Chapter XXXII: Eros and Psyche (1)

There lived once a king and queen who had three daughters. The youngest of them was named Psyche, and she was so wonderfully beautiful that when she went through the streets, the people threw flowers before her and kissed their hands to her, as they used to do to the statues of the gods. The only one who did not delight in her was the goddess Aphrodite. She was accustomed to drive through the city in a chariot drawn by doves, and every time she did so it vexed her afresh to see that the townspeople neglected her worship in order to pay homage to the lovely Psyche, as if it were she and not Aphrodite who was the goddess of beauty. And she called her son Eros, who was the god of love, and commanded him to cause the princess whom she hated to set her love upon the most unworthy of all mortals.

Not long afterwards the old king asked the Oracle to whom he should give his daughter Psyche in marriage, and the answer he received was that she must be dressed as a bride and led to the top of a rocky cliff that stood up high above the city, and that then all her friends must say good-bye to her for ever, and leave her there alone to be taken to the house of the husband {232} appointed for her. And that if he refused to obey the Oracle, grievous misfortune would befall him and all his household. The king and queen were greatly distressed at this sentence, and the whole land mourned with them, for why should the Oracle speak so mysteriously if it did not mean that the appointed husband was some horrible monster? But they were obliged to obey, lest some worse misfortune should overtake them. Psyche was dressed as a bride and led to the rock, in a procession of the citizens. The flutes and other musical instruments gave forth joyous sounds; but louder still was heard the sound of mourning and lamentation. The grey-haired father and mother wept bitterly as they kissed their child for the last time, and then the wedding torches were put out, and the procession wound sadly and silently back to the city.

Psyche meanwhile was left alone upon the desolate rock; but very soon a Wind-god came, who seized her in his arms and flew through the air with her, till at last he put her down in a valley on the further side of the hill. Psyche hid her face in her hands at first that she might not see the horrible things she expected to find all round her; but when she did venture timidly to open her eyes, she could scarcely believe what she saw. She found herself seated in a meadow full of flowers, with a clear stream running through it, and a wood near by, in front of which there stood a most beautiful palace; its roof was supported by pillars of pure gold, and its walls were covered with sculptures wrought in silver. Full of astonishment, Psyche rose and went towards the palace. As she approached it, she noticed that the air was filled with a delicious scent, and when {233} she entered the palace, she met with some new splendour at every step. The rooms were furnished with great magnificence, and were filled with beautiful ornaments of gold and silver. Then there fell upon her ear the sweet voice of a nymph, which said, 'We are at your service, and prepared to carry out your wishes, whatever they may be.' Psyche thought she would like to refresh herself with some cool water, and in a moment a beautiful bath was drawn forward by unseen hands and placed before her. After she had bathed and anointed herself, she went into the next room where she found a table spread with a tempting meal, and all the while she was eating, sounds of sweet music were heard and songs were sung by unseen nymphs. When Psyche had finished, she felt in need of rest, and she lay down on a couch and went to sleep. Meanwhile it became quite dark, and by-and-by she was awakened by a gentle movement, and a sweet voice said to her, 'I am thy husband, and this house is thine and mine,--all its splendours are for thy pleasure,--but never seek to see my face, for then I should be obliged to leave thee for ever.' The husband remained with her until the day was about to dawn, and then he vanished.

The next day, and each following day, everything happened as before: the unseen nymphs waited on Psyche and shortened the hours by singing and playing to her, and with the darkness came the husband who remained in the palace until morning.

The heart of Psyche was divided between joy and sorrow. Her kind husband and the wonders and delights of the palace filled her with joy, but tears often came to her eyes in thinking of her parents and her {234} play-fellows. Once when she was looking towards the high rock from which she had been brought by the Wind-god, she saw her two sisters there, and she was filled with so great a longing to see them again that when next her husband came to her, she begged him to send for them. For a moment he hesitated, but then he promised to do as she wished, and told her also that she might give them anything she liked out of the treasures of the palace to take away with them as presents; 'but,' he added, 'take care not to let them delude you into making any attempt to see my face.' Psyche promised without any misgiving, for she felt herself perfectly free from curiosity.

On the following day when the two sisters again appeared on the rock, the Wind-god took them up on his shoulders and carried them into the beautiful valley. Psyche received them with many embraces, and asked them endless questions about her parents and play-fellows. Then she led them into the palace and desired the music to sound, whilst she showed them all the beautiful things. They were dumb with amazement, and stood looking at one another; and then Psyche asked them to choose whatever they liked best to take away with them, for they were quite welcome to it. But the two sisters had wicked, envious dispositions, and were not pleased that Psyche should be so much better off than they were. They asked who was her husband, and when she told them that he was kind and good, but that she had never seen him and that she was forbidden ever to seek to do so, they made a sign one to the other, and one of them pretended to cry, and said, 'Ah, dear sister, it must {235} then be true what the people say. They say that every evening a hideous monster is seen to creep into this valley,--a horrible serpent with bloody jaws.' And the other sister pretended to weep also, and she said, 'When he gets to the palace he takes the form of a man; but no doubt his countenance bears the traces of his cruel nature, and that is the reason why he will not let you look at him. Alas! only too soon shall we have to deplore your miserable death.'

Psyche was herself so entirely free from falseness that she had no suspicion of the treachery of her sisters. She was horror-struck at what they said, and though at first she refused to believe that the gentle voice she had so often heard could come from the jaws of a monster, yet they so persisted in tormenting her with their crafty speeches, that at last she ended by believing them, and was only anxious to escape from the dreadful creature. When the eldest sister saw this, she said to her, 'There is just one means of saving your life. You must summon up your courage, and to-night, when the monster is asleep, take your lamp in your hand and a sharp knife, and go to his couch and pierce him through the heart with the knife.' She said this because she thought that if Psyche disobeyed her husband by looking at him when he was asleep, all her happiness would be at an end. The two sisters gave Psyche no peace till she had made up her mind to do as they said. Then they took as many of the treasures of the palace as they could carry, and Psyche called to the Wind-god to come and take them away again.

When it was dark, her husband came as usual; but she was afraid of him, and could hardly find a word to {236} say in answer to his friendly greeting. And at midnight, when he was fast asleep, she lit a lamp, and taking a knife in her hand, went to his couch with the intention of killing him. The light fell upon the couch, and there she saw,--no monster, but Eros himself, the winged god of love, radiant with beauty. The knife fell from her hand, and she felt that she could never be weary of gazing at his glorious form. But as she bent over him she forgot to take care that the lamp in her hand was held straight, and a drop of hot oil was spilt, which fell upon his shoulder and awoke him. He opened his eyes and saw Psyche bending over him with the lamp in her hand. He looked at her very sorrowfully, and said, 'Thou hast mistrusted me and transgressed my command; my dwelling is no longer here. I am Eros, as thou hast discovered. My mother Aphrodite is angry with thee, and she commanded me to cause thee to love the most unworthy of men. But when I saw thee, I was myself filled with love for thee, and determined to hide thee from my mother that thou mightest be my wife. Only in the deepest secrecy have I dared to act against her will. And now thou hast disobeyed my command, and I must leave thee for ever.' When he had said this, he took up his bow and quiver which stood by the side of the couch, and flew away.

Psyche was filled with the bitterest remorse, and desired to live no longer. When the day dawned, she went to the river and threw herself into it. But the river-god was unwilling to kill anything so beautiful, and he carried her on the top of his waters to the farther shore, and set her down there. The birds were chirping in the trees, and the morning sun looked down {237} so pleasantly on the river and the meadows that a ray of hope sprang up in her heart, and she thought, 'How if I could succeed in winning him back? They say that he is the kindest of all the gods. I will go all over the world seeking him.' So she set out, and took no heed of the roughness of the way or of the thorns that pierced her feet, and wandered into all corners of the world, hoping to find some trace of him.

After she had wandered for a long time, she came to the palace of Aphrodite, and she said to herself, 'The goddess is indeed angry with me, but is her anger mightier than my grief? I will enter her service, and it may be that I shall succeed in gaining her good will.' So she went into the palace, and offered herself as servant to the goddess. Now Aphrodite knew that instead of doing Psyche any injury, Eros had secretly married her, for a sea-gull that had made its nest for a time in the valley had told her about it. She felt therefore a grim joy when the unhappy girl put herself into her power, and in a haughty tone she said to her, 'If your mind is set on being beloved by a god, you will have to accomplish hard tasks, and it will be the worse for you if you fail to perform them.' Then she set her the first task. She piled up in front of the palace a great heap of seeds,--wheat, beans, poppies, and peas,--all mixed together, and saying, 'Before night comes all the seeds must be sorted,' she went away. Psyche could not have done it in ten days. She sat down by the heap, buried her face in her hands, and wept bitterly. But there lived close by a great nation of ants, and one of them saw the beautiful girl crying, and was sorry for her, and called {238} the others to come and help her. Then there came an endless array of ants, who set to work and soon sorted the seeds, though some of them were so large that it took four, eight, or even ten ants to roll a single seed to its place, and when Psyche looked up, the work was done and the ants were marching away again. She kissed her hands to them, and thanked them prettily for their kindness. When Aphrodite came home in the evening and saw the seeds laid out in order, she could find no fault with her industrious servant, but she gave her a look that was far from friendly, for she would much rather have had some excuse for blaming her.

The next morning she said to Psyche, 'There is a copse near by, where there graze some sheep with golden fleeces. Go and fetch me three tufts of their wool.' Psyche set out, and went slowly along the river-side towards the wood. On the bank stood some reeds which rustled in the morning breeze, and the rustling turned into words like these, 'Take care what you do, for the golden-fleeced sheep are fierce animals, and their bite is poisonous. Wait till mid-day, and then go into the copse and look at the bushes.' So said the reeds, and then they rustled again as before. Psyche thanked them, and sat down by the side of the river until the shadows were at their shortest. Then she knew it was mid-day, and she went into the copse and found the sheep all lying asleep. She trod gently so as not to wake them, and looked at the bushes which were covered with tufts of golden wool, for the sheep had rubbed themselves against the bushes and left part of their fleeces sticking to the thorns. Psyche took the three best tufts and left the copse. When she came back {239} and gave them to her mistress, Aphrodite was surprised, for she had expected that Psyche would be bitten to death by the fierce sheep. She said to her with an angry look, 'You have not yet finished your day's work. Take your pitcher and ascend that hill. At the top of it there is some black water. Fetch me some.'

Psyche started off obediently with her pitcher. When she reached the hill, she saw before her a steep path leading up to the spring, but near it were two dreadful dragons who looked as if they would not let any one pass them alive. The water fell into a dark ravine by the side of the path, and flowed deep down into the Lower World. It bubbled angrily in the hollow, and called out to Psyche, 'What do you want here? Go away, and be quick about it, or your life is not worth much.' Psyche put down her pitcher and stood still, weeping bitterly. But she had not been there long when there appeared a great eagle, which circled round her several times and then seized the handle of her pitcher in his beak and flew off with it to the spring. The dragons howled, and raised themselves as high as they could in the air that they might be the better able to shoot out flames at him from their mouths, but their fiery breath was powerless to scorch him. He came back with the filled pitcher which he set down beside Psyche, and then he spread his wings again and had soon disappeared among the clouds. Psyche cast a grateful glance after him, took up her pitcher, and set out joyfully on her way home. When Aphrodite saw her returning, she felt sure that she had come with an empty pitcher, for she knew that if she {240} had attempted to pass the dragons they would have killed her, and she thought that she would now be able to imprison her in a damp dungeon and keep her without sufficient food or sunshine. But when she looked into the vessel, she saw that it was full of the black water which Psyche had been desired to fetch. She was very angry, and poured it out upon the ground, for it was of no use to her, and began to ponder what task she could impose upon Psyche which would bring about her death without fail.

The next morning Psyche was summoned to the presence of her harsh mistress, who said to her, 'Take this golden casket to the Queen of the Lower World, and ask her to send me some of the Salve of Beauty.' Psyche left the palace, but she made up her mind that she would kill herself at once rather than attempt to take the message, for she shuddered at the horrors of the Lower World, and moreover she could not hope that if she once entered its gates she would ever be allowed to come out again. She ascended a high tower which was grey with old age, meaning to throw herself down from it; but as she stood on the top, the stones began to utter sounds, and the aged tower said, 'Do not despair, I will give you good counsel. Go to Mount Taenarus, and there you will find a dark chasm that leads down to the Lower World. The ferry-man who will row you across the river Acheron demands passage money; put two copper coins between your teeth, and hold out your mouth to him, so that he may take his fare for himself. At the gate of the Land of Shades there stands the hideous dog Cerberus. For him take a honey-cake in each of your hands, and throw him one {241} when you go in at the gate, and the other when you come out again. And beware of letting either of the cakes out of your hand, for then you would find yourself imprisoned for ever in the Lower World. Persephone will fill the casket for you. Do not let anything induce you to open it.' Then the tower ceased speaking, and Psyche resolved to summon her courage and undertake the dreadful journey. She put two copper coins between her teeth, and taking a honey-cake in each hand, she went along the dark road until she reached the gloomy twilight of the Lower World. Presently she met a lame man, who was driving a lame, heavily-laden ass. He was holding up the burden which was falling from off the ass, and he called out to Psyche in a piteous voice, begging her to pick up a piece of rope from the ground for him that he might tie the burden on with it. The tender-hearted Psyche found it difficult to refuse, but she could not have done what he wanted without neglecting the warning of the tower on no account to let go of her honey-cakes; so she passed on without answering, and immediately the man and the ass vanished. Psyche next came to the river Acheron, and the surly ferryman Charon rowed her over it in his boat after he had taken one of the copper coins from her mouth. Close to the boat there swam an old man whose appearance was most pitiful,--his strength was evidently failing him, and he seemed about to sink. He stretched out one of his thin arms towards Psyche, and begged her with beseeching gestures to hold out her hand to him. But Psyche remembered the warning, and immediately the old man disappeared. When they reached the further {242} shore, there sat three old women by the road-side, spinning, who called out to her in a pleasant voice and asked her to cut their thread for them. They were nice, kind-looking old women, but Psyche remembered the warning, and immediately they disappeared as the others had done.

After this, Psyche soon arrived at the gate of the Land of Shades, in front of which stood the three-headed dog Cerberus. She threw him a cake, and he let her go by. Then she saw flitting about her on all sides, pale, silent shades, and she was seized with horror, but she overcame it, and went on bravely to the palace of Queen Persephone and delivered her message. Persephone filled the box and gave it back to her. The fierce dog let her pass out when she gave him the second honey-cake, Charon took the second coin out of her mouth and rowed her back across the river, and at last she found herself in the sunshine once more. She was very tired and sat down on a stone to rest a little, and she thought to herself, 'I have gone through the horrors of the Lower World, and have fulfilled the command of the cruel goddess. But will she give me any thanks for it?' For some time she sat buried in sad thoughts; then she said, 'How if I were to open the casket and test the power of the wonderful salve? Perhaps it would give me such beauty that Eros would come back to me.' Quickly she lifted the cover, but there came out of the casket a cloud of stupefying vapour which threw her into a deep sleep. Before Psyche entered the Lower World, Aphrodite had sent a messenger to the Queen to beg her, instead of filling the casket with the Salve of Beauty, to put into it a {243} narcotic vapour, for she thought that even if Psyche surmounted all the other difficulties in her path, she might at last be conquered by the temptation of curiosity and open the casket.

But Eros was not far off. He had seen how Psyche had gone through so many dangers and horrors for love of him, and now he came and wiped away the magic vapour which had settled on her face, and shut it up again in the casket. Then he soared up to Olympus, the abode of the gods, and entreated Zeus to gift Psyche with immortality, and allow him to be married to her. Zeus granted his request, and sent down Hermes, the messenger, to raise Psyche from the earth and bring her into the assembly of the gods. Before them all, Zeus held out to her a shell filled with nectar, the drink of the gods, and said to her, 'Drink immortality.' Even Aphrodite kissed her and blessed the marriage, for her anger had been overcome by Psyche's faithful love. The marriage was celebrated with great joyfulness,--Apollo and the Muses sang, the Graces danced, and the whole vault of heaven resounded with the mirth of the wedding guests.

The envious sisters were already dead. After they had plunged Psyche into misery, they each hoped to become the bride of the unknown husband, and each in turn went to the rock and threw herself from it, expecting the Wind-god to carry her into the valley as he had done before, but instead of that, they both fell down among sharp stones and perished miserably. Thus did they come to a bad end; but Psyche was enthroned as a goddess beside her Love, in the unending joy of the blessed Immortals.

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INDEX

_ABSYRTUS_. Son of Aeëtes king of Colchis. Is taken on board the Argo by his sister Medea, 165. Is killed by Medea in order to delay Aeëtes in his pursuit of the Argonauts, 166.

Achelōus. A river-god. Fights with Heracles for Deianira, and is conquered by him, 142 and 143. Helps Alcmaeon in his distress and gives him his daughter in marriage, 228.

_Acheron_. One of the rivers of the Lower World. Psyche is rowed across it by Charon, 241.

_Acrisius_. King of Argos. Builds a brazen room for his daughter Danaë, and afterwards shuts her up with her child in a chest and turns them adrift, 95. Is accidentally killed by his grandson Perseus, 102.

_Actaeon_. Is turned into a stag as a punishment fur looking at the goddess Artemis when bathing, 24 and 25.

Admētus. Is helped by Apollo to win the hand of Alcestis, 91 to 93. Is restored to life through the sacrifice of Alcestis, 93 and 94.

_Adrastus_. King of Argos. Receives Polynices when banished by Eteocles, 212 and 213. Marches with him against Thebes, 213 to 221. Escapes through the speed of his horse Arion, 221. Begs Theseus to procure an honourable burial for the Argives, 223. Sends the Epigoni to avenge their fathers, 224.

_Axētēs_. King of Colchis. Receives Phrixus when brought to his country by the Golden Ram, 150. Promises to let Jason have the Golden Fleece on certain conditions, 160. Plots to kill him, 164 and 165. Pursues Jason and Medea, but turns back to bury his son Absyrtus, 166.

_Aegeūs_. King of Athens. Marries Aethra and becomes the father of Theseus, 177. Receives Theseus at Athens, 182 and 183. Parts unwillingly with Theseus that he may go to Crete to slay the Minotaur, 187 and 188. Kills himself at sight of the black sail which he believes to be the announcement of his son's death, 192.

_Aegyptus_. Brother of Danaus and king of a part of Africa, 34.

_Aethra_. Marries Aegeus and becomes the mother of Theseus, 177. Keeps her son at Troezen till he is grown up, and then sends him to his father at Athens, 177 to 179. Takes charge of Helena for a time, till she is rescued by her brothers, 199 and 201.

_Africa_. Io is kindly received in Africa by the king of Egypt, 32 and 33. Danaus, her descendant, leaves the country for Argos, 34. The inhabitants are burnt black by Phaëthon, 41. Cassiopea, wife of Cepheus, king of a part of Africa, is punished by Poseidon for her pride, 98 and 99. Perseus arrives and delivers Andromeda from the monster, 99 and 100.

_Alcestis_. Daughter of King Pelias, 91. Is sued for by Admetus, 92 and 93. Dies in order that her husband may live, 93. Is restored to life by Persephone, 94.

_Alcmaeon_. Son of Amphiaraus. Leads the Epigoni against Thebes, 224 to 226. Returns home and kills his mother in obedience to the command of his father, 227. Goes to King Phegeus to be purified, and marries his daughter, 227; but is obliged to leave the country, 228. Asks the help of Acheloüs, who has pity on him and forms an island on which he can live, 228. Marries the daughter of Acheloüs, 228. Is killed by the brothers of his former wife, 229.

_Alcmēnē_. Daughter of Electryon. Is driven away from Mycenae after her father's death by her uncle Sthenelus, and takes refuge in Thebes, 105. Induces Amphitryon to make war upon the Teleboae, 105 and 106. Is married to Zeus during his absence, but afterwards marries Amphitryon. 108. Becomes the mother of Heracles and Iphicles, 108. Finds Heracles attacked by serpents, 109.

_Altar of Pity_. Erected by Theseus in the market-place of Athens, 196. Oedipus goes there to sue for help, 210. Also Adrastus, 223.

_Althaea_. Wife of Oeneus king of Calydon, and mother of Meleager, whose death she hastens by burning the brand on which his life depends, 83 and 88.

_Amalthea_. The goat that nourished Zeus, 3. Her horn is converted into the Horn of Plenty, 5; and becomes the property of Heracles, 143.

_Amazons_. A nation of women-soldiers. Heracles is sent by Eurystheus to fetch the girdle of the Queen of the Amazons, 124 to 126. The women of Lemnos try to imitate them, 153. Theseus carries off Hippolyta to be his wife, 193; and is in consequence attacked by the Amazons, 194. He wins the first victory ever gained over them, 195.

_Amphiarus_. A seer, brother-in-law of Adrastus king of Argos, 213. Advises against the expedition to Thebes, 214 and 217; but is over-ruled by his wife Eriphyle, 214 and 215. Zeus interposes to prevent his being killed in the battle, and takes him to dwell among the gods, 220 and 221.

_Amphīon_. King of Thebes, and husband of Niobe, 59 and 80. Builds a wall round the city by singing to the stones, 59 and 60. Grieves for his children slain by Apollo and Artemis, 81.

_Amphitryon_. Comes to Mycenae to sue for the hand of Alcmene. and accidentally kills her father, Electryon, 105. Takes refuge with Creon, king of Thebes, 105; and delivers the city from a destroying Fox, 106. Makes war upon the Teleboae at the desire of Alcmene, 105 to 108. Marries Alcmene, 108.

_Androgeus_. Son of Minos king of Crete. Goes to Athens to take part in some games, and is killed by the Athenians on his way home, 186.

_Andromeda_. Daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopea, 98. Is delivered by Perseus from the monster who was to have devoured her, 99. Is married to him, 100.

_Antaeus_. King of Libya. Compels Heracles to wrestle with him, 133. His mother the Earth gives him new strength each time he touches her, but Heracles raises him in his arms, and strangles him to death, 133.

_Antigonē_. Daughter of Oedipus, 210. Chooses to share her father's fate when he is banished from Thebes, and accompanies him through all his wanderings, 210 and 211. Buries her brother Polynices notwithstanding the prohibition of Creon, and is immured for having dared to disobey him, 221 to 223.

_Aphroditē_. Goddess of beauty, 231. Gives her daughter Harmonia to be the wife of Cadmus, 68. Gives Milanion three golden apples that he may conquer Atalanta in the race, 89. Is angry with Psyche, 231; and treats her cruelly, 237 to 243; but is afterwards reconciled to her marriage with Eros, 243.

_Apollo_. Son of Zeus and Leto, and brother of Artemis, 23. Disputes with Idas for Marpessa, 21. Gifts Melampus with the power of knowing the future, 72. Punishes the pride of Niobe, 80 and 81. Becomes for a time the slave of Admetus, 91. Helps Admetus to win Alcestis, 92 and 93. Helps to arm Heracles for his fight with the Minyae, 112. Refuses to pronounce the oracle demanded by Heracles, 139. Blesses the marriage of Eros and Psyche, 243. Theseus sacrifices the Cretan Bull to Apollo, 185.--For the Temple of Apollo at Delphi see page 55,--also _Delphi_.

_Arcadia_. Heracles drives the Stymphalian birds out of the country, 121 and 122.

_Arēs_. The god of war. Is made prisoner by Otus and Ephialtes, 28. Gives his daughter Harmonia to be the wife of Cadmus, 58. Gives a beautiful girdle to the Queen of the Amazons, 124.

_Argo_. The vessel in which Jason and his friends sail to fetch the Golden Fleece, 153. She is dedicated to Poseidon, 171.

_Argonauts_. The heroes who sailed in the Argo. For their adventures, see pages 153 to 171.

_Argos_. The home of Io, 31. Her descendant Danaus finds a refuge in Argos when obliged to flee from Egypt, and becomes king, 34 and 35. Lynceus succeeds him, 37. Melampus is sent for to Argos to deliver the daughters of King Proetus from their mania, 73 and 74. Danaë is driven away from Argos by her father, King Acrisius, 95. Perseus becomes king of Argos, but exchanges it for the cities of Mycenae and Tiryns, 103. Polynices comes to Argos to ask for help, 212. King Adrastus leads the Argives against Thebes, 213 to 223. Their defeat is afterwards avenged by the Epigoni, 224 to 227.

_Argus_. (1) The hundred-eyed watchman placed by Hera in charge of Io; 31. (2) The builder of the Argo, 152 and 153.

_Ariadnē_. Daughter of Minos, king of Crete. Helps Theseus to overcome the Minotaur, and flees away with him, 188 to 190. At Naxos, Theseus is commanded to abandon her, 191; and she becomes the wife of the god Dionysus, 192.

_Arīon_. A horse of divine origin. Carries Adrastus back to Argos after his defeat before Thebes, 221.

_Artemis_. Goddess of the chase, 24. Daughter of Zeus and Leto, and sister of Apollo, 23. Punishes Actaeon for looking at her when bathing, 25. Causes the death of Otus and Ephialtes, 28. Punishes Niobe for her pride, 80 and 81. Sends a wild-boar to lay waste the country round Calydon, 84.--Festival of Artemis celebrated at Sparta, 199.

_Asia_. The home of Europa and Cadmus, 54. The country of the Amazons lies in Asia, 125 and 193. Phrixus is brought to the city of Colchis in Asia by the Golden Ram, 150.

_Atalanta_. Is exposed in a forest and brought up by hunters, 84 to 86. Takes part in the Calydonian boar-hunt, 86 to 89. Allows herself to be conquered by the golden apples in the race with Milanion, 89 and 90.

_Athamas, King_. Father of Phrixus and Helle, 148. Dionysus is placed under his charge by Zeus, 63. Hera is angry at this and punishes Athamas by making him mad, 63 and 150. He kills his wife and children in his madness, and is condemned to wander about till he becomes the guest of wild beasts, 150 and 151.

_Athēnē_. Daughter of Zeus, and goddess of wisdom. Buries one of the Giants beneath the island of Sicily, 6. Teaches Bellerophon how to control the winged horse Pegasus, 49. Directs Cadmus to sow the dragon's teeth and build a city with the help of the warriors who should spring from them, 56 and 57. Received from Perseus the Gorgon's head and fastens it to her shield, 103. Helps to arm Heracles for his fight with the Minyae, 112. Helps Heracles to drive away the Stymphalian birds, 121 and 122. Returns the apples procured by Heracles from the Garden of the Hesperides, 135. Sends a Sacred Beam for the Argo, 153. Claims the guardianship of the city of Athens, 176 and 177.

_Athens_. Is named after Athene, 176 and 177. Amphitryon goes there to fetch the dog who could not be baffled of his prey, 106. The city is ruled over by Aegeus, 177. Theseus arrives at Athens, 182; delivers the land from the Bull of Marathon, 184 and 185; and from the tribute imposed by Minos, 185 to 191; succeeds his father as king of Athens, 193; defeats the Amazons, 195; sets up an Altar of Pity in the market-place, 196. Hippolytus comes to stay at Athens, 197 and 198. Oedipus finds a refuge there, 210. Adrastus comes to sue for help, 223. The bones of Theseus are brought to Athens, 203 and 204.

_Atlas_. Is compelled to support the vault of heaven, 134. Fetches the golden apples from the Garden of the Hesperides fur Heracles, 134 and 135.

_Augeas_. King of Elis. Has his stables cleansed by Heracles in a single day, 119 and 120. Refuses to give the reward agreed upon, 120 and 121. Is punished by Heracles for his treachery, 141 and 142.

_Aventīnus, Mt_. A mountain in Italy over which Heracles is driving the cattle of Geryon when they are stolen by the Giant Cacus, 130.

_BACCHANTES_. Followers of Dionysus or Bacchus, 65 to 67.

_Beam, The Sacred_. A beam with the power of speech,--sent by Athene to be inserted in the Argo, 153. It reproves Jason and Medea for their crime, 167. Dies of old age, 171.

_Bellerophon_. Son of Glaucus, and grandson of Sisyphus, kings of Corinth. 45. Kills his brother unintentionally, and goes to King Proetus to be purged from the stain of blood, 45. Is sent by Proetus to Iobates king of Lycia, 46. Slays the Chimaera by the help of the winged horse Pegasus, 47 to 50. Marries the king's daughter and settles in the country, 51.

_Bias_. Brother of Melampus. Obtains the hand of Pero, daughter of king Neleus, through the kindness of his brother, 69 to 72. Obtains also a third part of the dominions of Proetus, king of Argos, 73 and 74.

_Black Sea_. Crossed by Phrixus when carried by the Golden Ram to Colchis, 150. Passed through by the Argonauts on their way to Colchis, 155.

_Boreas_. The god of the North Wind, 158.

_Bull of Crete or of Marathon_. Sent by Poseidon to Minos for sacrifice, 122. Taken to Mycenae by Heracles, 123. Captured by Theseus and sacrificed to Apollo, 184 and 185.

_Busīris_. A king of Egypt who sacrificed a stranger every year to the gods. Is killed by Heracles, 133 and 134.

_CACUS_. A giant living on Mt. Aventinus. Steals the cattle of Heracles and is killed by him, 130 and 131.

_Cadmēa_. The fortress of Thebes. Named after Cadmus, 58. Hera enters and gives bad advice to Semele, 61. It is visited by a devastating Fox, whom Amphitryon overcomes with the help of the Athenian Dog, 106.

_Cadmus_. Sets off in search of his sister Europa, 50. Is directed to found a city, 56. Sows dragon's teeth, from which spring warriors who help him to build the Cadmea, 57 and 58. Marries Harmonia, 58. Is the father of Semele, 61.

_Calydon_. The country of Oeneus and the scene of the great boar-hunt in which Meleager and Atalanta take part, 83-89. Heracles goes there to sue for Deianira, 142, and spends some years there, 143.

_Capaneūs_. One of the Seven Heroes who march against Thebes, 213 and 214. Is killed by lightning, 219.

_Cassiopēa_. Wife of Cepheus and mother of Andromeda. Punished by Poseidon for her pride, 98 and 99.

_Castor._ Son of Tyndareus and Leda, and twin-brother of Pollux, 200. Takes part in the expedition of the Argonauts, 157. Rescues his sister Helena, 201. Shares the fate of his brother Pollux after death as well as through life, 201.

_Caucasus, Mt_. Prometheus is chained there, 12.

_Centaurs_. Monstrous creatures, half men, half horses. Quarrel with Heracles, 117 to 119. Fight with the Lapithae, who overcome them with the help of Theseus, 196. (See also _Chiron, Nessus, and Pholus_.)

_Cepheus_. King of a part of Africa. Husband of Cassiopea and father of Andromeda, 99 and 100.

_Cerberus_. A three-headed dog who stood as watchman at the gate of the land of Shades. Heracles is sent to fetch him to the Upper World, 135. He allows Psyche to pass him, 242.

_Ceryneian Hind_. A hind under the protection of Artemis, captured by Heracles as his third Labour, 116 and 117

_Chaos_. The state of the universe before the creation of the heaven and the earth, 1.

_Charon_. The ferryman who conducted mortals to the Lower World. Rows Psyche across the river Acheron, 241.

_Chimaera_. A monster half-lion, half-goat, with a serpent's tail, 47. Killed by Bellerophon, 48 to 50.

_Chīron_. The wisest and best of the Centaurs. Instructs Heracles, 100. Is killed by him unintentionally, 118 and 119.

_Circē_. An enchantress, sister of King Aeëtes. Purges Jason and Medea from the blood of Absyrtus, 167.

_Cithaeron, Mt_. Heracles pastures the flocks of Amphitryon on this mountain, and slays the lion whose skin he afterwards wears, 110 and 111. Oedipus is left there to perish by his parents, 205.

_Club-carrier_. One of the robbers killed by Theseus on his journey to Athens, 179.

_Clytaemnestra_. Daughter of Tyndareus and Leda, 200.

_Colchis_. The city of King Aeëtes. Phrixus is brought there by the Golden Ram, 150. The Argonauts reach Colchis, 159.

_Corinth_. The country of Sisyphus, 43. Bellerophon is obliged to leave Corinth on account of the murder of his brother, 45. Jason and Medea settle there, 173. Oedipus is brought there and adopted by King Polybus, 205 and 206.

_Creon_ (1). King of Corinth. Receives Jason and Medea, and offers his daughter Glauce to Jason for a wife, 173 and 174. (2). King of Thebes. Purges Amphitryon from the blood of Electryon, 105. Accompanies him on his expedition against the Teleboae, 106 & 107. Gives his daughter Megara to Heracles for a wife, 112. (3). Brother Jocasta. Becomes King of Thebes, 221. Refuses burial to the Argives and condemns Antigone to death for disobeying his orders, 221 to 223. Is compelled by Theseus to rescind them, 223.

_Crete_. Zeus is hidden in this island from his father when a child, 3. Daedalus makes the Labyrinth for King Minos, 52. Daedalus escapes from Crete with his son Icarus, 52 and 53. Heracles is sent by Eurystheus to fetch the Cretan bull to Mycenae, 122 and 123. The Argonauts land after having caused Talos to kill himself, 169 and 170. Theseus goes to Crete as part of the tribute given by the Athenians, kills the Minotaur and escapes with Ariadne, 187 to 190.

_Cronus_. Son of Uranus and Gala. Dethrones his father and succeeds him as king of the gods, 2. Marries Rhea, 2. Is dispossessed by his son Zeus, 3 and 4.

_DAEDALUS_. An artist employed by Minos king of Crete. Builds the Labyrinth, 52. Escapes with his son Icarus, 52 and 53.

_Danaē_. Daughter of Acrisius, king of Argos. Is married to Zeus, and becomes the mother of Perseus, 95 and 96. Is shut up in a chest by her father and cast adrift, 95. Is allowed to take refuge on an island, 96. Is delivered by Perseus from the king, 101.

_Danaïdes_. The daughters of Danaus. They sail to Argos with their father, 34. Kill their husbands at his command, 35 and 36. Are condemned to unending punishment in the Lower World, 37 and 38.

Danaus. A descendant of Io. Flees from his home in Africa with his daughters, and settles in Argos, 34. Becomes king of Argos, 35. Commands his daughters to kill their husbands, and wishes to punish Hypermnestra for failing to obey him, 36 and 37.

_Deianīra_. Daughter of Oeneus king of Calydon. Is wooed by both Heracles and the river-god Acheloüs, who agree to fight for her, 142. Marries Heracles, 143. Receives from the Centaur Nessus a cloth dipped in his blood, 144. Smears with this cloth the robe of Heracles, and thus causes his death, 145 and 146. Hangs herself in despair, 147.

Dēos. A floating island. Leto takes refuge on it, and Poseidon causes four pillars to spring up and hold it fast, 23. Apollo and Artemis are born there, 23. The island is honoured by the Greeks, 24.

_Delphi_. A city of Greece in which there was an oracle of Apollo, 55. (See _Oracle_.) Heracles carries off the sacred Tripod, 139. The Epigoni present to Apollo the best of the spoil taken from Thebes, 226. Acheloüs advises his grand-children to offer the veil and necklace of Harmonia to Apollo at Delphi, 230.

_Dēmētēr_. Daughter of Cronus, 4. Seeks for her daughter Persephone, 16 to 18. Creates corn and teaches Triptolemus how to cultivate it, 18 and 19. Eats by mistake the shoulder of Pelops, 75 and 76.

_Deucalion_. Son of Prometheus. Saves himself and his wife Pyrrha in a wooden chest at the time of the great Flood, 13 and 14. They re-people the earth by throwing stones behind them which become men and women, 15.

_Diomēdēs_. A king of Thrace who fed his horses on human flesh. Heracles is sent by Eurystheus to fetch the horses to Mycenae; he conquers the king and throws him to be eaten by his own horses, 123 and 124.

_Dionȳsus_. Son of Zeus and Semele. Is placed under the charge of Athamas, 63; then under that of some nymphs, 64. Is gifted by Zeus with divine power, 64 and 65. Creates the Vine, 65. Sets out upon a triumphal journey round the world, 65. Punishes the sailors who refuse to take him to Naxos, 66 and 67. Punishes the daughters of Proetus who refuse to honour him, 73. Is received into the abode of the gods, 67. Marries Ariadne, 192.

_Dioscūri_. The brothers Castor and Pollux, 201.

_Doliōnes_. A people in whose country the Argonauts land on their way to Colchis, 154 and 155.

_EARTH, The_. Gives a golden apple-tree to Hera on her marriage with Zeus, 131. Gives her son Antaeus new strength every time he touches her, 133.

_Egypt_. Io is kindly received by the king, and becomes his wife, 32 and 33. Danaus leaves Egypt for Argos, 34. Heracles kills King Busiris, 133 and 134.

_Electryon_. Son and successor of Perseus. His right is disputed by Pterelaus king of the Teleboae, 104. He prepares to make an expedition against the Teleboae, but is killed accidentally by Amphitryon, 105.

_Elis_. A country of Greece. Ruled over by Salmoneus, 42. Pelops goes to Elis to sue for Hippodamia, conquers her father in the chariot-race, and becomes king, 77 to 79. Heracles cleanses the stables of Augeas, king of Elis, 119 and 120. He marches against Elis to punish Augeas for his faithlessness, and transfers the kingdom to Phyleus, 141 and 142.

_Endymion_. A son of Zeus. Asks that he may sleep for ever, 29. Is beloved by the goddess Selene, 30.

Ephialtēs. Brother of Otus, and son of Poseidon, 27. The brothers fight against the gods, and make Ares prisoner, 28. They are killed through a device of the goddess Artemis, 28.

_Epigoni_. The sons of the Seven Heroes defeated before Thebes. They march against Thebes to avenge the death of their fathers, and take possession of the city, 224 to 227.

_Epimēthēus_. Brother of Prometheus, 9. Zeus sends Pandora to be his wife, 10 and 11.

Ergīnus. King of the Minyae. Demands tribute from the Thebans, 111. Is attacked and conquered by Heracles, 112.

_Eriphȳlē_. Wife of Amphiaraus and sister of Adrastus, 214. Decides that Amphiaraus shall march against Thebes, 215. Is killed by her son Alcmaeon, 227.

_Erōs_. The god of Love--son of Aphrodite, 231. Is commanded by his mother to do Psyche an injury, but instead of that, marries her secretly, 231 to 236. Is obliged to leave her, 236. Obtains the gift of immortality for Psyche, and the sanction of the gods to his marriage with her, 243.

_Erymanthus, Mt_. The home of the boar captured by Heracles as his Fourth Labour, 117 to 119.

_Etēoclēs_. Son of Oedipus and Jocasta. Banishes his brother Polynices from Thebes, 212. Defies the summons of the Argives to surrender the kingdom, 218. Challenges Polynices to a single combat, in which each brother kills the other, 220.

_Euboea_. The country of Eurytus. Heracles goes there to sue for Iole, 137. Heracles conquers the city and kills Eurytus and his sons, 145.

_Eurōpa_. Sister of Cadmus. Is carried off by Zeus in the form of a bull, 54 and 58.

_Europe_. The country to which Europa was carried by the bull, and which was called after her, 58. Heracles reaches the extreme limit of Europe, 128. Phrixus and Helle are carried away from it into Asia by the Golden Ram, 150.

_Eurȳstheūs_. Son of Sthenalus. Becomes king of Mycenae and Tiryns, 109. Is served for twelve years by Heracles who performs twelve Labours at his command, 113 to 137.

_Eurytus_. King of Euboea. Refuses to give his daughter Iole in marriage to Heracles and taunts him with his former madness, 137. He and his sons are killed by Heracles, 145.

_Evēnus_. Father of Marpessa. Refuses to let his daughter marry Idas, 20. Pursues Idas and Marpessa, and being unable to overtake them, drowns himself, 21.

_FATES_. Three goddesses who determine the course of men's lives. They are present at the birth of Meleager, 83. They promise that Admetus shall recover if one of his relatives will die for him, 93. They decree that the Theban Fox shall never be caught, and that the Athenian Dog shall never pursue in vain, 106.

_Fir-bender_. One of the robbers killed by Theseus on his journey to Athens, 170 and 180.

_Flood_. Zeus destroys the whole race of men by a great Flood, excepting Deucalion and Pyrrha, 13 to 15.

_GAEA_. Wife of Uranus and goddess of the earth, 1. Helps her son Cronus to dethrone his father, 2. Plans the overthrow of Cronus, 3. Creates Giants to fight against the gods, 5; also a monster named Typhöeus, 6. Interferes to prevent Phaëthon from burning up the earth, 41.

_Ganymede_. Son of Laomedon king of Troy. Is carried off to Olympus by the sacred eagle of Zeus, 127.

_Garden of the Hesperides_. A garden in Oceanus where Hera planted the golden apple-tree, given her by the Earth at her marriage with Zeus. Heracles is sent by Eurystheus to fetch three golden apples from it, 131 to 135.

_Geryon_, A three-headed king in the far West, possessor of a beautiful herd of red-brown cattle. He loses his life in defending them against Heracles, 128 and 129.

_Giants_. Huge monsters created by Gaea to fight against the gods. They are defeated in a great battle, and buried beneath volcanic mountains, 6.

_Glaucē_. Daughter of Creon king of Corinth. Is offered to Jason as a bride, 173 and 174. Her death is caused by Medea, 174.

_Glaucus_. Son of Sisyphus, and father of Bellerophon, 45.

_Golden Age_. The time when men were first created, and lived long and happy lives, 8.

_Golden Fleece_. The fleece of the ram who carried Phrixus to Colchis. It is hung up on a tree in a forest near Colchis, 150. Jason is sent to fetch it, 152. He carries it off from the forest, 165; and brings it safely to Iolcus, 171.

_Gorgons_. Three sisters with iron claws and golden wings and live serpents instead of hair, who turned to stone everyone that looked at them, 96 and 98. Perseus cuts off the head of Medusa, the youngest Gorgon, 98.

_Graces_. Three beautiful daughters of Zeus. They dance at the wedding of Eros and Psyche, 243.

_Grey Sisters_. Sisters of the Gorgons who had only one eye and one tooth between them. Perseus goes to their cave and obliges them to tell him where to find the nymphs who can help him obtain the head of Medusa, 97.

_HARMONIA_. Daughter of Ares and Aphrodite. Is married to Cadmus, 58. Is presented by Hephaestus with a beautiful veil and necklace, 214

_Harpies_. Creatures with the bodies of maidens and the feet and wings of ravens. They torment Phineus until they are killed by the Argonauts, 157 and 158.

_Hēbē_. A goddess,--daughter of Hera. Is given by her in marriage to Heracles, 147.

_Helena_. Daughter of Zeus and Leda, 200. Is carried off by Theseus and Pirithoüs, 199. Is rescued by her brothers, Castor and Pollux, 201.

_Hēlios_. The sun-god. Tells Demeter that Pluto has carried off her daughter, 17. Unwillingly grants the request of his son Phaëthon to be allowed to drive the chariot of the sun, 39 to 41. Lends Heracles his golden shell that he may sail in it to the island of Geryon, 129.

_Hellē_. Daughter of King Athamas and sister of Phrixus. Is carried away, with her brother, by the Golden Ram, but falls off his back into the sea and is drowned, 148 to 150.

_Hellespont_. The sea which lies between Europe and Asia. Called after Helle, 150.

_Hephaestus_. Fashions Pandora out of clay, 10. Binds Prometheus to a rock on Mt. Caucasus, 12. Helps to arm Heracles for his fight with the Minyae, 112. Makes the rattle which Heracles uses to drive away the Stymphalian birds, 122. Makes an iron watchman for Minos king of Crete, 169. Presents a beautiful veil and necklace to Cadmus and Harmonia, 214.

_Hēra_. Daughter of Cronus, 4. Becomes the wife of Zeus and queen of the gods, 4. Is presented by the Earth at her marriage with a golden apple-tree, 131. Persecutes Leto, 23; and Io, 31 to 33. Gives treacherous advice to Semele, 61. Punishes Athamas for receiving Dionysus, 63 and 150. Is reconciled to Dionysus and Semele, 67. Causes Eurystheus to be born before Heracles and thus become heir to the cities of Mycenae and Tiryns, 109. Sends serpents to kill Heracles when a child, 109. Afflicts him with madness, 113. Takes the form of an Amazon and leads an attack upon Heracles, 125. Sends a great gnat to torment his cattle, 131. Raises a storm to destroy him, 141; and is punished for this by Zeus, 141. Is reconciled to Heracles and welcomes him among the gods, 147. Protects the Argonauts in their passage through the Wandering Rocks, 169.

_Hēraclēs._ Son of Zeus and Alcmene, 108 and 109. Strangles two serpents sent by Hera to kill him in his sleep, 109. Is taught by the Centaur Chiron, 110. Kills a lion on Mt. Cithaeron and dresses himself in the skin, 110 and 111. Conquers the Minyae and kills their king, Erginus, 111 and 112. Marries Megara, 112. Becomes mad, and throws his children into the fire, 113. Leaves Thebes in consequence, and enters the service of Eurystheus for whom he performs twelve Labours:--

1st Labour. Killing the Nemean Lion, 113 and 114.

2nd Labour. Killing the Lernean Hydra, 114 to 116.

3rd Labour. Capturing the Ceryneian Hind, 116 and 117.

4th Labour. Bringing the Erymanthian Boar to Mycenae, 117 and 119.

5th Labour. Cleansing the stables of Augeas in a single day, 119 to 121.

6th Labour. Driving away the Stymphalian Birds, 121 and 122.

7th Labour. Bringing the Cretan Bull to Mycenae, 122 and 123.

8th Labour. Bringing to Mycenae the fierce horses of Diomedes, 123 and 124.