theseus-第2章

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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　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