A Story of the Golden Age

Outstripping all, comes first to every land,
And there wreaks evil on mankind, which Prayers
Do afterwards redress. Whoe'er receives
Jove's daughters reverently when they approach,
Him willingly they aid, and to his suit
They listen. Whosoever puts them by
With obstinate denial, they appeal
To Jove, the son of Saturn, and entreat
That he will cause Misfortune to attend
The offender's way in life, that he in turn
May suffer evil, and be punished thus."

    The Iliad (BRYANT'S Translation), IX. 618-636.
A sacrifice to Poseidon similar to that described here is spoken of in the Odyssey, III. 30-60.

NOTE 11. – THE LABORS OF HERACLES. Page 140

It seems to have been one of the unexplainable decrees of fate that Heracles should serve Eurystheus twelve years, and that at his bidding he should perform the most difficult undertakings. The account of the twelve labors of Heracles, undertaken by command of his master, belongs to a later age than that of Homer, The twelve labors were as follows: -

1. The fight with the Nemean lion.

2. The fight with the Lernæan hydra.

3. Capture of the Arcadian stag.

4. Destruction of the Erymanthian boar.

5. Cleansing the stables of Augeas.

6. Putting to flight the Harpies, or Stymphalian birds.

7. Capture of the Cretan bull.

8. Capture of the mares of Thracian Diomede.

9. Seizure of the girdle of the queen of the Amazons.

10. Capture of the oxen of Geryones.

11. Fetching the golden apples of the Hesperides.

12. Bringing Cerberus from the lower world.

NOTE 12. Page 151

The description of the palace of Tyndareus given here has many points of resemblance to the description of the palace of Alcinous. – See Odyssey, VII. 85.

NOTE 13. THE VENGEANCE OF ODYSSEUS. Page 224

Palamedes, according to the ancient story, went to Troy with the heroes, where he distinguished himself by his wisdom and courage. But Odysseus, who could never forgive him, caused a captive Phrygian to write to Palamedes a letter in the name of Priam, and bribed a servant of Palamedes to conceal the letter under his master's bed. He then accused Palamedes of treachery. Upon searching the tent, the letter was found, and Palamedes was stoned to death. When Palamedes was led to death, he exclaimed, "Truth, I lament thee, for thou hast died even before me!" There are other stories as to the manner of the death of Palamedes. Some say that Odysseus and Diomede induced him to descend into a well, where they pretended they had discovered a treasure; and when he was below, they cast stones upon him, and killed him. Others state that he was drowned by them while fishing; and others that he was killed by Paris with an arrow. – See Smith's Classical Dictionary.

NOTE 14. – THE GARDEN OF LYCOMEDES. Page 230

The curious reader may find in the description of the garden of Alcinous (Odyssey, VII. 85, et seq.) some resemblance to the description here given of the garden of Lycomedes.

NOTE 15. – THE CASKETS OF ZEUS. Page 233

"Beside Jove's threshold stand

Two casks of gifts for man. One cask contains
The evil, one the good; and he to whom
The Thunderer gives them mingled sometimes falls
Into misfortune, and is sometimes crowned
With blessings. But the man to whom he gives
The evil only stands a mark exposed
To wring, and, chased by grim calamity,
Wanders the teeming earth, alike unloved
By gods and men." -The Iliad, XXIV. 663-672,

NOTE 16. – DEATH OF AJAX. Page 258

"The soul of Ajax, son of Telawon, alone stood apart, being still angry for the victory wherein I prevailed against him, in the suit by the ships concerning the arms of Achilles that his lady mother had set for a prize; and the sons of the Trojans made award and Pallas Athené. Would that I had never prevailed and won such a prize!" -Odyssey, XI. 544-548.

INDEX TO PROPER NAMES

[The figures in parentheses indicate the page or pages on which the name receives fullest mention.]

Acarnānĭa (3, 72), the most western province of Hellas.

Acastus (92), son of Pelias, king of Iolcos; he was slain by Peleus.

Achaia (5), the northern coast of Peloponnesus.

Achilles (91, 109, 225-236, 246, 255), son of Peleus and the sea-nymph Thetis. The chief hero among the Hellenes.

Actæon (87), a celebrated huntsman. He was changed by Artemis into a stag, and torn to pieces by his own dogs.

Admetus (90, 166), king of Pherze in Thessaly.

Æson (80), son of Cretheus, and father of Jason. He was excluded from the kingship of Iolcos by his half-brother Pelias.

Ætolia (5), a country north of the Corinthian Gulf (Bay of Crissa), and east of Acarnania.

Agamemnon (150, 233, 238, 251), king of Mycenæ, and commander-in-chief of the Hellenic forces in the war against Troy.

Ajax Telamon, sometimes called the greater Ajax (150, 234, 257), son of Telamon, king of Salamis. He was a nephew of Peleus, and hence a cousin of Achilles.

Ajax Oileus, sometimes called the lesser Ajax (151, 234), son of Oileus, king of the Locrians.

Alcestis (166), daughter of Pelias, and wife of Admetus.