the golden fleece(金羊毛)-第34章
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reign with him over Crete。
Then Ariadne left the black…sailed ship； and went back to Crete from
Naxos。 Theseus let the princess go； although he might have struggled to
hold her。 But more strange than dear did Ariadne remain to Theseus。
And all this time his father； Aegeus； stayed on the tower of his palace；
watching for the return of the ship that had sailed for Knossos。 The life of
the king wasted since the departure of Theseus； and now it was but a
thread。 Every day he watched for the return of the ship； hoping against
hope that Theseus would return alive to him。 Then a ship came into the
harbor。 It had black sails。 IF…geus did not know that Theseus was aboard
of it； and that Theseus in the hurry of his flight and in the sadness of his
parting from Ariadne had not thought of taking out the white sail that his
father had given to Nausitheus。
Joyously Theseus sailed into the harbor； having slain the Minotaur and
lifted for ever the tribute put upon Athens。 Joyously he sailed into the
harbor； bringing back to their parents the youths and maidens of Athens。
But the king； his father； saw the black sails on his ship； and straightway
the thread of his life broke； and he died on the roof of the tower which he
had built to look out on the sea。
Theseus landed on the shore of his own country。 He had the ship
drawn up on the beach and he made sacrifices of thanksgiving to the gods。
Then he sent messengers to the city to announce his return。 They went
toward the city； these joyful messengers； but when they came to the gate
they heard the sounds of mourning and lamentation。 The mourning and the
lamentation were for the death of the king； Theseus's father。 They hurried
back and they came to Theseus where he stood on the beach。 They brought
a wreath of victory for him； but as they put it into his hand they told him
of the death of his father。 Then Theseus left the wreath on the ground； and
he wept for the death of Aegeusof Aegeus； the hero； who had left the
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sword under the stone for him before he was born。
The men and women who came to the beach wept and laughed as they
clasped in their arms the children brought back to them。 And Theseus
stood there； silent and bowed； the memory of his last moments with his
father； of his fight with the Minotaur； of his parting with Ariadneall
flowed back upon him。 He stood there with head bowed； the man who
might not put upon his brows the wreath of victory that had been brought
to him。
VIII
There had come into the city a youth of great valor whose name was
Peirithous： from a far country he had come； filled with a desire of meeting
Theseus； whose fame had come to him。 The youth was in Athens at the
time Theseus returned。 He went down to the beach with the townsfolk； and
he saw Theseus standing alone with his head bowed down。 He went to him
and he spoke； and Theseus lifted his head and he saw before him a young
man of strength and beauty。 He looked upon him； and the thought of high
deeds came into his mind again。 He wanted this young man to be his
comrade in dangers and upon quests。 And Peirithous looked upon Theseus；
and he felt that he was greater and nobler than he had thought。 They
became friends and sworn brothers； and together they went into far
countries。
Now there was in Epirus a savage king who had a very fair daughter。
He had named this daughter Persephone； naming her thus to show that she
was held as fast by him as that other Persephone was held who ruled in the
Underworld。 No man might see her； and no man might wed her。 But
Peirithous had seen the daughter of this king； and he desired above all
things to take her from。 her father and make her his wife。 He begged
Theseus to help him enter that king's palace and carry off the maiden。
So they came to Epirus； Theseus and Peirithous； and they entered the
king's palace； and they heard the bay of the dread hound that was there to
let no one out who had once come within the walls。 Suddenly the guards
of the savage king came upon them； and they took Theseus and Peirithous
and they dragged them down into dark dungeons。
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Two great chairs of stone were there； and Theseus and Peirithous were
left seated in them。 And the magic powers that were in the chairs of stone
were such that the heroes could not lift themselves out of them。 There they
stayed； held in the great stone chairs in the dungeons of that savage king。
Then it so happened that Heracles came into the palace of the king。
The harsh king feasted Heracles and abated his savagery before him。 But
he could not forbear boasting of how he had trapped the heroes who had
come to carry off Persephone。 And he told how they could not get out of
the stone chairs and how they were held captive in his dark dungeon。
Heracles listened； his heart full of pity for the heroes from Greece who had
met with such a harsh fate。 And when the king mentioned that one of the
heroes was Theseus； Heracles would feast no more with him until he had
promised that the one who had been his comrade on the Argo would be let
go。
The king said he would give Theseus his liberty if Heracles would
carry the stone chair on which he was seated out of the dungeon and into
the outer world。 Then Heracles went down into the dungeon。 He found the
two heroes in the great chairs of stone。 But one of them； Peirithous； no
longer breathed。 Heracles took the great chair of stone that Theseus was
seated in； and he carried it up； up； from the dungeon and out into the world。
It was a heavy task even for Heracles。 He broke the chair in pieces； and
Theseus stood up； released。
Thereafter the world was before Theseus。 He went with Heracles； and
in the deeds that Heracles was afterward to accomplish Theseus shared。
IV。 THE LIFE AND LABORS OF HERACLES
Heracles was the son of Zeus； but he was born into the family of a
mortal king。 When he was still a youth； being overwhelmed by a madness
sent upon him by one of the goddesses； he slew the children of his brother
Iphicles。 Then； coming to know what he had done； sleep and rest went
from him： he went to Delphi； to the shrine of Apollo； to be purified of his
crime。
At Delphi； at the shrine of Apollo； the priestess purified him； and when
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she had purified him she uttered this prophecy： 〃From this day forth thy
name shall be； not Alcides； but Heracles。 Thou shalt go to Eurystheus； thy
cousin； in Mycenae； and serve him in all things。 When the labors he shall
lay upon thee are accomplished； and when the rest of thy life is lived out；
thou shalt become one of the immortals。〃 Heracles； on hearing these words；
set out for Mycenae。
He stood before his cousin who hated him； he； a towering man； stood
before a king who sat there weak and trembling。 And Heracles said； 〃I
have come to take up the labors that you will lay upon me； speak now；
Eurystheus； and tell me what you would have me do。〃
Eurystheus； that weak king； looking on the young man who stood as
tall and as firm as one of the immortals； had a heart that was filled with
hatred。 He lifted up his head and he said with a frown：
〃There is a lion in Nemea that is stronger and more fierce than any lion
known before。 Kill that lion； and bring the lion's skin to me that I may
know that you have truly performed your task。〃 So Eurystheus said； and
Heracles； with neither shield nor arms； went forth from the king's palace to
seek and to combat the dread lion of Nemea。
He went on until he came into a country where the fences were
overthrown and the fields wasted and the houses empty and fallen。 He
went on until he came to the waste around that land： there he came on the
trail of the lion； it led up the side of a mountain； and Heracles； without
shield or arms； followed the trail。
He heard the roar of the lion。 Looking up he saw the beast standing at
the mouth of a cavern； huge and dark against the sunset。 The lion roared
three times； and then it went within the cavern。
Around the mouth were strewn the bones of creatures it had killed and
carried there。 Heracles looked upon them when he came to the cavern。 He
went within。 Far into the cavern he went； and then he came to where he
saw the lion。 It was sleeping。
Heracles viewed the terrible bulk of the lion； and then he looked upon
his own knotted hands and arms。 He remembered that it was told of him
that； while still a child of eight months； he had strangled a great serpent
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that had come to his cradle to devour him。 He had grown and his strength
had grown too。
So he stood； measuring his strength and the size of the lion。 The breath
from its mouth and nostrils came heavily to him as the beast slept； gorged
with its prey。 Then the lion yawned。 Heracles sprang on it and put his great
hands upon its throat。 No growl came out of its mouth； but the great eyes
blazed while the terrible paws tore at Heracles。 Against the rock Heracles
held the beast； strongly he held it； choking it through the skin that was
almost impenetrable。 Terribly the lion struggled； but the strong hands of
the hero held around its throat until it struggled no more。
Then Heracles stripped off that impenetrable skin from the lion's body；
he put it upon himself for a cloak。 Then； as he went through the forest； he
pulled up a young oak tree and trimmed it and made a club for himself。
With the lion's skin over himthat skin that no spear or arrow could
pierceand c
