 Section 1 of Myths and Legends. Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E. M. Berens. The want of an interesting work on Greek and Roman mythology, suitable for the requirements of both boys and girls, has long been recognized by the principles of our advanced schools. The study of the classics themselves, even where the attainments of the pupil have rendered this feasible, has not been found altogether successful in giving to the student a clear and succinct idea of the religious beliefs of the ancients, and it has been suggested that a work which would so deal with the subject as to render it at once interesting and instructive would be hailed as a valuable introduction to the study of classic authors, and would be found to assist materially the labors of both master and pupil. In endeavouring to supply this want I have sought to place before the reader a life-like picture of the deities of classical times, as they were conceived and worshipped by the ancients themselves, and thereby to awaken in the minds of young students a desire to become more intimately acquainted with the noble productions of classical antiquity. It has been my aim to render the legends, which formed the second portion of the work, a picture, as it were, of old Greek life, its customs, its superstitions, and its princely hospitalities, for which reason they are given at somewhat greater length than is usual in works of the kind. In a chapter devoted to the purpose some interesting particulars have been collected respecting the public worship of the ancient Greeks and Romans, more especially of the former, to which is subjoined in account of their principal festivals. I may add that no pains have been spared in order that, without passing over the details, the omission of which would have marred the completeness of the work, not a single passage should be found which could possibly offend the most scrupulous delicacy, and also that I have purposefully treated the subject with that reverence which I consider due to every religious system, however erroneous. It is hardly necessary to dwell upon the importance of the study of mythology. Our poems, our novels, and even our daily journals team with classical illusions, nor can a visit to our art galleries and museums be fully enjoyed without something more than a mere superficial knowledge of a subject which has in all ages inspired painters, sculptors, and poets. It therefore only remains for me to express a hope that my little work may prove useful, not only to teachers and scholars, but also to a large class of general-leaders, who, in wiling away a leisure-hour, may derive some pleasure and profit from its perusal. Before entering upon the many strange beliefs of the ancient Greeks and the extraordinary number of gods they worshipped, we must first consider what kind of beings these divinities were. In appearance the gods were supposed to resemble mortals, whom, however, they far surpassed in beauty, grandeur, and strength. They were also more commanding in stature, height being considered by the Greeks an attribute of beauty in man or woman. They resembled human beings in their feelings and habits, intermarrying and having children, and requiring daily nourishment to recruit their strength, and refreshing sleep to restore their energies. Their blood, a bright ethereal fluid called Ilkor, never engendered disease, and when shed had the power of producing new life. The Greeks believed that the mental qualifications of their gods were of a much higher order than those of men, but nevertheless, as we shall see, they were not considered to be exempt from human passions, and we frequently behold them actuated by revenge, deceit, and jealousy. They, however, always punished their evildoer, and visit with dire calamities any impious mortal who dares to neglect their worship or despise their rights. We often hear of them visiting mankind and partaking of their hospitality, and not unfrequently both gods and goddesses become attached to mortals with whom they unite themselves, the offspring of these unions being called heroes or demigods, who were usually renowned for their great strength and courage. But although there were so many points of resemblance between gods and men, there remained the one great characteristic distinction, vis, that the gods enjoyed immortality. Still they were not invulnerable, and we often hear of them being wounded, and suffering in consequence such exquisite torture that they have earnestly prayed to be deprived of their privilege of immortality. The gods knew no limitation of time or space, being able to transport themselves to incredible distances with the speed of thought. They possessed the power of rendering themselves invisible at will, and could assume the forms of men or animals as it suited their convenience. They could also transform human beings into trees, stones, animals, et cetera, either as a punishment for their misdeeds or as a means of protecting the individual, thus transformed from impending danger. Their robes were like those worn by mortals, but were perfect in form and much finer in texture. Their weapons also resembled those used by mankind. We hear of spears, shields, helmets, bows and arrows, et cetera, being employed by the gods. Each deity possessed a beautiful chariot, which, drawn by horses or other animals of celestial breed, conveyed them rapidly over land and sea according to their pleasure. Most of these divinities lived on the summit of Mount Olympus, each possessing his or her individual habitation, and all meeting together on festive occasions in the council chamber of the gods, where their banquets were enlivened by the sweet strains of Apollo's lyre, whilst the beautiful voices of the muses poured forth their rich melodies to his harmonious accompaniment. Magnificent temples were erected to their honor, where they were worshipped with the greatest solemnity. Rich gifts were presented to them, and animals, and indeed sometimes human beings, were sacrificed on their altars. In the study of Grecian mythology we meet with some curious and what may at first sight appear unaccountable notions. Thus we hear of terrible giants hurling rocks, upheaving mountains, and raising earthquakes which engulf whole armies. These ideas, however, may be accounted for by the awful convulsions of nature, which were in operation in prehistoric times. Again, the daily recurring phenomena, which to us, who know them to be the result of certain well-acertained laws of nature, are so familiar as to excite no remark, were to the early Greeks, matter of grave speculation, and not unfrequently of alarm. For instance, when they heard the awful roar of thunder and saw livid flashes of lightning, accompanied by black clouds and torrents of rain, they believed that the great God of Heaven was angry, and they trembled at his wrath. If the calm and tranquil sea became suddenly agitated, and the crested billows rose mountains high, dashing furiously against the rocks, and threatening destruction to all within their reach, the sea God was supposed to be in a furious rage. When they beheld the sky glowing with the hues of coming day, they thought that the goddess of the dawn, with rosy fingers, was drawing aside the dark veil of night, to allow her brother, the sun God, to enter upon his brilliant career. Thus personifying all the powers of nature, this very imaginative and highly poetical nation beheld a divinity in every tree that grew, in every stream that flowed, in the bright beams of the glorious sun, and the clear cold rays of the silvery moon. For them the whole universe lived and breathed, peopled by a thousand forms of grace and beauty. The most important of these divinities may have been something more than mere creations of an active and poetical imagination. They were possibly human beings who had so distinguished themselves in life by their preeminence over their fellow mortals, that after death they were deified by the people among whom they lived, and the poets touched with their magic wand the details of lives, which in more prosaic times would simply have been recorded as illustrious. It is highly probable that the reputed actions of these deified beings were commemorated by bards, who, traveling from one state to another, celebrated their praise in song. It therefore becomes exceedingly difficult, nay almost impossible, to separate bare facts from the exaggerations which never fail to accompany oral traditions. In order to exemplify this, let us suppose that Orpheus, the son of Apollo, so renowned for his extraordinary musical powers, had existed at the present day. We should no doubt have ranked him among the greatest of our musicians and honoured him as such, but the Greeks, with their vivid imagination and poetic license, exaggerated his remarkable gifts, and attributed to his music supernatural influence over animate and inanimate nature. Thus we hear of wild beasts tamed, of mighty rivers arrested in their course, and of the mountains being moved by the sweet tones of his voice. The theory here advanced may possibly prove useful in the future, in suggesting to the reader the probable basis of many of the extraordinary accounts we meet with in the study of classical mythology. And now a few words will be necessary concerning the religious beliefs of the Romans. When the Greeks first settled in Italy they found in the country they colonised a mythology belonging to the Celtic inhabitants, which, according to the Greek custom of paying reverence to all gods, known or unknown, they readily adopted, selecting and appropriating those divinities which had the greatest affinity to their own, and thus they formed a religious belief which naturally bore the impress of its ancient Greek source. As the primitive Celts, however, were a less civilised people than the Greeks, their mythology was of a more barbarous character, and this circumstance, combined with the fact that the Romans were not gifted with the vivid imagination of their Greek neighbours, leaves its mark on the Roman mythology, which is far less fertile in fanciful conceits, and efficient in all those fairy-like stories and wonderful poetic ideas which so strongly characterised that of the Greeks. Origin of the World First Dynasty Uranus and Gaia Colus and Terra The ancient Greeks had several different theories with regard to the origin of the world, but the generally accepted notion was that, before this world came into existence, there was in its place a confused mass of shapeless elements called chaos. These elements, becoming at length consolidated, by what means does not appear, resolved themselves into two widely different substances, the lighter portion of which, soaring on high, formed the sky or firmament, and consisted itself into a vast, overarching vault, which protected the firm and solid mass beneath. This came into being the two first great primeval deities of the Greeks, Uranus and Gaia. Uranus, the more refined deity, represented the light and air of heaven, possessing the distinguishing qualities of light, heat, purity, and omnipresence, whilst Gaia, the firm, flat, life-sustaining earth, was worshipped as the great, all-nourishing mother. Her many titles refer to her more or less in this character, and she appears to have been universally revered among the Greeks. Her being scarcely a city in Greece which did not contain a temple erected in her honor. Indeed, Gaia was held in such veneration that her name was always invoked whenever the gods took a solemn oath, made an emphatic declaration, or implored assistance. Uranus, the heaven, was believed to have united himself in marriage with Gaia, the earth, and a moment's reflection will show what a truly poetical, and also what a logical idea this was, for taken in a figurative sense, this union actually does exist. The smiles of heaven produced the flowers of earth, whereas his long-continued frowns exercised so depressing an influence upon his loving partner that she no longer decks herself in bright and festive robes, but responds with ready sympathy to his melancholy mood. The first-born child of Uranus and Gaia was Oceanus, the ocean-stream, that vast expanse of ever-flowing water which encircled the earth. Here we meet with another logical, though fanciful, conclusion, which a very slight knowledge of the workings of nature proves to have been just and true. The ocean is formed from the rains which descend from heaven and the streams which flow from earth. By making Oceanus, therefore, the offspring of Uranus and Gaia, the ancients, if we take this notion in its literal sense, merely assert that the ocean is produced by the combined influence of heaven and earth, whilst at the same time their fervid and poetical imagination led them to see in all this, as in all manifestations of the powers of nature, an actual, tangible divinity. But Uranus, the heaven, the embodiment of light, heat, and the breath of life, produced offspring who were of a much less material nature than his son, Oceanus. These other children of his were supposed to occupy the intermediate space which divided him from Gaia. First to Uranus and just beneath him came Ether, Ether, a bright creation representing that highly rarefied atmosphere which immortals alone could breathe. Then followed Eir, which was in close proximity to Gaia, and represented, as its name implies, the grosser atmosphere surrounding the earth, which mortals could freely breathe and without which they would perish. Ether and Eir were separated from each other by divinities called Nephilae. These were their restless and wandering sisters who existed in the form of clouds ever floating between Ether and Eir. Gaia also produced the mountains and Pontus the sea. She united herself with the latter, and their offspring were the sea deities Nereus, Thomas, Porces, Ceto, and Eurybia. Co-existent with Uranus and Gaia were two mighty powers who were also the offspring of Chaos. These were Erebus, Darkness, and Nyx, Knight, who formed a striking contrast to the cheerful light of heaven and the bright smiles of earth. Erebus reigned in that mysterious world below where no ray of sunshine, no gleam of daylight, nor vestige of health giving terrestrial life ever appeared. Nyx, the sister of Erebus, represented Knight and was worshipped by the ancients with the greatest solemnity. Uranus was also supposed to have been united to Nyx, but only in his capacity as God of Light, he being considered the source and fountain of all light, and their children were Eus, Aurora, the Dawn, and Hmerra, the daylight. Nyx again, on her side, was also doubly united, having been married at some indefinite period to Erebus. In addition to those children of heaven and earth already enumerated, Uranus and Gaia produced two distinctly different races of beings called giants and titans. The giants personified brute strength alone, but the titans united to their great physical power-intellectual qualifications variously developed. There were three giants, Braureus, Cotus, and Digius, who each possessed a hundred hands and fifty heads, and were known collectively by the name of Hecatun cherus, which signified hundred-handed. These mighty giants could shake the universe and produce earthquakes. It is therefore evident that they represented those active subterranean forces to which illusion has been made in the opening chapter. The titans were twelve in number. Their names were Oceanus, Seos, Creus, Hyperion, Yapidus, Cronus, Thea, Rea, Themus, Menemocene, Phoebe, and Tethys. Now Uranus, the chaste light of heaven, the essence of all that is bright and pleasing, held in emphorance his crude, rough, and turbulent offspring, the giants, and moreover feared that their great power might eventually prove hurtful to himself. He therefore hurled them into Tartarus, that portion of the lower world which served as the subterranean dungeon of the gods. In order to avenge the oppression of her children, the giants, Gaia instigated a conspiracy on the part of the titans against Uranus, which was carried to a successful issue by her son Cronus. He wounded his father, and from the blood of the wound which fell upon the earth sprang a race of monstrous beings also called giants. Assisted by his brother, Titans, Cronus succeeded in dethroning his father, who enraged at his defeat, cursed his rebellious son, and foretold to him a similar fate. Cronus now became invested with supreme power, and assigned to his brother's offices of distinction, subordinate only to himself. Subsequently, however, when secure of his position he no longer needed their assistance, he basely repaid their former services with treachery, made war upon his brothers and faithful allies, and assisted by the giants completely defeated them, sending such as resisted to his all-conquering arm down to the lowest depths of Tartarus. End of Section 1. Section 2 of Myths and Legends. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E. M. Barons. Second Dynasty. Cronus, Saturn. Cronus was the god of time in its sense of eternal duration. He married Rhea, daughter of Jarnus, and Gaia, a very important divinity to whom a special chapter will be devoted hereafter. Their children were three sons, Aedes, Pluto, Poseidon, Neptune, Zeus, Jupiter, and three daughters, Hestia, Vesta, Demeter, Ceres, and Hera, Juno. Cronus, having an uneasy conscience, was afraid that his children might one day rise up against his authority and thus verify the prediction of his father, Jarnus. In order, therefore, to render the prophecy impossible of fulfillment, Cronus swallowed each child as soon as it was born, greatly to the sorrow and indignation of his wife, Rhea. When it came to Zeus, the sixth and last, Rhea resolved to try and save this one child at least, to love and cherish and appeal to her parents, Jarnus and Gaia, for counsel and assistance. By their advice, she wrapped a stone in baby clothes and Cronus in eager haste swallowed it without noticing the deception. The child thus saved, eventually as we shall see, dethroned his father Cronus, became supreme god in his stead, and was universally venerated as the great national god of the Greeks. Anxious to preserve the secret of his existence from Cronus, Rhea sent the infant Zeus secretly to Crete, where he was nourished, protected, and educated. A sacred goat called Amothea supplied the place of his mother by providing him with milk. Nymphs called Melisai, fed him with honey, and eagles and doves brought him nectar and ambrosia, c. 4. He was kept concealed in a cave in the heart of Mount Aida, and the curates, or priests of Rhea, by beating their shields together, kept up a constant noise at the entrance, which drowned the cries of the child, and frightened away all intruders. Under the watchful care of the nymphs, the infant Zeus throve rapidly, developing great physical powers, combined with extraordinary wisdom and intelligence. Grown to manhood, he determined to compel his father to restore his brothers and sisters to the light of day, and is said to have been assisted in this difficult task by the goddess Metis, who artfully persuaded Cronus to drink a potion which caused him to give back the children he had swallowed. The stone which had counterfeited Zeus was placed at Delphi, where it was long exhibited as a sacred relic. Cronus was so enraged at being circumvented that war between the father and son became inevitable. The rival forces ranged themselves on two separate high mountains in Thessaly. Zeus with his brothers and sisters took his stand on Mount Olympus, where he was joined by Oceanus and others of the Titans, who had forsaken Cronus on account of his oppressions. Cronus and his brother Titans took possession of Mount Othrus, and prepared for battle. The struggle was long and fierce, and at length Zeus, finding that he was no nearer victory than before, bethought himself of the existence of the imprisoned giants, and knowing that they would be able to render him most powerful assistance, he hastened to liberate them. He also called to his aid the Cyclops, sons of Poseidon and Amphitrite, who had only one eye each in the middle of their foreheads, and were called Brontus, Thunder, Cyclops, Lightning, and Pyrochmon, Fire Anvil. They promptly responded to his summons for help, and brought with them tremendous thunderbolts, which the Hecatoncaries, with their hundred hands, hurled down upon the enemy, at the same time raising mighty earthquakes, which swallowed up and destroyed all who opposed them. Aided by these new and powerful allies, Zeus now made a furious onslaught on his enemies, and so tremendous was the encounter that all nature is said to have throbbed in accord with this mighty effort of the celestial deities. The sea rose mountains high, and its angry billows hissed and foamed, the earth shook to its foundations, the heavens sent forth rolling thunder, and flash after flash of death bringing lightning, whilst a blinding mist enveloped Cronus and his allies. And now the fortunes of war began to turn, and victory smiled on Zeus. Cronus and his army were completely overthrown, his brothers dispatched to the gloomy depths of the lower world, and Cronus himself was banished from his kingdom, and deprived forever of the supreme power, which now became vested in his son Zeus. This war was called the Titanomachia, and is most graphically described by the old classic poets. With the defeat of Cronus and his banishment from his dominions, his career as a ruling Greek divinity entirely ceases. But, being like all the gods, immortal, he was supposed to be still in existence, though possessing no longer either influence or authority, his place being filled to a certain extent by his descendant and successor Zeus. Cronus is often represented as an old man leaning on a sight with an hourglass in his hand. The hourglass symbolizes the fast-fleeting moments as they succeed each other unceasingly. The sight is emblematical of time, which mows down all before it. Saturn The Romans, according to their custom of identifying their deities, with those of the Greek gods whose attributes were similar to their own, declared Cronus to be identical with their old agricultural divinity, Saturn. They believed that after his defeat in the Titanomachia and his banishment from his dominions by Zeus, he took refuge with Janus, king of Italy, who received the exile deity with great kindness and even shared his throne with him. Their united reign became so thoroughly peaceful and happy, and was distinguished by such uninterrupted prosperity that it was called the Golden Age. Saturn is usually represented bearing a sickle in the one hand and a wheat sheaf in the other. A temple was erected to him at the foot of the capital-line hill, in which were deposited the public treasury and the laws of the state. Rhea Ops Rhea, the wife of Cronus and mother of Zeus, and the other great gods of Olympus, personified the earth and was regarded as the great mother and unceasing producer of all plant life. She was also believed to exercise unbounded sway over the animal creation, more especially over the lion, the noble king of beasts. Rhea is generally represented wearing a crown of turrets or towers and seated on the throne, with lions crouching at her feet. She is sometimes depicted sitting in a chariot drawn by lions. The principal seat of her worship, which was always of a very riotous character, was at Crete. At her festivals, which took place at night, the wildest music of flutes, cymbals, and drums resounded, whilst joyful shouts and cries, accompanied by dancing and loud stamping of feet, filled the air. This divinity was introduced into Crete by its first colonists from Phrygia in Asia Minor, in which country she was worshipped under the name of Sibili. The people of Crete adored her as the great mother, more especially in her signification as the sustainer of the vegetable world. Seeing, however, that year by year, as winter appears, all her glory vanishes, her flowers fade, and her trees become leafless, they poetically express this process of nature under the figure of a lost love. She was said to have been tenderly attached to a youth of remarkable beauty, named Aetis, who, to her grief and indignation, proved faithless to her. He was about to unite himself to a nymph called Sagaris, when, in the midst of the wedding feast, the rage of the incensed goddess suddenly burst forth upon all present. A panic seized the assembled guest, and Aetis, becoming afflicted with temporary madness, fled to the mountains and destroyed himself. Sibili, moved with sorrow and regret, instituted a yearly mourning for his loss when her priests, the Corribantus, with their usual noisy accompaniments, marched into the mountains to seek the lost youth. Having discovered him, they gave full vent to their ecstatic delight by indulging in the most violent gesticulations, dancing, shouting, and, at the same time, wounding and gashing themselves in a frightful manner. See Footnote 6. Ops. In Rome the Greek Rhea was identified with Ops, the goddess of Plenty, the wife of Saturn, who had a variety of appellations. She was called Magna Mater, Mater Diorum, Beresentia idea, and also Din de Menet. This latter title she acquired from three high mountains in Phrygia, whence she was brought to Rome as Sibili during the Second Punic War, B.C. 205, in obedience to an injunction contained in the Sibilene books. She was represented as a matron crowned with towers, seated in a chariot drawn by lions. Division of the World. We will now return to Zeus and his brothers, who have ingained a complete victory over their enemies, began to consider how the world which they had conquered should be divided between them. At last it was settled by Lot that Zeus should reign supreme in heaven, whilst 80s governed the lower world, and Poseidon had full command over the sea, but the supremacy of Zeus was recognized in all three kingdoms, in heaven, on earth, in which of course the sea was included, and under the earth. Zeus held his court on the top of Mount Olympus, whose summit was beyond the clouds. The dominions of Aedus were the gloomy unknown regions below the earth, and Poseidon reigned over the sea. It will be seen that the realm of each of these gods was enveloped in mystery. Olympus was shrouded in mists, Hades was wrapped in gloomy darkness, and the sea was, and indeed still is, a source of wonder and deep interest. Once we see that what to other nations were merely strange phenomena, serve this poetical and imaginative people as a foundation upon which to build the wonderful stories of their mythology. The division of the world being now satisfactorily arranged, it would seem that all things ought to have gone on smoothly, but such was not the case. Trouble arose and an unlooked forequarter. The giants, those hideous monsters, some with legs formed of serpents, who had sprung from the earth and the blood of Uranus, declared war against the triumphant deities of Olympus, and a struggle ensued, which in consequence of Gaia having made these children of hers invincible, as long as they kept their feet on the ground, was wearisome and protracted. Their mother's precaution, however, was rendered unavailing by pieces of rock being hurled upon them, which threw them down, and their feet being no longer placed firmly on their mother earth, they were overcome, and this tedious war, which was called the Gigantomachia, at last came to an end. Among the most daring of these earth-born giants were Enceladus, Rhaetus, and the Valiant Mimas, who, with youthful fire and energy, hurled against heaven great masses of rock and burning oak trees, and defied the lightnings of Zeus. One of the most powerful monsters who opposed Zeus in this war was called Typhon, or Typhus. He was the youngest son of Tartarus and Gaia, and had a hundred heads with eyes which struck terror to the beholders, and awe-inspiring voices frightful to hear. This dreadful monster resolved to conquer both gods and men, but his plans were at length defeated by Zeus, who, after a violent encounter, succeeded in destroying him with a thunderbolt. But not before he had so terrified the gods that they had fled to refuge to Egypt, where they metamorphosed themselves into different animals and thus escaped. Theories As To The Origin Of Man Just as there were several theories concerning the origin of the world, so there were various accounts of the creation of man. The first natural belief of the Greek people was that man had sprung from the earth. They saw the tender plants and flowers force their way through the ground in the early spring of the year after the frost of winter had disappeared, and so they naturally concluded that man must also have issued from the earth in a similar manner. Like the wild plants and flowers, he was supposed to have had no cultivation, and resembled, in his habits, the untamed beasts of the field, having no habitation except that which nature had provided in the holes of the rocks, and in the dense forest whose overarching boughs protected him from the inclemancy of the weather. In the course of time these primitive human beings became tamed and civilized by the gods and heroes who taught them to work in metals to build houses and other useful arts of civilization. But the human race became, in the course of time, so degenerate that the gods resolved to destroy all mankind by means of a flood. Ducalion, son of Prometheus, and his wife Pyrrha, being on account of their apiety, the only mortals saved. By the command of his father, Ducalion built a ship in which he and his wife took refuge during the Deluge, which lasted for nine days. When the waters abated, the ship rested on Mount Atheris in Thessaly, or according to some, on Mount Parnassus. Ducalion and his wife now consulted the Oracle of Themis as to how the human race might be restored. The answer was that they were to cover their heads and throw the bones of their mother behind them. For some time they were perplexed as to the meaning of the oracular command, but at length both agreed that by the bones of their mother were meant the stones of the earth. They accordingly took up stones from the mountain side and cast them over their shoulders. From those thrown by Ducalion they are spraying up men, and from those thrown by Pyrrha women. After the lapse of time, the theory of autokhthani, from autos, self, and khthan, earth, was laid aside. During this belief existed there were no religious teachers, whatever. But in course of time, temples were raised in honor of the different gods, and priests appointed to offer sacrifices to them and conduct their worship. These priests were looked upon as authorities in all religious matters, and the doctrine they taught was that men had been created by the gods, and that there had been several successive ages of men, which were called the golden, silver, brazen, and iron ages. Life in the golden age was one unceasing round of ever-recurring pleasures unmarred by sorrow or care. The favored mortals living at this happy time led pure and joyous lives, thinking no evil and doing no wrong. The earth brought forth fruits and flowers without toil or labor in plentiful luxuriance, and war was unknown. This delightful and godlike existence lasted for hundreds of years, and when at length life on earth was ended, death laid his hand so gently upon them that they passed painlessly away in a happy dream, and continued their existence as ministering spirits in Hades, watching over and protecting those they had loved and left behind on earth. The men of the silver age were a long time growing up, and during their childhood, which lasted a hundred years, they suffered from ill health and extreme debility. When they at last became men, they lived but a short time, for they would not abstain from mutual injury, nor pay the service due to the gods, and were therefore banished to Hades. There, unlike the beings of the golden age, they exercised no beneficent supervision over the dear ones left behind, but wandered about as restless spirits, always sighing for the lost pleasures they had enjoyed in life. The men of the brazen age were quite a different race of beings, being as strong and powerful as those of the silver age were weak and enervated. Everything which surrounded them was of brass, their arms, their tools, their dwellings, and all that they made. Their characters seemed to have resembled the metal in which they delighted. Their minds and hearts were hard, obdurate, and cruel. They led a life of strife and contention, introduced into the world which had hitherto known nothing but peace and tranquility, the scourge of war, and were in fact only happy when fighting and quarreling with each other. Hitherto, Themis, the goddess of justice, had been living among mankind, but becoming disheartened at their evil doings, she abandoned the earth and winged her flight back to heaven. At last the gods became so tired of their evil deeds and continual dissensions that they removed them from the face of the earth and sent them down to Hades to share the fate of their predecessors. We now come to the men of the Iron Age. The earth no longer teaming with fruitfulness only yielded her increase after much toil and labor. The goddess of justice, having abandoned mankind, no influence remained sufficiently powerful to preserve them from every kind of wickedness and sin. This condition grew worse as time went on until at last Zeus in his anger let loose the water courses from above and drowned every individual of this evil race except Ducalian and Pyrrha. The theory of Hesiod, the oldest of all Greek poets, was that the titan Prometheus, the son of Iapetus, had formed man out of clay and that Athene had breathed the soul into him. See footnote 8. Full of love for the beings he had called into existence, Prometheus determined to elevate their minds and improve their condition in every way. He therefore taught them astronomy, mathematics, the alphabet, how to cure diseases, and the art of divination. He created this race in such great numbers that the gods began to see the necessity of instituting certain fixed laws with regard to the sacrifices due to them and the worship to which they considered themselves entitled from mankind in return for the protection which they accorded them. An assembly was therefore convened at Nessone in order to settle these points. It was decided that Prometheus, as the advocate of man, should slay an ox which should be divided into two equal parts and that the gods should select one portion which should henceforth, in all future sacrifices, be set apart for them. Prometheus so divided the ox that one part consisted of the bones, which formed, of course, the least valuable portion of the animal, artfully by the white fat, whilst the other contained all the edible parts which he covered with the skin and on the top of it all he laid the stomach. Zeus, pretending to be deceived, chose the heap of bones, but he saw through the stratagem and was so angry at the deception practiced on him by Prometheus that he avenged himself by refusing to mortals the gift of fire. Prometheus, however, resolved to brave the anger and to obtain from heaven the vital spark so necessary for the further progress and comfort of the human race. He accordingly contrived to steal some sparks from the chariot of the sun, which he conveyed to earth hidden in a hollow tube. The areas that being again outwitted, Zeus determined to be revenged first on mankind and then on Prometheus. To punish the former he commanded Hephaestus, Vulcan, to mold a beautiful woman out of clay and determined that through her instrumentality trouble and misery should be brought into the world. The gods were so charmed with the graceful and artistic creation of Hephaestus that they all determined to endow her with some special gift. Hermes, Mercury, bestowed on her a smooth persuasive tongue. Aphrodite gave her beauty and the art of pleasing. The graces made her fascinating, and Athene, Minerva, gifted her with the possession of feminine accomplishments. She was called Pandara, which means all gifted having received every attribute necessary to make her charming and irresistible. Thus beautifully formed and endowed, this exquisite creature, attired by the graces and crowned with flowers by the seasons, was conducted to the house of Epimetheus, by Hermes, the messenger of the gods. See, footnote 9. Now Epimetheus had been warned by his brother not to accept any gift whatever from the gods, but he was so fascinated by the beautiful being who suddenly appeared before him that he welcomed her to his home and made her his wife. It was not long, however, before he had caused to regret his weakness. He had in his possession a jar of rare workmanship containing all the blessings reserved for the gods for mankind, which he had been expressly forbidden to open. But woman's proverbial curiosity could not withstand so great a temptation, and Pandara determined to solve the mystery at any cost. Watching her opportunity, she raised the lid, and immediately all the blessings which the gods had thus reserved for mankind took wing and flew away. But all was not lost. Just as hope, which lay at the bottom, was about to escape, Pandara hastily closed the lid of the jar, and thus preserved to man that never-failing solace which helps him to bear with courage the many ills which assail him. See, footnote 10. Having punished mankind, Zeus determined to execute vengeance on Prometheus. He accordingly chained him to a rock in Mount Caucasus, and sent an eagle every day to gnaw away his liver, which grew again every night ready for fresh torments. For thirty years Prometheus endured this fearful punishment, but at length Zeus relented and permitted his son Heracles to kill the eagle, and the sufferer was released. Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E. M. Barons Section 3 Third Dynasty Olympian Divinities Zeus Jupiter Zeus, the great presiding deity of the universe, the ruler of heaven and earth, was regarded by the Greeks, first as the god of all aerial phenomena, secondly as the personification of the laws of nature, thirdly as the lord of state life, and fourthly as the father of gods and men. As the god of aerial phenomena he could, by shaking his aegis, produce storms, tempests and intense darkness. At his command the mighty thunder rolls, the lightning flashes, and the clouds open and pour forth their refreshing streams to fructify the earth. As the personification of the operations of nature he represents those grand laws of unchanging and harmonious order, by which not only the physical, but also the moral world is governed. Hence he is the god of regulated time as marked by the changing seasons and by the regular succession of day and night, in contradistinction to his father Cronus, who represents time absolutely, for example eternity. As the lord of state life he is the founder of kingly power, the upholder of all institutions connected with the state and the special friend and patron of princes, whom he guards and assists with his advice and counsel. He protects the assembly of the people and, in fact, watches over the welfare of the whole community. As the father of the gods Zeus sees that each deity performs his or her individual duty, punishes their misdeeds, disputes and acts towards them on all occasions as their all-knowing counselor and mighty friend. As the father of men he takes a paternal interest in the actions and well-being of mortals. He watches over them with tender solicitude, rewarding truth, charity and uprightness, but severely punishing perjury, cruelty and want of hospitality. Even the poorest and most forlorn wanderer finds in him a powerful advocate for he, by a wise and merciful dispensation, ordains that the mighty ones of the earth should succour their distressed and needy brethren. The Greeks believed that the home of this, their mighty and all community, was on the top of Mount Olympus, that high and lofty mountain between Thessaly and Macedon, whose summit, wrapped in clouds and mist, was hidden from mortal view. It was supposed that this mysterious region, which even a bird could not reach, extended beyond the clouds right into Aether, the realm of mortal gods. The poets described this ethereal atmosphere as bright, glistening and refreshing, exercising a peculiar, gladdening influence over the minds and hearts of those privileged beings permitted to share its delights. Here youth never ages, and the passing years leave no traces on its favoured inhabitants. On the cloud-capped summit of Olympus was the palace of Zeus and Hera, of burnished gold, chased silver and gleaming ivory. Lower down were the homes of the other gods, which though less commanding in position and size were yet similar to that of Zeus in design and workmanship, all being the work of the divine artist Hephaestus. Below these were other palaces of silver, ebony, ivory or burnished brass, where their heroes or demigods resided. As the worship of Zeus formed so important a feature in the religion of the Greeks, his statues were necessarily both numerous and magnificent. He is usually represented as a man of noble and imposing main. His countenance expressing all the lofty majesty of the competent ruler of the universe, combined with the gracious yet serious benignity of the father and friend of mankind. He may be recognised by his rich flowing beard and the thick masses of hair which rise straight from the high and intellectual forehead and fall to his shoulders in clustering locks. The nose is large and finely formed, and the slightly open lips impart an air of sympathetic kindliness which invites confidence. He is always accompanied by an eagle which either surmounts his scepter or sits at his feet. He generally bears in his uplifted hand a sheaf of thunderbolts just ready to be hurled whilst in the other he holds the lightning. The head is frequently encircled with a wreath of oak leaves. The most celebrated statue of the Olympian Zeus was that by the famous Athenian sculptor Phidius which was forty feet high and stood in the temple of Zeus at Olympia. It was formed of ivory and gold and was a masterpiece of art that it was reckoned among the seven wonders of the world. It represented the god seated on a throne holding in his right hand a life-sized image of Nike, the goddess of victory. And in his left a royal scepter surmounted by an eagle. It is said that the great sculptor had concentrated all the marvellous powers of his genius on this sublime conception and earnestly entreated Zeus to give him a decided proof that his labours were approved. An answer to his prayer came with the open roof of the temple in the shape of a flash of lightning which Phidius interpreted as a sign that the god of heaven was pleased with his work. Zeus was first worshipped at Dodona and Epirus where at the foot of Mount Tamaris on the woody shore of Lake Joannina was his famous oracle the most ancient in Greece. The eternal and invisible god was supposed to be heard in the rustling leaves of a giant oak announcing to mankind the will of heaven and the destiny of mortals. These revelations being interpreted to the people by the priests of Zeus who were called Sely. Recent excavations which have been made at this spot have brought to light the ruins of the ancient temple of Zeus and also among other interesting relics some plates of lead on which are engraved inquiries which were evidently made by certain individuals who consulted the oracle. These little lead and plates speak to us as it were in a curiously homely manner of a bygone time in the buried past. One person inquires what god he should apply to both death and fortune. Another asks for advice concerning his child and a third evidently a shepherd promises a gift to the oracle should a speculation in sheep turn out successfully. Had these little memorials been of gold instead of lead they would doubtless have shared the fate of the numerous treasures which adorned this and other temples in the universal place when Greece fell into the hands of barbarians. Though Dodona was the most ancient of his shrines, the great national seat of the worship of Zeus was at Olympia in Elis where there was a magnificent temple dedicated to him containing the famous colossal statue of Phidias above described. Crowds of devout worshipers flocked to this world renowned feign from all parts of Greece not only to pay homage to their supreme deity but also to join in the celebrated games which were held there at intervals of four years. The Olympic games were such a thoroughly national institution that even Greeks who had left their native country made a point of returning on these occasions. If possible in order to contend with their fellow countrymen in the various athletic sports which took place at these festivals. It will be seen on reflection that in a country like Greece which contained so many petty states often at variance with each other these national gatherings must have been most valuable as a means of uniting the Greeks in one great bond of brotherhood. On these festive occasions the whole nation met together forgetting for the moment all past differences and uniting in the enjoyment of the same festivities. It will doubtless have been remarked that in the representations of Zeus he is always accompanied by an eagle. This royal bird was sacred to him probably from the fact of its being the only creature capable of gazing at the sun without being dazzled. Which may have suggested the idea that it was able to contemplate the splendour of divine majesty unstrinkingly. The oak tree and also the summits of mountains were sacred to Zeus. His sacrifices consisted of white bulls, cows and goats. Zeus had seven immortal wives whose names were Metis, Themis, Demeter, Nemesine, Lito and Hira. End of Section 3 Section 4 of Myths and Legends This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Lucy LaFaro, New South Wales, Australia Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E. M. Behrens Section 4 Third Dynasty Olympian Divinities Hira, Palace Athene, Themis and Hestia Hira being the principal wife of Zeus and Queen of Heaven, a detailed account will be given of her in a special chapter. In the union of Zeus with most of his immortal wives we shall find that an allegorical meaning is conveyed. His marriage with Metis, who is said to have surpassed both gods and men in knowledge, represents supreme power, a light to wisdom and prudence. His union with Themis typifies the bond which exists between divine majesty and justice, law and order. Uranum as the mother of the Charities or Graces supplied the refining and harmonising influences of grace and beauty. Whilst the marriage of Zeus with Nemesene typifies the union of genius with memory. In addition to the seven immortal wives of Zeus he was also allied to a number of mortal maidens whom he visited under various disguises. As it was supposed that if he revealed himself in his true form as King of Heaven the splendour of his glory would cause instant destruction to mortals. The mortal consorts of Zeus have been such a favourite theme with poets, painters and sculptors that it is necessary to give some account of their individual history. Those best known are Antiope, Lida, Europa, Callisto, Alcmin, Simele, Io and Denei. Pallas Athene, Minova. Pallas Athene, goddess of wisdom and armed resistance, was a purely Greek divinity. That is to say no other nation possessed a corresponding conception. She was supposed, as already related to having issued from the head of Zeus himself clad in armour from head to foot. The miraculous advent of this maiden goddess is beautifully described by Homer in one of his hymns. Snokaptolimpus shook to its foundation. The glad earth re-echoed her marshal shout. The billowy sea became agitated. And Heloise, the sun god, arrested his fiery steeds in their headlong course to welcome this wonderful emanation from the godhead. Athene was at once admitted into the assembly of the gods and henceforth took her place as the most faithful and sagacious of all her father's counsellors. This brave, dauntless maiden saw exactly the essence of all that is noble in the character of the father of gods and men, remained throughout chaste in word and deed and kind at heart without exhibiting any of those failings which somewhat ma the nobler features in the character of Zeus. This direct emanation from his own self, justly his favourite child, his better and purer counterpart, received from him several important prerogatives. She was permitted to hurl the thunderbolts, to prolong the life of man and to bestow the gift of prophecy. In fact, Athene was the only divinity whose authority was equal to that of Zeus himself. And when he had ceased to visit the earths in person she was empowered by him to act as his deputy. It was her special duty to protect the state and all peaceful associations of mankind which she possessed the power of defending when occasion required. She encouraged the maintenance of law and order and defended the right on all occasions. For which reason, in the Trojan War, she espouses the cause of the Greeks and exerts all her influence on their behalf. The Aeropagus, a court of justice where religious causes and murders were tried, was believed to have been instituted by her and when both sides happened to have an equal number of votes she gave the casting vote in favour of the accused. She was the patroness of learning, science and art, more particularly, where these contributed directly towards the welfare of nations. She presided over all inventions connected with agriculture, invented the plough and taught mankind how to use oxen for farming purposes. She also instructed mankind in the use of numbers, trumpets, chariots and sea. And presided over the building of the Argo thereby encouraging the useful art of navigation. She also taught the Greeks how to build the wooden horse by means of which the destruction of Troy was affected. The safety of cities depended on her care. For which reason her temples were generally built on the citadels and she was supposed to watch over the defence of the walls, fortification, harbours and sea. A divinity who so faithfully guarded the best interests of the state but not only protecting it from the attacks of enemies but also by developing its chief resources of wealth and prosperity was worthily chosen as the presiding deity of the state. And in this character was an essentially political goddess she was called Athene Palaeus. The fact of Athene having been born clad in armour which merely signified that her virtue and purity were unassailable has given rise to the erroneous supposition that she was the presiding goddess of war. But a deeper study of her character in all its bearing proves that in contradistinction to her brother Arries the god of war who loves strife for its own sake she only takes up arms to protect the innocent and deserving against tyrannical oppression. It is true that in the Iliad we frequently see her on the battlefield fighting valiantly and protecting her favourite heroes but this is always at the command of Zeus who even supplies her with arms for the purpose as it is supposed that she possessed none of her own. A marked feature in the representations of this deity is the Aegis that wonderful shield given to her by her father as a further means of defence which when in danger she swung so swiftly round and round that it kept at a distance all antagonistic influences hence her name Pallas from Palo I Swing. In the centre of this shield which was covered with dragon scales bordered with serpents which she sometimes wore as a breastplate was the awe-inspiring head of the Medusa which had the effect of turning to stone all beholders. In addition to the many functions which she exercised in connection with the state Athene presided over the two chief departments of feminine industry spinning and weaving. In the latter art she herself displayed unrivaled ability and exquisite taste. She wove her own robe and that of Hera which last she is said to have embroidered very richly. She also gave Jason a cloak wrought by herself when he set forth in the quest of the golden fleece. Being on one occasion challenged to a contest in this accomplishment by a mortal maiden named Arachne whom she had instructed in the art of weaving she accepted the challenge and was completely vanquished by her pupil. Angry at her defeat she struck the unfortunate maiden on the forehead with the shuttle which she held in her hand and Arachne being of a sensitive nature was so hurt by this indignity that she hung herself in despair and was changed by Athene into a spider. This goddess is said to have invented the flute upon which she played with considerable talent until one day being laughed at by the assembled gods and goddesses for the contortions which her countenance assumed during these musical efforts she hastily ran to a fountain in order to convince herself whether she deserved their ridicule. Finding to her intense disgust that such was indeed the fact she threw the flute away and never raised it to her lips again. Athene is usually represented fully draped. She has a serious and thoughtful aspect as though replete with earnestness and wisdom. The beautiful oval contour of her countenance is adorned by the luxuriance of her wealth of hair which is drawn back from the temples and hangs down in careless grace. She looks the embodiment of strength, grandeur and majesty whilst her broad shoulders and small hips give her a slightly masculine appearance. When she represented as the war goddess she appears clad in armour with a helmet on her head from which waves a large plume. She carries the agus on her arm and in her hand a golden staff which possessed the property of endowing her chosen favourites with youth and dignity. Athene was universally worshipped throughout Greece but was regarded with special veneration by the Athenians, she being the guardian deity of Athens. Her most celebrated temple was the Parthenon which stood on the Acropolis at Athens and contained her world-renowned statue by Phidias which ranks second only to that of Zeus by the same great artist. This colossal statue was 39 feet high and was composed of ivory and gold. Its majestic beauty formed the chief attraction of the temple. It represented her standing erect, bearing her spear and shield in her hand she held an image of Nike and at her feet there lay a serpent. The tree sacred to her was the olive which she herself produced in a contest with Poseidon. The olive tree thus called into existence was preserved in the temple of Erechtheus on the Acropolis and is said to have possessed such marvellous vitality that when the Persians burned it after sacking the town it immediately burst forth into new shoots. The principal festival held in honour of this divinity was the Panathenea. The owl, cock and serpent were the animal sacred to her and her sacrifices were rams, bulls and cows. Themis. Themis who has already been alluded to as the wife of Zeus was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea and personified those divine laws of justice and order by means of which the well-being and morality of communities are regulated. She presided over the assemblies of the people and the laws of hospitality. To her was instructed the office of convoking the assembly of the gods and she was also mistress of ritual and ceremony. On account of her great wisdom Zeus himself frequently sought her counsel and acted upon her advice. Themis was a prophetic divinity and had an oracle near the river Cephasus in Boesia. She is usually represented as being in the full maturity of womanhood of fair aspect and wearing a flowing garment which drapes her noble majestic form. In her right hand she holds the sword of justice and in her left the scales which indicate the impartiality with which every cause is carefully weighed by her. Her eyes being bandaged so that the personality of the individual should carry no weight with respect to the verdict. The divinity is sometimes identified with Taishi sometimes with an Anki. Themis like so many other god divinities takes the place of a more ancient deity of the same name who was a daughter of Uranus and Gaia. This elder Themis inherited from her mother the gift of prophecy and when she became merged into her younger representative she transmitted to her this prophetic power. Hestia Vesta Hestia was the daughter of Cronus and Gaia. She was the goddess of fire in its first application to the wants of mankind. Hence she was essentially the presiding deity of domestic earth and the guardian spirit of man and it was her pure and benign influence which was supposed to protect the sanctity of domestic life. Now in these early ages the hearth was regarded as the most important and most sacred portion of the dwelling probably because the protection of the fire was an important consideration for if once permitted it became extinct reignition was attended with extreme difficulty. In fact the hearth was held so sacred that it constituted the sanctum of the family for which reason it was always erected in the centre of every house. It was a few feet in height and was built of stone. The fire was placed on the top of it and served the double purpose of preparing the daily meals and consuming the family sacrifices. Round this domestic hearth or altar were gathered the various members of the family the head of the house occupying the place of honour nearest the hearth. Here prayers were said and sacrifices offered and here also every kind and loving feeling was fostered which even extended to the hunted and guilty stranger who if he once succeeded in touching the sacred altar was safe from pursuit and punishment and was henceforth placed under the protection of the family. Any crime committed within the sacred precincts of the domestic hearth was invariably visited by death. In Grecian cities there was a common hall called the Pratanium in which the members of the government had their meals at the expense of the state and here too was the Hestia or public hearth with its fire by means of which those meals were prepared. It was customary for immigrants to take with them a portion of this sacred fire which they jealously guarded and brought with them to their new home where it served as a connecting link between the young Greek colony and the mother country. Hestia is generally represented standing and in accordance with the dignity and sanctity of her character always appears fully draped. Her countenance is distinguished by a serene gravity of expression. End of section 4 Section 5 of Myths and Legends This is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Lucy LaFaro New South Wales, Australia Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E. M. Behrens Section 5 3rd Dynasty, Olympian Divinities Demeter and Aphrodite Demeter, Cerys Demeter from Jemita, Earth Mother was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea She represented that portion of Gaia the whole solid earth which we call the earth's crust and which produces all vegetation As goddess of agriculture field fruits, plenty and productiveness she was the sustainer of material life and was therefore a divinity of great importance When ancient Gaia lost when Uranus, her position as a ruling divinity she abdicated her sway in favour of her daughter Rhea who henceforth inherited the powers which her mother had previously possessed receiving in her place the honour and worship of mankind In a very old poem Gaia is accordingly described as retiring to a cavern in the bough of the earth where she sits in the lap of her daughter slumbering, moaning and nodding for ever and ever It is necessary to keep clearly in view the distinctive difference between the three great earth goddesses Gaia, Rhea and Demeter Gaia represents the earth as a whole with its mighty subterranean forces Rhea is that productive power while which causes vegetation to spring forth thus sustaining men and animals Demeter, by presiding over agriculture directs and utilises Rhea's productive powers But in later times when Rhea, like other ancient divinity loses her importance as a ruling deity Demeter assumes all her functions and attributes and then becomes the goddess of the life-producing and life-maintaining earth crust We must bear in mind the fact that men in his primitive state knew neither how to sow nor how to till the ground When, therefore, he had exhausted the pastures which surrounded him he was compelled to seek others which were as yet unreaped thus roaming constantly from one place to another settled habitations and consequently civilising influences were possible Demeter, however, by introducing a knowledge of agriculture put an end at once and forever to that nomadic life which was now no longer necessary The favour of Demeter was believed to bring mankind-rich harvests and fruitful crops whereas her displeasure caused blight drought and famine The island of Sicily was supposed to be under her special protection and there she was regarded with particular veneration The Sicilians are naturally attributing the wonderful fertility of their country to the partiality of the goddess Demeter is usually represented as a woman of noble bearing and majesty appearance tall, matronly and dignified with beautiful golden hair which falls in rippling curls over her stately shoulders The yellow locks being emblematical of the ripened ears of corn Sometimes she appears seated in a chariot drawn by winged dragons At others she stands erect her figure drawn up to its full height and always fully draped She bears a sheaf of white ears in one hand and a lighter torch in the other The wheat ears are not unfrequently replaced by a bunch of poppies in which her brows are also garlanded though sometimes she merely wears a simple riband in her hair Demeter, as the wife of Zeus became the mother of Persephone Prosopine to whom she was so tenderly attached that her whole life was bound up in her and she knew no happiness except in her society One day however whilst Persephone was gathering flowers in a meadow attended by the ocean nymphs she saw to her surprise a beautiful narcissist from the stem of which sprang forth a hundred blossoms Drawing near to examine this lovely flower whose exquisite scent perfumed the air she stooped down to gather it expecting no evil When a yawning abyss opened at her feet and Adus, the grim ruler of the lower world appeared from its depths seated in his dazzling chariot drawn by four black horses Regardless of her tears and the shrieks of her female attendants Adus seized the terrified maiden and bore her away to the gloomy realms over which she reigned in melancholy grandeur Helios, the all-seeing sun god and Hecate, a mysterious and very ancient divinity alone heard her cries for aid but were powerless to help her When Demeter became conscious of her loss her grief was intense and she refused to be comforted She knew not where to seek for her child but feeling that repose and inaction were impossible she set out on her weary search taking with her two torches which she lighted in the flames of Mount Etna to guide her on her way For nine long days and nights she wandered on inquiring of everyone she met for tidings of her child But all was in vain Neither gods nor men could give her the comfort which her soul so hungered for At last on the tenth day the disconsolate mother met Hecate who informed her that she had heard her daughter's cries but knew not who it was that had borne her away By Hecate's advice Demeter consulted Helios whose all-seeing eye nothing escapes and from him she learned that it was Zeus himself who had permitted Aedes to seize Persephone and transport her to the lower world in order that she might become his wife Indignant with Zeus for having given his sanction to the abduction of his daughter and filled with the bitterest sorrow she abandoned her home in Olympus and refused all heavenly food disguising herself as an old woman she descended upon earth and commenced a weary pilgrimage among mankind One evening she arrived at a place called Ellusus in Attica and sat down to rest herself near a well beneath the shade of an olive tree The youthful daughters of Celias the king of the country came with their pales of brass to draw water from this well and seeing that the tired waferer appeared faint and dispirited they spoke kindly to her asking who she was and whence she came Demeter replied that she had made her escape from pirates who had captured her and added that she would feel grateful for a home with any worthy family whom she would be willing to serve in a menial capacity The princesses on hearing this begged Demeter to have a moment's patience while they returned home and consulted with their mother Matanera they soon brought the joyful intelligence that she was the desirous of securing her services as nurse to her infant son Demephune or tryptolomus When Demeter arrived at the house a radiant light suddenly illuminated her which circumstance so over-awed Matanera that she treated the unknown stranger with the greatest respect and hospitality offered her food and drink But Demeter still grief-worn and dejected refused her kindly offers and held herself apart from the social board At length however the maid's servant Eamby was treated by means of playful jests and merriment in somewhat dispelling the grief of the sorrowing mother causing her at times to smile in spite of herself and even inducing her to partake of a mixture of barley meal, mint and water which was prepared according to the directions of the goddess herself Time passed on and the young child throwed amazingly under the care of his kind and judicious nurse who however gave him no food but anointed him daily with ambrosia and every night laid him secretly in the fire in order to render him immortal and exempt from old age But unfortunately this benevolent design on the part of Demeter was frustrated by Matanera herself whose curiosity one night impelled her to watch the proceedings of the mysterious being who nursed her child When to her horror she beheld her son placed in the flames she shrieked aloud Demeter incensed at this untimely interruption instantly withdrew the child and throwing him on the ground revealed herself in her true character The bent and aged form had vanished and in its place there stood a bright and beauteous being whose golden locks streamed over her shoulders in richest luxuriance her whole aspect bespeaking dignity and majesty She told the awestruck Matanera that she was the goddess Demeter and had intended to make her son immortal but that her fatal curiosity had rendered this impossible adding however that the child having slept in her arms and been nursed on her lap should ever command the respect and esteem of mankind She then desired that a temple and altar should be erected to her on a neighbouring hill by the people of Eleusis promising that she herself would direct them how to perform the sacred rites and ceremonies which should be observed in her honour With these words she took her departure never to return Obedient to her commands Celyus called together a meeting of his people and built the temple on the spot which the goddess had indicated It was soon completed and Demeter took up her abode in it but her heart was still sad for the loss of her daughter and the whole world felt the influence of her grief and ejection This was indeed a terrible year for mankind Demeter no longer smiled on the earth she was want to bless and though the husband men sowed the grain and the groaning oxen plowed the fields no harvest rewarded their labour all was barren dreary desolation The world was threatened with famine and the gods with the loss of their accustomed honours and sacrifices it became evident therefore to Zeus himself the measures must be adopted to appease the anger of the goddess He accordingly dispatched Iris and many of the other gods and goddesses to implore Demeter to return to Olympus but all their prayers were fruitless The incensed goddess swore that until her daughter was restored to her she would not allow the grain to spring forth from the earth At length Zeus sent Hermes his faithful messenger to the lower world with a petition to Aedes urgently in treating him to restore Persephone to the arms of her disconsolate mother When he arrived in the gloomy realms of Aedes Hermes found him seated on a throne with the beautiful Persephone beside him sorrowfully bewailing her unhappy fate On learning his errand Aedes consented to resign Persephone who joyfully prepared to follow the messenger of the gods to the abode of life and light Before taking leave of her husband he presented to her a few seeds of pomegranate which in her excitement she thoughtlessly swallowed and this simple act as the sequel will show materially affected her whole future life The meeting between mother and child was one of unmixed rapture and for the moment all the past was forgotten The loving mother's happiness would now have been complete had not Aedes asserted his rights these were that if any mortal had tasted food in his realms they were bound to remain there forever Of course the ruler of the lower world had to prove this assertion this however he found no difficulty in doing As Escalophus the son of Acheron and Orphani was his witness to the fact Zeus pitting the disappointment of Demeter at finding her hopes thus blighted succeeded in affecting a compromise by inducing his brother Aedes to allow Persephone to spend six months of the year with the gods above whilst during the other six she was to be the joyless companion of her grim lord below Accompanied by her daughter the beautiful Persephone Demeter now resumed her long abandoned dwelling in Olympus The sympathetic earth responded gaily to her bright smiles The corn at once sprang forth from the ground in fullness plenty The trees which late were said and bear now donned their brightest emerald robes and the flowers so long imprisoned in the hard dry soil filled the whole air with their fragrant perfume Thus ends this charming story which was a favourite theme with all the classic authors It is very possible that the poets who first created this graceful myth merely intended it as an allegory to illustrate the change of seasons In the course of time however a literal meaning became attached to this and similar poetical fancies and thus the people of Greece came to regard as an article of religious belief what in the first instance was nothing more than a poetic simile In the temple erected to Demeter at Eleusis the famous Eleusinian mysteries were instituted by the goddess herself It is exceedingly difficult as in the case of all secret societies to discover anything with certainty concerning these sacred rites The most plausible supposition is that the doctrines taught by the priests to the favoured few whom they initiated were religious truths which were deemed unfit for the uninstructured mind of the multitude For instance it is supposed that the myth of Demeter and Persephone was explained by the teachers of the mysteries to signify the temporary loss which Mother Earth sustains every year when the icy breath of winter robs her of her flowers and fruits and grain It is believed that in later times a still deeper meaning was conveyed by this beautiful myth vis the doctrine of the immortality of the soul The grain, which as it were remains dead for a time in the dark earth only to rise one day dressed in a newer and lovelier garb was supposed to symbolise the soul which after death frees itself from corruption to live again under a better and purer form When Demeter instituted the Eleusinian mysteries Seleus and his family were the first to be initiated Seleus himself being appointed High Priest His son, Tryptolomus and his daughters who acted as priestesses assisted him in the duties of his sacred office The mysteries were celebrated by the Athenians every five years and were for a long time their exclusive privilege They took place by torchlight and were conducted with the greatest solemnity in order to spread abroad the blessings which agriculture confers Demeter presented Tryptolomus with her chariot drawn by winged dragons and giving him some grains of corn desired him to journey through the world teaching mankind the arts of agriculture and husbandry Demeter exercised great severity towards those who incurred her displeasure We find examples of this in the stories of Stelio Stelio was a youth who ridiculed the goddess for the eagerness with which she was eating a bowl of porridge when weary and faint in the vain search for her daughter Resolved that he should never again have an opportunity of thus offending she angrily threw into his face the remainder of the food and changed him into a spotted lizard Eresychthon, son of Triapus had drawn upon himself the anger of Demeter by cutting down her sacred groves for which she punished him with a constant and insatiable hunger He sold all his possessions in order to satisfy his cravings and was forced at last to devour his own limbs His daughter Metra who was devotedly attached to him possessed the power of transforming herself into a variety of different animals By this means she contrived to support her father who sold her again and again each time she assumed a different form and thus he dragged on a pitiful existence Ceres The Roman Ceres is actually the Greek Demeter under another name Her attributes, worship, festivals, etc being precisely identical The Romans were indebted to Sicily for this divinity her worship having been introduced by the Greek colonists who settled there The Cerelia or festivals in honour of Ceres commenced on the 12th of April and lasted several days Aphrodite Venus Aphrodite from Aphros Aphrodite from Aphroma and Diety issued The daughter of Zeus and Aceniumph called Dione was the goddess of love and beauty Dione being Aceniumph gave birth to her daughter beneath the waves but the child of the heaven inhabiting Zeus was forced to ascend from the ocean depths and mount to the snow-capped summits of Olympus in order to breathe that ethereal and most refined atmosphere which pertains to the celestial gods Aphrodite was the mother of Eros Cupid, the god of love also of Anais the great Trojan hero and the head of that Greek colony which settled in Italy and from which arose the city of Rome As a mother Aphrodite claims our sympathy as she exhibits towards her children Homer tells us in his Iliad how when Anais was wounded in battle she came to his assistance regardless of personal danger and was herself severely wounded in attempting to save his life Aphrodite was tenderly attached to a lovely youth called Adonis whose exquisite beauty has become proverbial he was a motherless babe and Aphrodite taking pity on him placed him in a chest and entrusted him to the care of Persephone who became so fond of the beautiful youth that she refused to part with him Zeus being appealed to by the rival foster mothers decided that Adonis should spend four months of every year with Persephone four with Aphrodite whilst during the remaining four months he should be left to his own devices he became however so attached to Aphrodite that he voluntarily devoted to her the time at his own disposal Adonis was killed during the chase by a wild boar to the great grief of Aphrodite who bemoaned his loss so persistently that Ades moved with pity permitted him to pass six months of every year with her whilst the remaining half of the year was spent by him in the lower world Aphrodite possessed a magic girdle the famous Cestus which she frequently lent to unhappy maidens suffering from the pangs of unrequited love as it was endowed with the power of inspiring affection for the wearer whom it invested with every attribute of grace beauty and fascination her usual attendants are the charities or graces Euphrosony, Aglaya and Thalia who are represented undraped and intertwined in a loving embrace In Hesiod's theogony she is supposed to belong to the more ancient divinities and whilst those of later date are represented as having descended one from another and all more or less from Zeus Aphrodite has a variously accounted for yet independent origin The most poetical version of her birth is that when Uranus was wounded by his son Cronus his blood mingled with the foam of the sea whereupon the bubbling waters at once assumed a rosy tint and from their depths arose in all the surpassing glory of her loveliness Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty shaking her long fair tresses the water drops rolled down into the beautiful seashell in which she stood and became transformed into pure glistening pearls wafted by the soft and barmy breezes she floated on to Sothera and was then transported to the island of Cyprus Lightly she stepped on shore and under the gentle pressure of her delicate foot the dry and rigid sand became transformed into a verdant meadow where every varied shade of colour and every sweet odour charmed the senses The whole island of Cyprus became clothed in verdure and greeted this fairest of all created beings with a glad smile of friendly welcome Here she was received by the seasons who decked her with garments of immortal fabric encircling her fair brow with a wreath of purest gold whilst from her ears depended costly rings and a glittering chain embraced her swan-like throat and now arrayed in awe her penoply of her irresistible charms the nymphs escort her to the dazzling halls of Olympus where she is received with ecstatic enthusiasm by the admiring gods and goddesses the gods all vied with each other in aspiring to the honour of her hand but her fastest became the envied possessor of this lovely being who, however, proved as faithless as she was beautiful and caused her husband much unhappiness owing to the preference she showed at various times for some of the other gods and also for mortal men The celebrated Venus of Milo, now in the Louvre is an exquisite statue of this divinity the head is beautifully formed the rich waves of hair descend on her rather low but broad forehead and are caught up gracefully in a small knot at the back of the head the expression of the face is most bewitching and bespeaks the perfect joyousness of a happy nature combined with the dignity of a goddess the drapery falls in careless folds from the waist downwards and her whole attitude is the embodiment of all that is graceful and lovely in womanhood she is of medium height and the form is perfect in its symmetry and faultless proportions Aphrodite is also frequently represented in the act of confining her dripping locks in a knot whilst her attendant nips envelop her in a gauzy veil the animals sacred to her were the dove, swan, swallow and sparrow her favourite plants were the myrtle, apple tree, rose and poppy the worship of Aphrodite is supposed to have been introduced into Greece from Central Asia there is no doubt that she was originally identical with the famous Estate, the Astorith of the Bible against whose idolatrous worship and infamous rites the prophets of old hurled forth their sublime and powerful anathemas End of section 5