theseus-第7章

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this　very　day　the　Athenians　celebrate　the　Feast　Boedromia。　Clidemus；
desirous　to　be　very　circumstantial；　writes　that　the　left　wing　of　the
Amazons　moved　towards　the　place　which　is　yet　called　Amazonium　and
the　right　towards　the　Pnyx；　near　Chrysa；　that　with　this　wing　the
Athenians；　issuing　from　behind　the　Museum；　engaged；　and　that　the
graves　of　those　that　were　slain　are　to　be　seen　in　the　street　that
leads　to　the　gate　called　the　Piraic；　by　the　chapel　of　the　hero
Chalcodon；　and　that　here　the　Athenians　were　routed；　and　gave　way
before　the　women；　as　far　as　to　the　temple　of　the　Furies；　but；　fresh
supplies　coming　in　from　the　Palladium；　Ardettus；　and　the　Lyceum；
they　charged　their　right　wing；　and　beat　them　back　into　their　tents；　in
which　action　a　great　number　of　the　Amazons　were　slain。　At　length；
after　four　months；　a　peace　was　concluded　between　them　by　the　mediation
of　Hippolyta　（for　so　this　historian　calls　the　Amazon　whom　Theseus
married；　and　not　Antiope）；　though　others　write　that　she　was　slain　with
a　dart　by　Molpadia；　while　fighting　by　Theseus's　side；　and　that　the
pillar　which　stands　by　the　temple　of　Olympian　Earth　was　erected　to　her
honour。　Nor　is　it　to　be　wondered　at；　that　in　events　of　such　antiquity；
history　should　be　in　disorder。　For　indeed　we　are　also　told　that
those　of　the　Amazons　that　were　wounded　were　privately　sent　away　by
Antiope　to　Chalcis；　where　many　by　her　care　recovered；　but　some　that
died　were　buried　there　in　the　place　that　is　to　this　time　called
Amazonium。　That　this　war；　however；　was　ended　by　a　treaty　is　evident；
both　from　the　name　of　the　place　adjoining　to　the　temple　of　Theseus；
called；　from　the　solemn　oath　there　taken；　Horcomosium；　and　also　from
the　ancient　sacrifice　which　used　to　be　celebrated　to　the　Amazons　the
day　before　the　Feast　of　Theseus。　The　Megarians　also　show　a　spot　in
their　city　where　some　Amazons　were　buried；　on　the　way　from　the
market　to　a　place　called　Rhus；　where　the　building　in　the　shape　of　a
lozenge　stands。　It　is　said；　likewise；　that　others　of　them　were　slain
near　Chaeronea；　and　buried　near　the　little　rivulet　formerly　called
Thermodon；　but　now　Haemon；　of　which　an　account　is　given　in　the　life　of
Demosthenes。　It　appears　further　that　the　passage　of　the　Amazons
through　Thessaly　was　not　without　opposition；　for　there　are　yet　shown
many　tombs　of　them　near　Scotussa　and　Cynoscephalae。
　　This　is　as　much　as　is　worth　telling　concerning　the　Amazons。　For
the　account　which　the　author　of　the　poem　called　the　Theseid　gives　of
this　rising　of　the　Amazons；　how　Antiope；　to　revenge　herself　upon
Theseus　for　refusing　her　and　marrying　Phaedra；　came　down　upon　the　city
with　her　train　of　Amazons；　whom　Hercules　slew；　is　manifestly　nothing
else　but　fable　and　invention。　It　is　true；　indeed；　that　Theseus　married
Phaedra；　but　that　was　after　the　death　of　Antiope；　by　whom　he　had　a　son
called　Hippolytus；　or；　as　Pindar　writes；　Demophon。　The　calamities
which　befell　Phaedra　and　this　son；　since　none　of　the　historians　have
contradicted　the　tragic　poets　that　have　written　of　them；　we　must
suppose　happened　as　represented　uniformly　by　them。
　　There　are　also　other　traditions　of　the　marriages　of　Theseus；　neither
honourable　in　their　occasions　nor　fortunate　in　their　events；　which　yet
were　never　represented　in　the　Greek　plays。　For　he　is　said　to　have
carried　off　Anaxo；　a　Troezenian；　and　having　slain　Sinnis　and
Cercyon；　to　have　ravished　their　daughters；　to　have　married　Periboea；
the　mother　of　Ajax；　and　then　Phereboea；　and　then　Iope；　the　daughter　of
Iphicles。　And　further；　he　is　accused　of　deserting　Ariadne　（as　is
before　related）；　being　in　love　with　Aegle；　the　daughter　of　Panopeus；
neither　justly　nor　honourably；　and　lastly；　of　the　rape　of　Helen；　which
filled　all　Attica　with　war　and　blood；　and　was　in　the　end　the
occasion　of　his　banishment　and　death；　as　will　presently　be　related。
　　Herodorus　is　of　opinion；　that　though　there　were　many　famous
expeditions　undertaken　by　the　bravest　men　of　his　time；　yet　Theseus
never　joined　in　any　of　them；　once　only　excepted；　with　the　Lapithae；　in
their　war　against　the　Centaurs；　but　others　say　that　he　accompanied
Jason　to　Colchis　and　Meleager　to　the　slaying　of　the　Calydonian　boar；
and　that　hence　it　came　to　be　a　proverb；　Not　without　Theseus；　that　he
himself；　however；　without　aid　of　any　one；　performed　many　glorious
exploits；　and　that　from　him　began　the　saying；　He　is　a　second　Hercules。
He　also　joined　Adrastus　in　recovering　the　bodies　of　those　that　were
slain　before　Thebes；　but　not　as　Euripides　in　his　tragedy　says；　by
force　of　arms；　but　by　persuasion　and　mutual　agreement　and　composition；
for　so　the　greater　part　of　the　historians　write；　Philochorus　adds
further　that　this　was　the　first　treaty　that　ever　was　made　for　the
recovering　the　bodies　of　the　dead；　but　in　the　history　of　Hercules；
it　is　shown　that　it　was　he　who　first　gave　leave　to　his　enemies　to
carry　off　their　slain。　The　burying…places　of　the　most　part　are　yet
to　be　seen　in　the　villa　called　Eleutherae；　those　of　the　commanders；　at
Eleusis；　where　Theseus　allotted　them　a　place；　to　oblige　Adrastus。
The　story　of　Euripides　in　his　suppliants　is　disproved　by　Aeschylus
in　his　Eleusinians；　where　Theseus　himself　relates　the　facts　as　here
told。
　　The　celebrated　friendship　between　Theseus　and　Pirithous　is　said　to
have　been　thus　began；　the　fame　of　the　strength　and　valour　of　Theseus
being　spread　through　Greece；　Pirithous　was　desirous　to　make　a　trial
and　proof　of　it　himself；　and　to　this　end　seized　a　herd　of　oxen　which
belonged　to　Theseus；　and　was　driving　them　away　from　Marathon；　and；
when　the　news　was　brought　that　Theseus　pursued　him　in　arms；　he　did　not
fly；　but　turned　back　and　went　to　meet　him。　But　as　soon　as　they　had
viewed　one　another；　each　so　admired　the　gracefulness　and　beauty；　and
was　seized　with　such　respect　for　the　courage　of　the　other；　that　they
forgot　all　thoughts　of　fighting；　and　Pirithous；　first　stretching　out
his　hand　to　Theseus；　bade　him　be　judge　in　this　case　himself；　and
promised　to　submit　willingly　to　any　penalty　he　should　impose。　But
Theseus　not　only　forgave　him　all；　but　entreated　him　to　be　his　friend
and　brother　in　arms；　and　they　ratified　their　friendship　by　oaths。
After　this　Pirithous　married　Deidamia；　and　invited　Theseus　to　the
wedding；　entreating　him　to　come　and　see　his　country；　and　make
acquaintance　with　the　Lapithae；　he　had　at　the　same　time　invited　the
Centaurs　to　the　feast；　who　growing　hot　with　wine　and　beginning　to　be
insolent　and　wild；　and　offering　violence　to　the　women；　the　Lapithae
took　immediate　revenge　upon　them；　slaying　many　of　them　upon　the　place；
and　afterwards；　having　overcome　them　in　battle；　drove　the　whole　race
of　them　out　of　their　country；　Theseus　all　along　taking　their　part
and　fighting　on　their　side。　But　Herodorus　gives　a　different　relation
of　these　things；　that　Theseus　came　not　to　the　assistance　of　the
Lapithae　till　the　war　was　already　begun；　and　that　it　was　in　this
journey　that　he　had　his　first　sight　of　Hercules；　having　made　it　his
business　to　find　him　out　at　Trachis；　where　he　had　chosen　to　rest
himself　after　all　his　wanderings　and　his　labours；　and　that　this
interview　was　honourably　performed　on　each　part；　with　extreme　respect；
and　good…will；　and　admiration　of　each　other。　Yet　it　is　more
credible；　as　others　write；　that　there　were；　before；　frequent
interviews　between　them；　and　that　it　was　by　the　means　of　Theseus
that　Hercules　was　initiated　at　Eleusis；　and　purified　before
initiation；　upon　account　of　several　rash　actions　of　his　former　life。
　　Theseus　was　now　fifty　years　old；　as　Hellanicus　states；　when　he
carried　off　Helen；　who　was　yet　too　young　to　be　married。　Some
writers；　to　take　away　this　accusation　of　one　of　the　greatest　crimes
laid　to　his　charge；　say；　that　he　did　not　steal　away　Helen　himself；　but
that　Idas　and　Lynceus　were　the　ravishers；　who　brought　her　to　him；
and　committed　her　to　his　charge；　and　that；　therefore；　he　refused　to
restore　her　at　the　demand　of　Castor　and　Pollux；　or；　indeed；　they　say
her　own　father；　Tyndarus；　had　sent　her　to　be　kept　by　him；　for　fear
of　Enarophorus；　the　son　of　Hippocoon；　who　would　have　carried　her
away　by　force　when　she　was　yet　a　child。　But　the　most　probable　account；
and　that　which　has　most　witnesses　on　its　side；　is