theseus-第2章

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exercise　of　inhumanity　and　cruelty；　and　in　seizing；　forcing；　and
committing　all　manner　of　outrages　upon　everything　that　fell　into　their
hands；　all　respect　for　others；　all　justice；　they　thought；　all　equity
and　humanity；　though　naturally　lauded　by　common　people；　either　out
of　want　of　courage　to　commit　injuries　or　fear　to　receive　them；　yet
no　way　concerned　those　who　were　strong　enough　to　win　for　themselves。
Some　of　these；　Hercules　destroyed　and　cut　off　in　his　passage　through
these　countries；　but　some　escaping　his　notice　while　he　was　passing　by；
fled　and　hid　themselves；　or　else　were　spared　by　him　in　contempt　of
their　abject　submission：　and　after　that　Hercules　fell　into　misfortune；
and；　having　slain　Iphitus；　retired　to　Lydia；　and　for　a　long　time　was
there　slave　to　Omphale；　a　punishment　which　he　had　imposed　upon　himself
for　the　murder：　then；　indeed；　Lydia　enjoyed　high　peace　and　security；
but　in　Greece　and　the　countries　about　it　the　like　villainies　again
revived　and　broke　out；　there　being　none　to　repress　or　chastise　them。
It　was　therefore　a　very　hazardous　journey　to　travel　by　land　from
Athens　to　Peloponnesus；　and　Pittheus　giving　him　an　exact　account　of
each　of　the　robbers　and　villains；　their　strength；　and　the　cruelty　they
used　to　all　strangers；　tried　to　persuade　Theseus　to　go　by　sea。　But　he；
it　seems；　had　long　since　been　secretly　fired　by　the　glory　of　Hercules；
held　him　in　the　highest　estimation；　and　was　never　more　satisfied
than　in　listening　to　any　that　gave　an　account　of　him；　especially　those
that　had　seen　him　or　had　been　present　at　any　action　or　saying　of
his。　So　that　he　was　altogether　in　the　same　state　of　feeling　as；　in
after　ages；　Themistocles　was；　when　he　said　that　he　could　not　sleep　for
the　trophy　of　Miltiades；　entertaining　such　admiration　for　the　virtue
of　Hercules；　that　in　the　night　his　dreams　were　all　of　that　hero's
actions；　and　in　the　day　a　continual　emulation　stirred　him　up　to
perform　the　like。　Besides；　they　were　related；　being　born　of
cousins…german。　For　Aethra　was　daughter　of　Pittheus；　and　Alcmena　of
Lysidice；　and　Lysidice　and　Pittheus　were　brother　and　sister；
children　of　Hippodamia　and　Pelops。　He　thought　it　therefore　a
dishonourable　thing；　and　not　to　be　endured；　that　Hercules　should　go
out　everywhere；　and　purge　both　land　and　sea　from　wicked　men；　and　he
himself　should　fly　from　the　like　adventures　that　actually　came　in
his　way；　disgracing　his　reputed　father　by　a　mean　flight　by　sea；　and
not　showing　his　true　one　as　good　evidence　of　the　greatness　of　his
birth　by　noble　and　worthy　actions；　as　by　the　token　that　he　brought
with　him　the　shoes　and　the　sword。
　　With　this　mind　and　these　thoughts；　he　set　forward　with　a　design　to
do　injury　to　nobody；　but　to　repel　and　revenge　himself　of　all　those
that　should　offer　any。　And　first　of　all；　in　a　set　combat；　he　slew
Periphetes；　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Epidaurus；　who　used　a　club　for　his
arms；　and　from　thence　had　the　name　of　Corynetes；　or　the　club…bearer；
who　seized　upon　him；　and　forbade　him　to　go　forward　in　his　journey。
Being　pleased　with　the　club；　he　took　it；　and　made　it　his　weapon；
continuing　to　use　it　as　Hercules　did　the　lion's　skin；　on　whose
shoulders　that　served　to　prove　how　huge　a　beast　he　had　killed；　and
to　the　same　end　Theseus　carried　about　him　this　club；　overcome　indeed
by　him；　but　now　in　his　hands；　invincible。
　　Passing　on　further　towards　the　Isthmus　of　Peloponnesus；　he　slew
Sinnis；　often　surnamed　the　Bender　of　Pines；　after　the　same　manner　in
which　he　himself　had　destroyed　many　others　before。　And　this　he　did
without　having　either　practised　or　ever　learnt　the　art　of　bending
these　trees；　to　show　that　natural　strength　is　above　all　art。　This
Sinnis　had　a　daughter　of　remarkable　beauty　and　stature；　called
Perigune；　who；　when　her　father　was　killed；　fled；　and　was　sought
after　everywhere　by　Theseus；　and　coming　into　a　place　overgrown　with
brushwood；　shrubs；　and　asparagus…thorn；　there；　in　a　childlike　innocent
manner；　prayed　and　begged　them；　as　if　they　understood　her；　to　give　her
shelter；　with　vows　that　if　she　escaped　she　would　never　cut　them　down
nor　burn　them。　But　Theseus　calling　upon　her；　and　giving　her　his
promise　that　he　would　use　her　with　respect；　and　offer　her　no　injury；
she　came　forth；　and　in　due　time　bore　him　a　son；　named　Melanippus；
but　afterwards　was　married　to　Deioneus；　the　son　of　Eurytus；　the
Oechalian；　Theseus　himself　giving　her　to　him。　Ioxus；　the　son　of　this
Melanippus；　who　was　born　to　Theseus；　accompanied　Ornytus　in　the　colony
that　he　carried　with　him　into　Caria；　whence　it　is　a　family　usage
amongst　the　people　called　Ioxids；　both　male　and　female；　never　to
burn　either　shrubs　or　asparagus…thorn；　but　to　respect　and　honour　them。
　　The　Crommyonian　sow；　which　they　called　Phaea；　was　a　savage　and
formidable　wild　beast；　by　no　means　an　enemy　to　be　despised。　Theseus
killed　her；　going　out　of　his　way　on　purpose　to　meet　and　engage　her；　so
that　he　might　not　seem　to　perform　all　his　great　exploits　out　of　mere
necessity；　being　also　of　opinion　that　it　was　the　part　of　a　brave　man
to　chastise　villainous　and　wicked　men　when　attacked　by　them；　but　to
seek　out　and　overcome　the　more　noble　wild　beasts。　Others　relate　that
Phaea　was　a　woman；　a　robber　full　of　cruelty　and　lust；　that　lived　in
Crommyon；　and　had　the　name　of　Sow　given　her　from　the　foulness　of　her
life　and　manners；　and　afterwards　was　killed　by　Theseus。　He　slew　also
Sciron；　upon　the　borders　of　Megara；　casting　him　down　from　the　rocks；
being；　as　most　report；　a　notorious　robber　of　all　passengers；　and；　as
others　add；　accustomed；　out　of　insolence　and　wantonness；　to　stretch
forth　his　feet　to　strangers　commanding　them　to　wash　them；　and　then
while　they　did　it；　with　a　kick　to　send　them　down　the　rock　into　the
sea。　The　writers　of　Megara；　however；　in　contradiction　to　the
received　report；　and；　as　Simonides　expresses　it；　〃fighting　with　all
antiquity；〃　contend　that　Sciron　was　neither　a　robber　nor　doer　of
violence；　but　a　punisher　of　all　such；　and　the　relative　and　friend　of
good　and　just　men；　for　Aeacus；　they　say；　was　ever　esteemed　a　man　of
the　greatest　sanctity　of　all　the　Greeks；　and　Cychreus；　the　Salaminian；
was　honoured　at　Athens　with　divine　worship；　and　the　virtues　of
Peleus　and　Telamon　were　not　unknown　to　any　one。　Now　Sciron　was
son…in…law　to　Cychreus；　father…in…law　to　Aeacus；　and　grandfather　to
Peleus　and　Telamon；　who　were　both　of　them　sons　of　Endeis；　the　daughter
of　Sciron　and　Chariclo；　it　was　not　probable；　therefore；　that　the
best　of　men　should　make　these　alliances　with　one　who　was　worst；　giving
and　receiving　mutually　what　was　of　greatest　value　and　most　dear　to
them。　Theseus；　by　their　account；　did　not　slay　Sciron　in　his　first
journey　to　Athens；　but　afterwards；　when　he　took　Eleusis；　a　city　of　the
Megarians；　having　circumvented　Diocles；　the　governor。　Such　are　the
contradictions　in　this　story。　In　Eleusis　he　killed　Cercyon；　the
Arcadian；　in　a　wrestling　match。　And　going　on　a　little　farther；　in
Erineus；　he　slew　Damastes；　otherwise　called　Procrustes；　forcing　his
body　to　the　size　of　his　own　bed；　as　he　himself　was　used　to　do　with　all
strangers；　this　he　did　in　imitation　of　Hercules；　who　always　returned
upon　his　assailants　the　same　sort　of　violence　that　they　offered　to
him；　sacrificed　Busiris；　killed　Antaeus　in　wrestling；　and　Cycnus　in
single　combat；　and　Termerus　by　breaking　his　skull　in　pieces　（whence；
they　say；　comes　the　proverb　of　〃a　Termerian　mischief〃）；　for　it　seems
Termerus　killed　passengers　that　he　met　by　running　with　his　head
against　them。　And　so　also　Theseus　proceeded　in　the　punishment　of
evil　men；　who　underwent　the　same　violence　from　him　which　they　had
inflicted　upon　others；　justly　suffering　after　the　manner　of　their
own　injustice。
　　As　he　went　forward　on　his　journey；　and　was　come　as　far　as　the
river　Cephisus；　some　of　the　race　of　the　Phytalidae　met　him　and　saluted
him；　and　upon　his　desire　to　use　the　purifications；　then　in　custom；
they　performed　them　with　all　the　usual　ceremonies；　and；　having　offered
propitiatory　sacrifices　to　the　gods；　invited　him　and　entertained　him
at　their　house；　a　kindness　which；　in　all　his　journey　hitherto；　he
had　not　met。
　　On　the　eighth　day　of　Cronius；　now　called　Hecatombaeon；　he　arrived　at
Athens；　where　he　found　the　pub