theseus-第6章

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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　this：　Theseus　and
Pirithous　went　both　together　to　Sparta；　and；　having　seized　the　young
lady　as　she　was　dancing　in　the　temple　Diana　Orthia；　fled　away　with
her。　There　were　presently　men　sent　in　arms　to　pursue；　but　they
followed　no　further　than　to　Tegea；　and　Theseus　and　Pirithous；　being
now　out　of　danger；　having　passed　through　Peloponnesus；　made　an
agreement　between　themselves；　that　he　to　whom　the　lot　should　fall
should　have　Helen　to　his　wife；　but　should　be　obliged　to　assist　in
procuring　another　for　his　friend。　The　lot　fell　upon　Theseus；　who
conveyed　her　to　Aphidnae；　not　being　yet　marriageable；　and　delivered
her　to　one　of　his　allies；　called　Aphidnus；　and；　having　sent　his
mother；　Aethra；　after　to　take　care　of　her；　desired　him　to　keep　them　so
secretly；　that　none　might　know　where　they　were；　which　done；　to
return　the　same　service　to　his　friend　Pirithous；　he　accompanied　him　in
his　journey　to　Epirus；　in　order　to　steal　away　the　king　of　the
Molossians'　daughter。　The　king；　his　own　name　being　Aidoneus；　or　Pluto；
called　his　wife　Proserpina；　and　his　daughter　Cora；　and　a　great　dog；
which　he　kept；　Cerberus；　with　whom　he　ordered　all　that　came　as　suitors
to　his　daughter　to　fight；　and　promised　her　to　him　that　should　overcome
the　beast。　But　having　been　informed　that　the　design　of　Pirithous　and
his　companion　was　not　to　court　his　daughter；　but　to　force　her　away；　he
caused　them　both　to　be　seized；　and　threw　Pirithous　to　be　torn　in
pieces　by　his　dog；　and　put　Theseus　into　prison；　and　kept　him。
　　About　this　time；　Menestheus；　the　son　of　Peteus；　grandson　of
Orneus；　and　great…grandson　of　Erechtheus；　the　first　man　that　is
recorded　to　have　affected　popularity　and　ingratiated　himself　with
the　multitude；　stirred　up　and　exasperated　the　most　eminent　men　of
the　city；　who　had　long　borne　a　secret　grudge　to　Theseus；　conceiving
that　he　had　robbed　them　of　their　several　little　kingdoms　and
lordships；　and　having　pent　them　all　up　in　one　city；　was　using　them
as　his　subjects　and　slaves。　He　put　also　the　meaner　people　into
commotion；　telling　them；　that；　deluded　with　a　mere　dream　of　liberty；
though　indeed　they　were　deprived　of　both　that　and　of　their　proper
homes　and　religious　usages；　instead　of　many　good　and　gracious　kings　of
their　own；　they　had　given　themselves　up　to　be　lorded　over　by　a
new…comer　and　a　stranger。　Whilst　he　was　thus　busied　in　infecting　the
minds　of　the　citizens；　the　war　that　Castor　and　Pollux　brought
against　Athens　came　very　opportunely　to　further　the　sedition　he　had
been　promoting；　and　some　say　that　by　his　persuasions　was　wholly　the
cause　of　their　invading　the　city。　At　their　first　approach；　they
committed　no　acts　of　hostility；　but　peaceably　demanded　their　sister
Helen；　but　the　Athenians　returning　answer　that　they　neither　had　her
there　nor　knew　where　she　was　disposed　of；　they　prepared　to　assault　the
city；　when　Academus；　having；　by　whatever　means；　found　it　out；
disclosed　to　them　that　she　was　secretly　kept　at　Aphidnae。　For　which
reason　he　was　both　highly　honoured　during　his　life　by　Castor　and
Pollux；　and　the　Lacedaemonians；　when　often　in　aftertimes　they　made
incursions　into　Attica；　and　destroyed　all　the　country　round　about；
spared　the　Academy　for　the　sake　of　Academus。　But　Dicaearchus　writes
that　there　were　two　Arcadians　in　the　army　of　Castor　and　Pollux；　the
one　called　Echedemus；　and　the　other　Marathus；　from　the　first　that
which　is　now　called　Academia　was　then　named　Echedemia；　and　the　village
Marathon　had　its　name　from　the　other；　who；　to　fulfil　some　oracle；
voluntarily　offered　himself　to　be　made　a　sacrifice　before　battle。　As
soon　as　they　were　arrived　at　Aphidnae；　they　overcame　their　enemies
in　a　set　battle；　and　then　assaulted　and　took　the　town。　And　here；
they　say；　Alycus；　the　son　of　Sciron；　was　slain；　of　the　party　of　the
Dioscuri　（Castor　and　Pollux）；　from　whom　a　place　in　Megara；　where　he
was　buried；　is　called　Alycus　to　this　day。　And　Hereas　writes　that　it
was　Theseus　himself　that　killed　him；　in　witness　of　which　he　cites
these　verses　concerning　Alycus…

　　　　　　　　〃And　Alycus　upon　Aphidnae's　plain；
　　　　　　　　By　Theseus　in　the　cause　of　Helen　slain。〃

Though　it　is　not　at　all　probable　that　Theseus　himself　was　there　when
both　the　city　and　his　mother　were　taken。
　　Aphidnae　being　won　by　Castor　and　Pollux；　and　the　city　of　Athens
being　in　consternation；　Menestheus　persuaded　the　people　to　open
their　gates；　and　receive　them　with　all　manner　of　friendship；　for
they　were；　he　told　them；　at　enmity　with　none　but　Theseus；　who　had
first　injured　them；　and　were　benefactors　and　saviours　to　all　mankind
beside。　And　their　behviour　gave　credit　to　those　promises；　for；
having　made　themselves　absolute　masters　of　the　place；　they　demanded　no
more　than　to　be　initiated；　since　they　were　as　nearly　related　to　the
city　as　Hercules　was；　who　had　received　the　same　honour。　This　their
desire　they　easily　obtained；　and　were　adopted　by　Aphidnus；　as　Hercules
had　been　by　Pylius。　They　were　honoured　also　like　gods；　and　were　called
by　a　new　name；　Anaces；　either　from　the　cessation　of　the　war；　or　from
the　care　they　took　that　none　should　suffer　any　injury；　though　there
was　so　great　an　army　within　the　walls；　for　the　phrase　anakos　ekhein　is
used　of　those　who　look　to　or　care　for　anything；　kings　for　this　reason；
perhaps；　are　called　anactes。　Others　say；　that　from　the　appearance　of
their　star　in　the　heavens；　they　were　thus　called；　for　in　the　Attic
dialect　this　name　comes　very　near　the　words　that　signify　above。
　　Some　say　that　Aethra；　Theseus's　mother；　was　here　taken　prisoner；　and
carried　to　Lacedaemon；　and　from　thence　went　away　with　Helen　to　Troy；
alleging　this　verse　of　Homer　to　prove　that　she　waited　upon　Helen…

　　　　　　　　〃Aethra　of　Pittheus　born；　and　large　eyed　Clymene。〃

Others　reject　this　verse　as　none　of　Homer's；　as　they　do　likewise　the
whole　fable　of　Munychus；　who；　the　story　says；　was　the　son　of
Demophon　and　Laodice；　born　secretly；　and　brought　up　by　Aethra　at　Troy。
But　Ister；　in　the　thirteenth　book　of　his　Attic　History；　gives　us　an
account　of　Aethra；　different　yet　from　all　the　rest：　that　Achilles
and　Patroclus　overcame　Paris　in　Thessaly；　near　the　river　Sperchius；
but　that　Hector　took　and　plundered　the　city　of　the　Troezenians。　and
made　Aethra　prisoner　there。　But　this　seems　a　groundless　tale。
　　Now　Hercules；　passing　by　the　Molossians；　was　entertained　in　his
way　to　Aidoneus　the　king；　who；　in　conversation；　accidentally　spoke
of　the　journey　of　Theseus　and　Pirithous　into　his　country；　of　what　they
had　designed　to　do；　and　what　they　were　forced　to　suffer。　Hercules
was　much　grieved　for　the　inglorious　death　of　the　one　and　the　miserable
condition　of　the　other。　As　for　Pirithous；　he　thought　it　useless　to
complain；　but　begged　to　have　Theseus　released　for　his　sake；　and
obtained　that　favour　from　the　king。　Theseus；　being　thus　set　at
liberty；　returned　to　Athens；　where　his　friends　were　not　yet　wholly
suppressed；　and　dedicated　to　Hercules　all　the　sacred　places　which
the　city　had　set　apart　for　himself；　changing　their　names　from　Thesea
to　Heraclea；　four　only　excepted；　as　Philochorus　writes。　And　wishing
immediately　to　resume　the　first　place　in　the　commonwealth；　and
manage　the　state　as　before；　he　soon　found　himself　involved　in　factions
and　troubles；　those　who　long　had　hated　him　had　now　added　to　their
hatred　contempt；　and　the　minds　of　the　people　were　so　generally
corrupted；　that；　instead　of　obeying　commands　with　silence；　they
expected　to　be　flattered　into　their　duty。　He　had　some　thoughts　to　have
reduced　them　by　force；　but　was　overpowered　by　demagogues　and　factions。
And　at　last；　despairing　of　any　good　success　of　his　affairs　in
Athens；　he　sent　away　his　children　privately　to　Euboea；　commending　them
to　the　care　of　Elephenor；　the　son　of　Chalcodon；　and　he　himself
having　solemnly　cursed　the　people　of　Athens　in　the　village　of
Gargettus；　in　which　there　yet　remains　the　place　called　Araterion；　or
the　place　of　cursing；　sailed　to　Scyros；　where　he　had　lands　left　him　by
his　father；　and　friendship；　as　he　thought；　with　those　of　the　island。
Lycomedes　was　then　king　of　Scyros。　Theseus；　therefore；　addressed
himself　to　him　and　desired　to　have　his　lands　put　into　his
possession；　as　designing　to　settle　and　to　dwell　there；　though　others
say　that　he　came　to　beg　his　assistance　against　the　Athenians。　But
Lycomedes；　either　jealous　of　the　glory　of　so　great　a　man；　or　to
gratify　Menestheus；　having　led　him　up　to　the　highest　cliff　of　the
island；　on　pretence　of　showing　him　from　thence　the　lands　that　be
desired；　threw　him　headlong　down　from　the　rock；　and　killed　him。　Others
say　he　fell　down　of　himself　by　a　slip　of　his　foot；　as　he　was　walking
there；　according　to　his　custom；　after　supper。　At　that　time　there　was
no　notice　taken；　nor　were　any　concerned　for　his　death；　but
Menestheus　quietly　possessed　the　kingdom　of　Athens。　His　sons　were
brought　up　in　a　private　condition；　and　accompanied　Elephenor　to　the
Trojan　war；　but；　after　the　decease　of　Menestheus　in　that　expedition；
returned　to　Athens；　and　recovered　the　government。　But　in　succeeding
ages；　besides　several　other　circumstances　that　moved　the　Athenians
to　honour　Theseus　as　a　demigod；　in　the　battle　which　was　fought　at
Marathon　against　the　Medes；　many　of　the　soldiers　believed　they　saw
an　apparition　of　Theseus　in　arms；　rushing　on　at　the　head　of　them
against　the　barbarians。　And　after　the　Median　war；　Phaedo　being
archon　of　Athens；　the　Athenians；　consulting　the　oracle　at　Delphi；　were
commanded　to　gather　together　the　bones　of　Theseus；　and；　laying　them　in
some　honourable　place；　keep　them　as　sacred　in　the　city。　But　it　was
very　difficult　to　recover　those　relics；　or　so　much　as　to　find　out
the　place　where　they　lay；　on　account　of　the　inhospitable　and　savage
temper　of　the　barbarous　people　that　inhabited　the　island。
Nevertheless；　afterwards；　when　Cimon　took　the　island　（as　is　related　in
his　life）；　and　had　a　great　ambition　to　find　out　the　place　where
Theseus　was　buried；　he；　by　chance；　spied　an　eagle　upon　a　rising　ground
pecking　with　her　beak　and　tearing　up　the　earth　with　her　talons；　when
on　the　sudden　it　came　into　his　mind；　as　it　were　by　some　divine
inspiration；　to　dig　there；　and　search　for　the　bones　of　Theseus。
There　wer