theseus-第7部分

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these　verses　concerning　Alycus…

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

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

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

Others　reject　this　verse　as　none　of　Homer's；　as　they　do　likewise　the
whole　fable　of　Munychus；　who；　the　story　says；　was　the　son　of
Demophon　and　Laodice；　born　secretly；　and　brought　up　by　Aethra　at　Troy。
But　Ister；　in　the　thirteenth　book　of　his　Attic　History；　gives　us　an
account　of　Aethra；　different　yet　from　all　the　rest：　that　Achilles
and　Patroclus　overcame　Paris　in　Thessaly；　near　the　river　Sperchius；
but　that　Hector　took　and　plundered　the　city　of　the　Troezenians。　and
made　Aethra　prisoner　there。　But　this　seems　a　groundless　tale。
　　Now　Hercules；　passing　by　the　Molossians；　was　entertained　in　his
way　to　Aidoneus　the　king；　who；　in　conversation；　accidentally　spoke
of　the　journey　of　Theseus　and　Pirithous　into　his　country；　of　what　they
had　designed　to　do；　and　what　they　were　forced　to　suffer。　Hercules
was　much　grieved　for　the　inglorious　death　of　the　one　and　the　miserable
condition　of　the　other。　As　for　Pirithous；　he　thought　it　useless　to
complain；　but　begged　to　have　Theseus　released　for　his　sake；　and
obtained　that　favour　from　the　king。　Theseus；　being　thus　set　at
liberty；　returned　to　Athens；　where　his　friends　were　not　yet　wholly
suppressed；　and　dedicated　to　Hercules　all　the　sacred　places　which
the　city　had　set　apart　for　himself；　changing　their　names　from　Thesea
to　Heraclea；　four　only　excepted；　as　Philochorus　writes。　And　wishing
immediately　to　resume　the　first　place　in　the　commonwealth；　and
manage　the　state　as　before；　he　soon　found　himself　involved　in　factions
and　troubles；　those　who　long　had　hated　him　had　now　added　to　their
hatred　contempt；　and　the　minds　of　the　people　were　so　generally
corrupted；　that；　instead　of　obeying　commands　with　silence；　they
expected　to　be　flattered　into　their　duty。　He　had　some　thoughts　to　have
reduced　them　by　force；　but　was　overpowered　by　demagogues　and　factions。
And　at　last；　despairing　of　any　good　success　of　his　affairs　in
Athens；　he　sent　away　his　children　privately　to　Euboea；　commending　them
to　the　care　of　Elephenor；　the　son　of　Chalcodon；　and　he　himself
having　solemnly　cursed　the　people　of　Athens　in　the　village　of
Gargettus；　in　which　there　yet　remains　the　place　called　Araterion；　or
the　place　of　cursing；　sailed　to　Scyros；　where　he　had　lands　left　him　by
his　father；　and　friendship；　as　he　thought；　with　those　of　the　island。
Lycomedes　was　then　king　of　Scyros。　Theseus；　therefore；　addressed
himself　to　him　and　desired　to　have　his　lands　put　into　his
possession；　as　designing　to　settle　and　to　dwell　there；　though　others
say　that　he　came　to　beg　his　assistance　against　the　Athenians。　But
Lycomedes；　either　jealous　of　the　glory　of　so　great　a　man；　or　to
gratify　Menestheus；　having　led　him　up　to　the　highest　cliff　of　the
island；　on　pretence　of　showing　him　from　thence　the　lands　that　be
desired；　threw　him　headlong　down　from　the　rock；　and　killed　him。　Others
say　he　fell　down　of　himself　by　a　slip　of　his　foot；　as　he　was　walking
there；　according　to　his　custom；　after　supper。　At　that　time　there　was
no　notice　taken；　nor　were　any　concerned　for　his　death；　but
Menestheus　quietly　possessed　the　kingdom　of　Athens。　His　sons　were
brought　up　in　a　private　condition；　and　accompanied　Elephenor　to　the
Trojan　war；　but；　after　the　decease　of　Menestheus　in　that　expedition；
returned　to　Athens；　and　recovered　the　government。　But　in　succeeding
ages；　besides　several　other　circumstances　that　moved　the　Athenians
to　honour　Theseus　as　a　demigod；　in　the　battle　which　was　fought　at
Marathon　against　the　Medes；　many　of　the　soldiers　believed　they　saw
an　apparition　of　Theseus　in　arms；　rushing　on　at　the　head　of　them
against　the　barbarians。　And　after　the　Median　war；　Phaedo　being
archon　of　Athens；　the　Athenians；　consulting　the　oracle　at　Delphi；　were
commanded　to　gather　together　the　bones　of　Theseus；　and；　laying　them　in
some　honourable　place；　keep　them　as　sacred　in　the　city。　But　it　was
very　difficult　to　recover　those　relics；　or　so　much　as　to　find　out
the　place　where　they　lay；　on　account　of　the　inhospitable　and　savage
temper　of　the　barbarous　people　that　inhabited　the　island。
Nevertheless；　afterwards；　when　Cimon　took　the　island　（as　is　related　in
his　life）；　and　had　a　great　ambition　to　find　out　the　place　where
Theseus　was　buried；　he；　by　chance；　spied　an　eagle　upon　a　rising　ground
pecking　with　her　beak　and　tearing　up　the　earth　with　her　talons；　when
on　the　sudden　it　came　into　his　mind；　as　it　were　by　some　divine
inspiration；　to　dig　there；　and　search　for　the　bones　of　Theseus。
There　were　found　in　that　place　a　coffin　of　a　man　of　more　than　ordinary
size；　and　a　brazen　spear…head；　and　a　sword　lying　by　it；　all　which　he
took　aboard　his　galley　and　brought　with　him　to　Athens。　Upon　which
the　Athenians；　greatly　delighted；　went　out　to　meet　and　receive　the
relics　with　splendid　processions　and　sacrifices；　as　if　it　were　Theseus
himself　returning　alive　to　the　city。　He　lies　interred　in　the　middle　of
the　city；　near　the　present　gymnasium。　His　tomb　is　a　sanctuary　and
refuge　for　slaves；　and　all　those　of　mean　condition　that　fly　from　the
persecution　of　men　in　power；　in　memory　that　Theseus　while　he　lived　was
an　assister　and　protector　of　the　distressed；　and　never　refused　the
petitions　of　the　afflicted　that　fled　to　him。　The　chief　and　most　solemn
sacrifice　which　they　celebrate　to　him　is　kept　on　the　eighth　day　of
Pyanepsion；　on　which　he　returned　with　the　Athenian　young　men　from
Crete。　Besides　which　they　sacrifice　to　him　on　the　eighth　day　of
every　month；　either　because　he　returned　from　Troezen　the　eighth　day　of
Hecatombaeon；　as　Diodorus　the　geographer　writes；　or　else　thinking　that
number　to　be　proper　to　him；　because　he　was　reputed　to　be　born　of
Neptune；　because　they　sacrifice　to　Neptune　on　the　eighth　day　of
every　month。　The　number　eight　being　the　first　cube　of　an　even
number；　and　the　double　of　the　first　square；　seemed　to　be　an　emblem
of　the　steadfast　and　immovable　power　of　this　god；　who　from　thence
has　the　names　of　Asphalius　and　Gaeiochus；　that　is；　the　establisher　and
stayer　of　the　earth。




　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END