theseus-第1章

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THESEUS
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Legendary

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Plutarch

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　translated　by　John　Dryden




　　As　geographers；　Sosius；　crowd　into　the　edges　of　their　maps　parts
of　the　world　which　they　do　not　know　about；　adding　notes　in　the
margin　to　the　effect；　that　beyond　this　lies　nothing　but　the　sandy
deserts　full　of　wild　beasts；　unapproachable　bogs；　Scythian　ice；　or　a
frozen　sea；　so　in　this　work　of　mine；　in　which　I　have　compared　the
lives　of　the　greatest　men　with　one　another；　after　passing　through
those　periods　which　probable　reasoning　can　reach　to　and　real　history
find　a　footing　in；　I　might　very　well　say　of　those　that　are　farther
off：　〃Beyond　this　there　is　nothing　but　prodigies　and　fictions；　the
only　inhabitants　are　the　poets　and　inventors　of　fables；　there　is　no
credit；　or　certainty　any　farther。〃　Yet；　after　publishing　an　account　of
Lycurgus　the　lawgiver　and　Numa　the　king；　I　thought　I　might；　not
without　reason；　ascend　as　high　as　to　Romulus；　being　brought　by　my
history　so　near　to　his　time。　Considering　therefore　with　myself…

　　　　　　　　〃Whom　shall　I　set　so　great　a　man　to　face？
　　　　　　　　Or　whom　oppose？　Who's　equal　to　the　place？〃

（as　Aeschylus　expresses　it）；　I　found　none　so　fit　as　him　that　peopled
the　beautiful　and　far…famed　city　of　Athens；　to　be　set　in　opposition
with　the　father　of　the　invincible　and　renowned　city　of　Rome。　Let　us
hope　that　Fable　may；　in　what　shall　follow；　so　submit　to　the
purifying　processes　of　Reason　as　to　take　the　character　of　exact
history。　In　any　case；　however；　where　it　shall　be　found
contumaciously　slighting　credibility　and　refusing　to　be　reduced　to
anything　like　probable　fact；　we　shall　beg　that　we　may　meet　with　candid
readers；　and　such　as　will　receive　with　indulgence　the　stories　of
antiquity。
　　Theseus　seemed　to　me　to　resemble　Romulus　in　many　particulars。　Both
of　them；　born　out　of　wedlock　and　of　uncertain　parentage；　had　the
repute　of　being　sprung　from　the　gods。

　　　　　　　　〃Both　warriors；　that　by　all　the　world's　allowed。〃

Both　of　them　united　with　strength　of　body　an　equal　vigour　of　mind；　and
of　the　two　most　famous　cities　of　the　world；　the　one　built　Rome；　and
the　other　made　Athens　be　inhabited。　Both　stand　charged　with　the　rape
of　women；　neither　of　them　could　avoid　domestic　misfortunes　nor
jealousy　at　home；　but　towards　the　close　of　their　lives　are　both　of
them　said　to　have　incurred　great　odium　with　their　countrymen；　if；　that
is；　we　may　take　the　stories　least　like　poetry　as　our　guide　to　the
truth。
　　The　lineage　of　Theseus；　by　his　father's　side；　ascends　as　high　as
to　Erectheus　and　the　first　inhabitants　of　Attica。　By　his　mother's　side
he　was　descended　of　Pelops。　For　Pelops　was　the　most　powerful　of　all
the　kings　of　Peloponnesus；　not　so　much　by　the　greatness　of　his
riches　as　the　multitude　of　his　children；　having　married　many　daughters
to　chief　men；　and　put　many　sons　in　places　of　command　in　the　towns
round　about　him。　One　of　whom　named　Pittheus；　grandfather　to　Theseus；
was　governor　of　the　small　city　of　the　Troezenians　and　had　the　repute
of　a　man　of　the　greatest　knowledge　and　wisdom　of　his　time；　which　then；
it　seems；　consisted　chiefly　in　grave　maxims；　such　as　the　poet　Hesiod
got　his　great　fame　by；　in　his　book　of　Works　and　Days。　And；　indeed；
among　these　is　one　that　they　ascribe　to　Pittheus；…

　　　　　　　　〃Unto　a　friend　suffice
　　　　　　　　A　stipulated　price；〃

which；　also；　Aristotle　mentions。　And　Euripides；　by　calling
Hippolytus　〃scholar　of　the　holy　Pittheus；〃　shows　the　opinion　that
the　world　had　of　him。　Aegeus；　being　desirous　of　children；　and
consulting　the　oracle　of　Delphi；　received　the　celebrated　answer
which　forbade　him　the　company　of　any　woman　before　his　return　to
Athens。　But　the　oracle　being　so　obscure　as　not　to　satisfy　him　that
he　was　clearly　forbid　this；　he　went　to　Troezen；　and　communicated　to
Pittheus　the　voice　of　the　god；　which　was　in　this　manner；…

　　　　　　　　〃Loose　not　the　wine…skin　foot；　thou　chief　of　men；
　　　　　　　　Until　to　Athens　thou　art　come　again。〃

　　Pittheus；　therefore；　taking　advantage　from　the　obscurity　of　the
oracle；　prevailed　upon　him；　it　is　uncertain　whether　by　persuasion　or
deceit；　to　lie　with　his　daughter　Aethra。　Aegeus　afterwards；　knowing
her　whom　he　had　lain　with　to　be　Pittheus's　daughter；　and　suspecting
her　to　be　with　child　by　him；　left　a　sword　and　a　pair　of　shoes；
hiding　them　under　a　great　stone　that　had　a　hollow　in　it　exactly
fitting　them；　and　went　away　making　her　only　privy　to　it；　and
commanding　her；　if　she　brought　forth　a　son　who；　when　he　came　to
man's　estate；　should　be　able　to　lift　up　the　stone　and　take　away　what
he　had　left　there；　she　should　send　him　way　to　him　with　those　things
with　all　secrecy；　and　with　injunctions　to　him　as　much　as　possible　to
conceal　his　journey　from　every　one；　for　he　greatly　feared　the
Pallantidae；　who　were　continually　mutinying　against　him；　and
despised　him　for　his　want　of　children；　they　themselves　being　fifty
brothers；　all　sons　of　Pallas。
　　When　Aethra　was　delivered　of　a　son；　some　say　that　he　was　immediately
named　Theseus；　from　the　tokens　which　his　father　had　put　under　the
stone；　others　that　he　had　received　his　name　afterwards　at　Athens；　when
Aegeus　acknowledged　him　for　his　son。　He　was　brought　up　under　his
grandfather　Pittheus；　and　had　a　tutor　and　attendant　set　over　him　named
Connidas；　to　whom　the　Athenians　even　to　this　time；　the　day　before
the　feast　that　is　dedicated　to　Theseus；　sacrifice　a　ram；　giving　this
honour　to　his　memory　upon　much　juster　grounds　than　to　Silanio　and
Parrhasius　for　making；　pictures　and　statues　of　Theseus。　There　being
then　a　custom　for　the　Grecian　youth；　upon　their　first　coming　to
man's　estate；　to　go　to　Delphi　and　offer　first…fruits　of　their　hair
to　the　god；　Theseus　also　went　thither；　and　a　place　there　to　this　day
is　yet　named　Thesea；　as　it　is　said；　from　him。　He　clipped　only　the　fore
part　of　his　head；　as　Homer　says　the　Abantes　did。　And　this　sort　of
tonsure　was　from　him　named　Theseus。　The　Abantes　first　used　it；　not
in　imitation　of　the　Arabians；　as　some　imagine；　nor　of　the　Mysians；　but
because　they　were　a　warlike　people；　and　used　to　close　fighting；　and
above　all　other　nations　accustomed　to　engage　hand　to　hand；　as
Archilochus　testifies　in　these　verses：…

　　　　　　　　〃Slings　shall　not　whirl；　nor　many　arrows　fly；
　　　　　　　　　　When　on　the　plain　the　battle　joins；　but　swords；
　　　　　　　　Man　against　man；　the　deadly　conflict　try
　　　　　　　　　　As　is　the　practice　of　Euboea's　lords
　　　　　　　　Skilled　with　the　spear。…〃

　　Therefore　that　they　might　not　give　their　enemies　a　hold　by　their
hair；　they　cut　it　in　this　manner。　They　write　also　that　this　was　the
reason　why　Alexander　gave　command　to　his　captains　that　all　the
beards　of　the　Macedonians　should　be　shaved；　as　being　the　readiest　hold
for　an　enemy。
　　Aethra　for　some　time　concealed　the　true　parentage　of　Theseus；　and
a　report　was　given　out　by　Pittheus　that　he　was　begotten　by　Neptune；
for　the　Troezenians　pay　Neptune　the　highest　veneration。　He　is　their
tutelar　god；　to　him　they　offer　all　their　first…fruits；　and　in　his
honour　stamp　their　money　with　a　trident。
　　Theseus　displaying　not　only　great　strength　of　body；　but　equal
bravery；　and　a　quickness　alike　and　force　of　understanding；　his
mother　Aethra　conducting　him　to　the　stone；　and　informing　him　who　was
his　true　father；　commanded　him　to　take　from　thence　the　tokens　that
Aegeus　had　left；　and　sail　to　Athens。　He　without　any　difficulty　set
himself　to　the　stone　and　lifted　it　up；　but　refused　to　take　his　journey
by　sea；　though　it　was　much　the　safer　way；　and　though　his　mother　and
grandfather　begged　him　to　do　so。　For　it　was　at　that　time　very
dangerous　to　go　by　land　on　the　road　to　Athens；　no　part　of　it　being
free　from　robbers　and　murderers。　That　age　produced　a　sort　of　men；　in
force　of　hand；　and　swiftness　of　foot；　and　strength　of　body；
excelling　the　ordinary　rate　and　wholly　incapable　of　fatigue；　making
use；　however；　of　these　gifts　of　nature　to　no　good　or　profitable
purpose　for　mankind；　but　rejoicing　and　priding　themselves　in
insolence；　and　taking　the　benefit　of　their　superior　strength　in　the
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　li