a smaller history of greece-第3章

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res　of　the　Black　Sea；　under　the　guardianship　of　a　sleepless　dragon。　　The　most　renowned　heroes　of　the　age　took　part　in　the　expedition。　　Among　them　were　Hercules　and　Theseus；　as　well　as　the　principal　leaders　in　the　Trojan　war；　but　Jason　is　the　central　figure　and　the　real　hero　of　the　enterprise。　　Upon　arriving　at　AEa；　after　many　adventures；　king　AEtes　promised　to　deliver　to　Jason　the　golden　fleece；　provided　he　yoked　two　fire…breathing　oxen　with　brazen　feet；　and　performed　other　wonderful　deeds。　　Here；　also；　as　in　the　legend　of　Theseus；　love　played　a　prominent　part。　　Medea；　the　daughter　of　AEtes；　who　was　skilled　in　magic　and　supernatural　arts；　furnished　Jason　with　the　means　of　accomplishing　the　labours　imposed　upon　him；　and　as　her　father　still　delayed　to　surrender　the　fleece；　she　cast　the　dragon　asleep　during　the　night；　seized　the　fleece；　and　sailed　away　in　the　Argo　with　her　beloved　Jason。

The　Trojan　war　was　the　greatest　of　all　the　heroic　achievements。　It　formed　the　subject　of　innumerable　epic　poems；　and　has　been　immortalised　by　the　genius　of　Homer。　　Paris；　son　of　Priam；　king　of　Troy；　abused　the　hospitality　of　Menelaus；　king　of　Sparta；　by　carrying　off　his　wife　Helen；　the　most　beautiful　woman　of　the　age。　All　the　Grecian　princes　looked　upon　the　outrage　as　one　committed　against　themselves。　　Responding　to　the　call　of　Menelaus；　they　assembled　in　arms；　elected　his　brother　Agamemnon；　king　of　Mycenae；　leader　of　the　expedition；　and　sailed　across　the　AEgean　in　nearly　1200　ships　to　recover　the　faithless　fair　one。　　Several　of　the　confederate　heroes　excelled　Agamemnon　in　fame。　　Among　them　Achilles；　chief　of　the　Thessalian　Myrmidons；　stood　pre…eminent　in　strength；　beauty；　and　valour；　whilst　Ulysses；　king　of　Ithaca；　surpassed　all　the　rest　in　the　mental　qualities　of　counsel　and　eloquence。　　Among　the　Trojans；　Hector；　one　of　the　sons　of　Priam；　was　most　distinguished　for　heroic　qualities　and　formed　a　striking　contrast　to　his　handsome　but　effeminate　brother　Paris。　　Next　to　Hector　in　valour　stood　AEneas；　son　of　Anchises　and　Aphrodite　（Venus）。　　Even　the　gods　took　part　in　the　contest；　encouraging　their　favourite　heroes；　and　sometimes　fighting　by　their　side　or　in　their　stead。

It　was　not　till　the　tenth　year　of　the　war　that　Troy　yielded　to　the　inevitable　decree　of　fate；　and　it　is　this　year　which　forms　the　subject　of　the　Iliad。　　Achilles；　offended　by　Agamemnon；　abstains　from　the　war；　and　in　his　absence　the　Greeks　are　no　match　for　Hector。　　The　Trojans　drive　them　back　into　their　camp；　and　are　already　setting　fire　to　their　ships；　when　Achilles　gives　his　armour　to　his　friend　Patroclus；　and　allows　him　to　charge　at　the　head　of　the　Myrmidons。　　Patroclus　repulses　the　Trojans　from　the　ships；　but　the　god　Apollo　is　against　him；　and　he　falls　under　the　spear　of　Hector。　　Desire　to　avenge　the　death　of　his　friend　proves　more　powerful　in　the　breast　of　Achilles　than　anger　against　Agamemnon。　　He　appears　again　in　the　field　in　new　and　gorgeous　armour；　forged　for　him　by　the　god　Hephrastus　（Vulcan）　at　the　prayer　of　Thetis。　　The　Trojans　fly　before　him；　and；　although　Achilles　is　aware　that　his　own　death　must　speedily　follow　that　of　the　Trojan　hero；　he　slays　Hector　in　single　combat。

The　Iliad　closes　with　the　burial　of　Hector。　　The　death　of　Achilles　and　the　capture　of　Troy　were　related　in　later　poems。　The　hero　of　so　many　achievements　perishes　by　an　arrow　shot　by　the　unwarlike　Paris；　but　directed　by　the　hand　of　Apollo。　　The　noblest　combatants　had　now　fallen　on　either　side；　and　force　of　arms　had　proved　unable　to　accomplish　what　stratagem　at　length　effects。　　It　is　Ulysses　who　now　steps　into　the　foreground　and　becomes　the　real　conqueror　of　Troy。　　By　his　advice　a　wooden　horse　is　built；　in　whose　inside　he　and　other　heroes　conceal　themselves。　　The　infatuated　Trojans　admit　the　horse　within　their　walls。　　In　the　dead　of　night　the　Greeks　rush　out　and　open　the　gates　to　their　comrades。　　Troy　is　delivered　over　to　the　sword；　and　its　glory　sinks　in　ashes。　　The　fall　of　Troy　is　placed　in　the　year　1184　B。C。

The　return　of　the　Grecian　leaders　from　Troy　forms　another　series　of　poetical　legends。　　Several　meet　with　tragical　ends。　　Agamemnon　is　murdered　on　his　arrival　at　Mycenae；　by　his　wife　Clytaemnestra　and　her　paramour　AEgisthus。　　But　of　these　wanderings　the　most　celebrated　and　interesting　are　those　of　Ulysses；　which　form　the　subject　of　the　Odyssey。　　After　twenty　years'　absence　he　arrives　at　length　in　Ithaca；　where　he　slays　the　numerous　suitors　who　devoured　his　substance　and　contended　for　the　hand　of　his　wife　Penelope。

The　Homeric　poems　must　not　be　regarded　as　a　record　of　historical　persons　and　events；　but；　at　the　same　time；　they　present　a　valuable　picture　of　the　institutions　and　manners　of　the　earliest　known　state　of　Grecian　society。

In　the　Heroic　age　Greece　was　already　divided　into　a　number　of　independent　states；　each　governed　by　its　own　king。　　The　authority　of　the　king　was　not　limited　by　any　laws；　his　power　resembled　that　of　the　patriarchs　in　the　Old　Testament；　and　for　the　exercise　of　it　he　was　responsible　only　to　Zeus；　and　not　to　his　people。　　But　though　the　king　was　not　restrained　in　the　exercise　of　his　power　by　any　positive　laws；　his　authority　was　practically　limited　by　the　BOULE；　or　council　of　chiefs；　and　the　Agora；　or　general　assembly　of　freemen。　　These　two　bodies；　of　little　account　in　the　Heroic　age；　became　in　the　Republican　age　the　sole　depositories　of　political　power。

The　Greeks　in　the　Heroic　age　were　divided　into　the　three　classes　of　nobles；　common　freemen；　and　slaves。　　The　nobles　were　raised　far　above　the　rest　of　the　community　in　honour；　power；　and　wealth。　They　were　distinguished　by　their　warlike　prowess；　their　large　estates；　and　their　numerous　slaves。　　The　condition　of　the　general　mass　of　freemen　is　rarely　mentioned。　　They　possessed　portions　of　land　as　their　own　property；　which　they　cultivated　themselves；　but　there　was　another　class　of　poor　freemen；　called　Thetes；　who　had　no　land　of　their　own；　and　who　worked　for　hire　on　the　estates　of　others。　　Slavery　was　not　so　prevalent　in　the　Heroic　age　as　at　a　later　time；　and　appears　in　a　less　odious　aspect。　　The　nobles　alone　possessed　slaves；　and　they　treated　them　with　a　degree　of　kindness　which　frequently　secured　for　the　masters　their　affectionate　attachment。

Society　was　marked　by　simplicity　of　manners。　　The　kings　and　nobles　did　not　consider　it　derogatory　to　their　dignity　to　acquire　skill　in　the　manual　arts。　　Ulysses　is　represented　as　building　his　own　bed…chamber　and　constructing　his　own　raft；　and　he　boasts　of　being　an　excellent　mower　and　ploughman。　　Like　Esau；　who　made　savoury　meat　for　his　father　Isaac；　the　Heroic　chiefs　prepared　their　own　meals　and　prided　themselves　on　their　skill　in　cookery。　Kings　and　private　persons　partook　of　the　same　food；　which　was　of　the　simplest　kind。　　Beef；　mutton；　and　goat's　flesh　were　the　ordinary　meats；　and　cheese；　flour；　and　sometimes　fruits；　also　formed　part　of　the　banquet；　wine　was　drunk　diluted　with　water；　and　the　entertainments　were　never　disgraced　by　intemperance；　like　those　of　our　northern　ancestors。　　The　enjoyment　of　the　banquet　was　heightened　by　the　song　and　the　dance；　and　the　chiefs　took　more　delight　in　the　lays　of　the　minstrel　than　in　the　exciting　influence　of　the　wine。

The　wives　and　daughters　of　the　chiefs；　in　like　manner；　did　not　deem　it　beneath　them　to　discharge　various　duties　which　were　afterwards　regarded　as　menial。　　Not　only　do　we　find　them　constantly　employed　in　weaving；　spinning　and　embroidery；　but　like　the　daughters　of　the　patriarchs　they　fetch　water　from　the　well　and　assist　their　slaves　in　washing　garments　in　the　river。

Even　at　this　early　age　the　Greeks　had　made　considerable　advances　in　civilization。　　They　were　collected　in　fortified　towns；　which　were　surrounded　by　walls　and　adorned　with　palaces　and　temples。　The　massive　ruins　of　Mycenae　and　the　sculptured　lions　on　the　gate　of　this　city　belong　to　the　Heroic　age；　and　still　excite　the　wonder　of　the　beholder。　　Commerce；　however；　was　little　cultivated；　and　was　not　much　esteemed。　　It　was　deemed　more　honourable　for　a　man　to　enrich　himself　by　robbery　and　piracy　than　by　the　arts　of　peace。　　Coined　money　is　not　mentioned　in　the　poems　of　Homer。　　Whether　the　Greeks　were　acquainted　at　this　early　period　with　the　art　of　writing　is　a　question　which