theseus-第4章

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tells　us　that　the　Athenians　did　not　send　the　young　men　and　virgins
by　lot；　but　that　Minos　himself　used　to　come　and　make　his　own　choice；
and　pitched　upon　Theseus　before　all　others；　according　to　the
conditions　agreed　upon　between　them；　namely；　that　the　Athenians　should
furnish　them　with　a　ship　and　that　the　young　men　that　were　to　sail　with
him　should　carry　no　weapons　of　war；　but　that　if　the　Minotaur　was
destroyed；　the　tribute　should　cease。
　　On　the　two　former　occasions　of　the　payment　of　the　tribute；
entertaining　no　hopes　of　safety　or　return；　they　sent　out　the　ship　with
a　black　sail；　as　to　unavoidable　destruction；　but　now；　Theseus
encouraging　his　father；　and　speaking　greatly　of　himself；　as
confident　that　he　should　kill　the　Minotaur；　he　gave　the　pilot
another　sail；　which　was　white；　commanding　him；　as　he　returned；　if
Theseus　were　safe；　to　make　use　of　that；　but　if　not；　to　sail　with　the
black　one；　and　to　hang　out　that　sign　of　his　misfortune。　Simonides　says
that　the　sail　which　Aegeus　delivered　to　the　pilot　was　not　white；　but…

　　　　　　　　〃Scarlet；　in　the　juicy　bloom
　　　　　　　　Of　the　living　oak…tree　steeped；〃

and　that　this　was　to　be　the　sign　of　their　escape。　Phereclus；　son　of
Amarsyas；　according　to　Simonides；　was　pilot　of　the　ship。　But
Philochorus　says　Theseus　had　sent　him　by　Scirus；　from　Salamis；
Nausithous　to　be　his　steersman；　and　Phaeax　his　look…out…man　in　the
prow；　the　Athenians　having　as　yet　not　applied　themselves　to
navigation；　and　that　Scirus　did　this　because　one　of　the　young　men；
Menesthes；　was　his　daughter's　son；　and　this　the　chapels　of
Nausithous　and　Phaeax；　built　by　Theseus　near　the　temple　of　Scirus；
confirm。　He　adds；　also；　that　the　feast　named　Cybernesia　was　in
honour　of　them。　The　lot　being　cast；　and　Theseus　having　received　out　of
the　Prytaneum　those　upon　whom　it　fell；　he　went　to　the　Delphinium；
and　made　an　offering　for　them　to　Apollo　of　his　suppliant's　badge；
which　was　a　bough　of　a　consecrated　olive　tree；　with　white　wool　tied
about　it。
　　Having　thus　performed　his　devotion；　he　went　to　sea；　the　sixth　day　of
Munychion；　on　which　day　even　to　this　time　the　Athenians　send　their
virgins　to　the　same　temple　to　make　supplication　to　the　gods。　It　is
farther　reported　that　he　was　commanded　by　the　oracle　of　Delphi　to　make
Venus　his　guide；　and　to　invoke　her　as　the　companion　and　conductress　of
his　voyage　and　that；　as　he　was　sacrificing　a　she　goat　to　her　by　the
sea…side；　it　was　suddenly　changed　into　a　he；　and　for　this　cause　that
goddess　had　the　name　of　Epitragia。
　　When　he　arrived　at　Crete；　as　most　of　the　ancient　historians　as
well　as　poets　tell　us；　having　a　clue　of　thread　given　him　by　Ariadne；
who　had　fallen　in　love　with　him；　and　being　instructed　by　her　how　to
use　it　so　as　to　conduct　him　through　the　windings　of　the　labyrinth；
he　escaped　out　of　it　and　slew　the　Minotaur；　and　sailed　back；　taking
along　with　him　Ariadne　and　the　young　Athenian　captives。　Phercydes　adds
that　he　bored　holes　in　the　bottom　of　the　Cretan　ships　to　hinder
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