theseus-第3章

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！


had　not　met。
　　On　the　eighth　day　of　Cronius；　now　called　Hecatombaeon；　he　arrived　at
Athens；　where　he　found　the　public　affairs　full　of　all　confusion；　and
divided　into　parties　and　factions；　Aegeus　also；　and　his　whole
private　family；　labouring　under　the　same　distemper；　for　Medea；
having　fled　from　Corinth；　and　promised　Aegeus　to　make　him；　by　her　art；
capable　of　having　children；　was　living　with　him。　She　first　was　aware
of　Theseus；　whom　as　yet　Aegeus　did　not　know；　and　he　being　in　years；
full　of　jealousies　and　suspicions；　and　fearing　everything　by　reason　of
the　faction　that　was　then　in　the　city；　she　easily　persuaded　him　to
kill　him　by　poison　at　a　banquet；　to　which　he　was　to　be　invited　as　a
stranger。　He；　coming　to　the　entertainment；　thought　it　not　fit　to
discover　himself　at　once；　but　willing　to　give　his　father　the
occasion　of　first　finding　him　out；　the　meat　being　on　the　table；　he
drew　his　sword　as　if　he　designed　to　cut　with　it；　Aegeus；　at　once
recognising　the　token；　threw　down　the　cup　of　poison；　and；
questioning　his　son；　embraced　him；　and　having　gathered　together　all
his　citizens；　owned　him　publicly　before　them；　who；　on　their　part；
received　him　gladly　for　the　fame　of　his　greatness　and　bravery；　and
it　is　said；　that　when　the　cup　fell；　the　poison　was　spilt　there　where
now　is　the　enclosed　space　in　the　Delphinium；　for　in　that　place　stood
Aegeus's　house；　and　the　figure　of　Mercury　on　the　east　side　of　the
temple　is　called　the　Mercury　of　Aegeus's　gate。
　　The　sons　of　Pallas；　who　before　were　quiet　upon　expectation　of
recovering　the　kingdom　after　Aegeus's　death；　who　was　without　issue；　as
soon　as　Theseus　appeared　and　was　acknowledged　the　successor；　highly
resenting　that　Aegeus　first；　an　adopted　son　only　of　Pandion；　and　not
at　all　related　to　the　family　of　Erechtheus；　should　be　holding　the
kingdom；　and　that　after　him；　Theseus；　a　visitor　and　stranger；　should
be　destined　to　succeed　to　it；　broke　out　into　open　war。　And　dividing
themselves　into　two　companies；　one　part　of　them　marched　openly　from
Sphettus；　with　their　father；　against　the　city；　the　other；　hiding
themselves　in　the　village　of　Gargettus；　lay　in　ambush；　with　a　design
to　set　upon　the　enemy　on　both　sides。　They　had　with　them　a　crier　of　the
township　of　Agnus；　named　Leos；　who　discovered　to　Theseus　all　the
designs　of　the　Pallantidae。　He　immediately　fell　upon　those　that　lay　in
ambuscade；　and　cut　them　all　off；　upon　tidings　of　which　Pallas　and
his　company　fled　and　were　dispersed。
　　From　hence　they　say　is　derived　the　custom　among　the　people　of　the
township　of　Pallene　to　have　no　marriages　or　any　alliance　with　the
people　of　Agnus；　nor　to　suffer　the　criers　to　pronounce　in　their
proclamations　the　words　used　in　all　other　parts　of　the　country；
Acouete　Leoi　（Hear　ye　people）；　hating　the　very　sound　of　Leo；　because
of　the　treason　of　Leos。
　　Theseus；　longing　to　be　in　action；　and　desirous　also　to　make
himself　popular；　left　Athens　to　fight　with　the　bull　of　Marathon；　which
did　no　small　mischief　to　the　inhabitants　of　Tetrapolis。　And　having
overcome　it；　he　brought　it　alive　in　triumph　through　the　city；　and
afterwards　sacrificed　it　to　the　Delphinian　Apollo。　The　story　of
Hecale；　also；　of　her　receiving　and　entertaining　Theseus　in　this
expedition；　seems　to　be　not　altogether　void　of　truth；　for　the
townships　round　about；　meeting　upon　a　certain　day；　used　to　offer　a
sacrifice　which　they　called　Hecalesia；　to　Jupiter　Hecaleius；　and　to
pay　honour　to　Hecale；　whom；　by　a　diminutive　name；　they　called
Hecalene；　because　she；　while　entertaining　Theseus；　who　was　quite　a
youth；　addressed　him；　as　old　people　do；　with　similar　endearing
diminutives；　and　having　made　a　vow　to　Jupiter　for　him　as　he　was
going　to　the　fight；　that；　if　he　returned　in　safety；　she　would　offer
sacrifices　in　thanks　of　it；　and　dying　before　he　came　back；　she　had
these　honours　given　her　by　way　of　return　for　her　hospitality；　by　the
command　of　Theseus；　as　Philochorus　tells　us。
　　Not　long　after　arrived　the　third　time　from　Crete　the　collectors　of
the　tribute　which　the　Athenians　paid　them　upon　the　following　occasion。
Androgeus　having　been　treacherously　murdered　in　the　confines　of
Attica；　not　only　Minos；　his　father；　put　the　Athenians　to　extreme
distress　by　a　perpetual　war；　but　the　gods　also　laid　waste　their
country；　both　famine　and　pestilence　lay　heavy　upon　them；　and　even
their　rivers　were　dried　up。　Being　told　by　the　oracle　that；　if　they
appeased　and　reconciled　Minos；　the　anger　of　the　gods　would　cease　and
they　should　enjoy　rest　from　the　miseries　they　laboured　under；　they
sent　heralds；　and　with　much　supplication　were　at　last　reconciled；
entering　into　an　agreement　to　send　to　Crete　every　nine　years　a　tribute
of　seven　young　men　and　as　many　virgins；　as　most　writers　agree　in
stating；　and　the　most　poetical　story　adds；　that　the　Minotaur　destroyed
them；　or　that；　wandering　in　the　labyrinth；　and　finding　no　possible
means　of　getting　out；　they　miserably　ended　their　lives　there；　and　that
this　Minotaur　was　（as　Euripides　hath　it）…

　　　　　　　　〃A　mingled　form　where　two　strange　shapes　combined；
　　　　　　　　And　different　natures；　bull　and　man；　were　joined。〃

But　Philochorus　says　that　the　Cretans　will　by　no　means　allow　the　truth
of　this；　but　say　that　the　labyrinth　was　only　an　ordinary　prison；
having　no　other　bad　quality　but　that　it　secured　the　prisoners　from
escaping；　and　that　Minos；　having　instituted　games　in　honour　of
Androgeus；　gave；　as　a　reward　to　the　victors；　these　youths；　who　in
the　meantime　were　kept　in　the　labyrinth；　and　that　the　first　that
overcame　in　those　games　was　one　of　the　greatest　power　and　command
among　them；　named　Taurus；　a　man　of　no　merciful　or　gentle
disposition；　who　treated　the　Athenians　that　were　made　his　prize　in　a
proud　and　cruel　manner。　Also　Aristotle　himself；　in　the　account　that　he
gives　of　the　form　of　government　of　the　Bottiaeans；　is　manifestly　of
opinion　that　the　youths　were　not　slain　by　Minos；　but　spent　the
remainder　of　their　days　in　slavery　in　Crete；　that　the　Cretans；　in
former　times；　to　acquit　themselves　of　an　ancient　vow　which　they　had
made；　were　used　to　send　an　offering　of　the　first…fruits　of　their　men
to　Delphi；　and　that　some　descendants　of　these　Athenian　slaves　were
mingled　with　them　and　sent　amongst　them；　and；　unable　to　get　their
living　there；　removed　from　thence；　first　into　Italy；　and　settled　about
Japygia；　from　thence　again；　that　they　removed　to　Thrace；　and　were
named　Bottiaeans；　and　that　this　is　the　reason　why；　in　a　certain
sacrifice；　the　Bottiaean　girls　sing　a　hymn　beginning　Let　us　go　to
Athens。　This　may　show　us　how　dangerous　it　is　to　incur　the　hostility　of
a　city　that　is　mistress　of　eloquence　and　song。　For　Minos　was　always
ill　spoken　of；　and　represented　ever　as　a　very　wicked　man；　in　the
Athenian　theatres；　neither　did　Hesiod　avail　him　by　calling　him　〃the
most　royal　Minos；〃　nor　Homer；　who　styles　him　〃Jupiter's　familiar
friend；〃　the　tragedians　got　the　better；　and　from　the　vantage　ground　of
the　stage　showered　down　obloquy　upon　him；　as　a　man　of　cruelty　and
violence；　whereas；　in　fact；　he　appears　to　have　been　a　king　and　a
law…giver；　and　Rhadamanthus；　a　judge　under　him；　administering　the
statutes　that　he　ordained。
　　Now；　when　the　time　of　the　third　tribute　was　come；　and　the　fathers
who　had　any　young　men　for　their　sons　were　to　proceed　by　lot　to　the
choice　of　those　that　were　to　be　sent；　there　arose　fresh　discontents
and　accusations　against　Aegeus　among　the　people；　who　were　full　of
grief　and　indignation　that　he　who　was　the　cause　of　all　their
miseries　was　the　only　person　exempt　from　the　punishment；　adopting
and　settling　his　kingdom　upon　a　bastard　and　foreign　son；　he　took　no
thought；　they　said；　of　their　destitution　and　loss；　not　of　bastards；
but　lawful　children。　These　things　sensibly　affected　Theseus；　who；
thinking　it　but　just　not　to　disregard；　but　rather　partake　of；　the
sufferings　of　his　fellow…citizens；　offered　himself　for　one　without　any
lot。　All　else　were　struck　with　admiration　for　the　nobleness　and　with
love　for　the　goodness　of　the　act；　and　Aegeus；　after　prayers　and
entreaties；　finding　him　inflexible　and　not　to　be　persuaded；
proceeded　to　the　choosing　of　the　rest　by　lot。　Hellanicus；　however；
tells　us　that　the　Athenians　did　not　send　the　young　men　and　virgins
by