Chapter VI: Marpessa

There was once a king of Greece named Evenus, who had a beautiful daughter called Marpessa. There was also a brave and noble hero called Idas, and he came one day to the king and asked him to let him have Marpessa for his wife. Marpessa would have been quite willing to agree to this, but the old king was very selfish, and he said that he would not let his daughter leave him to marry anyone. So Idas had to go away with a heavy heart, but the sea-god Poseidon was his friend, and he gave him a wonderful chariot in which to carry off the beautiful Marpessa by stealth. The chariot was drawn by very swift horses, and it had wings on both sides which flapped as the horses ran, so that nothing on earth could go faster than this chariot.

One day when Marpessa went to the well to draw water, she found Idas waiting there for her in the winged chariot, and she got up beside him and drove away. The old king saw them go, and he was very angry and said that he would fetch back Marpessa and kill Idas. He had the swiftest team of horses in the whole country, and he drove them furiously along the track of the other chariot, but even at their utmost speed {21} they could not go fast enough to please him. At last he came to a river, and then he knew that it was hopeless to pursue his daughter and Idas any further, and he stabbed the horses and broke the chariot to pieces, and then he threw himself into the river and was drowned.

Idas was far on in front, and he thought there was no fear now of anyone attempting to interfere between him and the beautiful Marpessa. But there was a mighty god named Apollo, who loved Marpessa, and was not willing that Idas should have her for his wife, for he wanted to marry her himself. He was very beautiful in face and in form, and had the appearance of a youth just reaching the age of manhood. He was the brother of Artemis the goddess of the woods, and carried a bow of pure silver, while round his neck there hung a golden quiver full of arrows, and he could always hit whatever he aimed at, even if it were many miles off. He came and seized the horses' bridle, and said to Idas that he must either give up the maiden or else fight with him. Idas was very brave and was always quite ready to fight, and he at once jumped down from the chariot and prepared to begin the struggle. But at that moment there fell a thunderbolt on the ground between them, and they heard the voice of Zeus calling to them, and saying, 'The maiden shall decide.'

So Marpessa had to choose between a god and a hero, and she looked down and thought for a moment. Then she raised her eyes and held out her hand to Idas, and said, 'When I am old, you will be old also, and will honour me and take care of me, but {22} Apollo always remains young, and in my old age he would thrust me away and would take another wife.' So Marpessa made her choice and preferred to marry the hero Idas, and Apollo bad to go away without her.

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