say；　was
married　to　Bacchus；　in　the　isle　of　Naxos；　and　bore　the　children
Staphylus　and　his　brother；　but　that　the　other；　of　a　later　age；　was
carried　off　by　Theseus；　and；　being　afterwards　deserted　by　him；　retired
to　Naxos；　with　her　nurse　Corcyna；　whose　grave　they　yet　show。　That　this
Ariadne　also　died　there；　and　was　worshipped　by　the　island；　but　in　a
different　manner　from　the　former；　for　her　day　is　celebrated　with
general　joy　and　revelling；　but　all　the　sacrifices　performed　to　the
latter　are　attended　with　mourning　and　gloom。
　　Now　Theseus；　in　his　return　from　Crete；　put　in　at　Delos；　and　having
sacrificed　to　the　god　of　the　island；　dedicated　to　the　temple　the　image
of　Venus　which　Ariadne　had　given　him；　and　danced　with　the　young
Athenians　a　dance　that；　in　memory　of　him；　they　say　is　still
preserved　among　the　inhabitants　of　Delos；　consisting　in　certain
measured　turnings　and　returnings；　imitative　of　the　windings　and
twistings　of　the　labyrinth。　And　this　dance；　as　Dicaearchus　writes；
is　called　among　the　Delians　the　Crane。　This　he　danced　around　the
Ceratonian　Altar；　so　called　from　its　consisting　of　horns　taken　from
the　left　side　of　the　head。　They　say　also　that　he　instituted　games　in
Delos；　where　he　was　the　first　that　began　the　custom　of　giving　a　palm
to　the　victors。
　　When　they　were　come　near　the　coast　of　Attica；　so　great　was　the　joy
for　the　happy　success　of　their　voyage；　that　neither　Theseus　himself
nor　the　pilot　remembered　to　hang　out　the　sail　which　should　have　been
the　token　of　their　safety　to　Aegeus；　who；　in　despair　at　the　sight；
threw　himself　headlong　from　a　rock；　and　perished　in　the　sea。　But
Theseus　being　arrived　at　the　port　of　Phalerum；　paid　there　the
sacrifices　which　he　had　vowed　to　the　gods　at　his　setting　out　to　sea；
and　sent　a　herald　to　the　city　to　carry　the　news　of　his　safe　return。　At
his　entrance；　the　herald　found　the　people　for　the　most　part　full　of
grief　for　the　loss　of　their　king；　others；　as　may　well　be　believed；
as　full　of　joy　for　the　tidings　that　he　brought；　and　eager　to　welcome
him　and　crown　him　with　garlands　for　his　good　news；　which　he　indeed
accepted　of；　but　hung　them　upon　his　herald's　staff；　and　thus　returning
to　the　seaside　before　Theseus　had　finished　his　libation　to　the　gods；
he　stayed　apart　for　fear　of　disturbing　the　holy　rites；　but；　as　soon　as
the　libation　was　ended；　went　up　and　related　the　king's　death；　upon　the
hearing　of　which；　with　great　lamentations　and　a　confused　tumult　of
grief；　they　ran　with　all　haste　to　the　city。　And　from　hence；　they
say；　it　comes　that　at　this　day；　in　the　feast　of　Oschophoria；　the
herald　is　not　crowned；　but　his　staff；　and　all　who　are　present　at　the
libation　cry　out　eleleu；　iou；　iou；　the　first　of　which　confused
sounds　is　commonly　used　by　men　in　haste；　or　at　a　triumph；　the　other　is
proper　to　people　in　consternation　or　disorder　of　mind。
　　Theseus；　after　the　funeral　of　his　father；　paid　his　vows　to　Apollo
the　seventh　day　of　Pyanepsion；　for　on　that　day　the　youth　that　returned
with　him　safe　from　Crete　made　their　entry　into　the　city。　They　say；
also；　that　the　custom　of　boiling　pulse　at　this　feast　is　derived　from
hence；　because　the　young　men　that　escaped　put　all　that　was　left　of
their　provision　together；　and；　boiling　it　in　one　common　pot；　feasted
themselves　with　it；　and　ate　it　all　up　together。　Hence；　also；　they
carry　in　procession　an　olive　branch　bound　about　with　wool　（such　as
they　then　made　use　of　in　their　supplications）；　which　they　call
Eiresione；　crowned　with　all　sorts　of　fruits；　to　signify　that
scarcity　and　barrenness　was　ceased；　singing　in