Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome Read online

  A HAND-BOOK OF MYTHOLOGY.

  * * *

  THE

  Myths and Legends

  OF

  ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.

  BY

  E. M. BERENS.

  ILLUSTRATED FROM ANTIQUE SCULPTURES.

  NEW YORK:

  Maynard, Merrill, & Co.,

  43, 45 and 47 East Tenth Street.

  * * *

  [i]

  PREFACE.

  * * *

  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 principals 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 labours of both master and pupil.

  In endeavouring to supply this want I have sought to place before the reader a lifelike 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 form 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 an account of their principal festivals.

  I may add that no pains have been spared in order that, without passing over details the omission of which would have [ii]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 purposely 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 teem with classical allusions; 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 readers, who, in whiling away a leisure hour, may derive some pleasure and profit from its perusal.

  E. M. BERENS.

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  [iii]

  CONTENTS.

  PART I.—MYTHS.

  Introduction, 7

  FIRST DYNASTY.

  Origin of the World—

  Uranus and G?a (Cœlus and Terra), 11

  SECOND DYNASTY.

  Cronus (Saturn), 14

  Rhea (Ops), 18

  Division of the World, 19

  Theories as to the Origin of Man, 21

  THIRD DYNASTY.

  OLYMPIAN DIVINITIES—

  Zeus (Jupiter), 26

  Hera (Juno), 38

  Pallas-Athene (Minerva), 43

  Themis, 48

  Hestia (Vesta), 48

  Demeter (Ceres), 50

  Aphrodite (Venus), 58

  Helios (Sol), 61

  Eos (Aurora), 67

  Phœbus-Apollo, 68

  Hecate, 85

  Selene (Luna), 86

  Artemis (Diana), 87

  Heph?stus (Vulcan), 97

  Poseidon (Neptune), 101

  [iv] SEA DIVINITIES—

  Oceanus, 107

  Nereus, 108

  Proteus, 108

  Triton and the Tritons, 109

  Glaucus, 109

  Thetis, 110

  Thaumas, Phorcys, and Ceto, 111

  Leucothea, 111

  The Sirens, 112

  Ares (Mars), 112

  Nike (Victoria), 117

  Hermes (Mercury), 117

  Dionysus (Bacchus or Liber), 124

  A?des (Pluto), 130

  Plutus, 137

  MINOR DIVINITIES—

  The Harpies, 137

  Erinyes, Eumenides (Furi?, Dir?), 138

  Moir? or Fates (Parc?), 139

  Nemesis, 141

  Night and Her Children—

  Nyx (Nox), 142

  Thanatos (Mors), Hypnus (Somnus), 142

  Morpheus, 143

  The Gorgons, 144

  Gr??, 145

  Sphinx, 146

  Tyche (Fortuna) and Ananke (Necessitas), 147

  Ker, 149

  Ate, 149

  Momus, 149

  Eros (Cupid, Amor) and Psyche, 150

  Hymen, 154

  Iris, 155

  Hebe (Juventas), 156

  Ganymedes, 157

  [v] The Muses, 157

  Pegasus, 162

  The Hesperides, 162

  Charites or Graces, 163

  Hor? (Seasons), 164

  The Nymphs, 165

  The Winds, 170

  Pan (Faunus), 171

  The Satyrs, 174

  Priapus, 175

  Asclepias (?sculapius), 176

  ROMAN DIVINITIES—

  Janus, 178

  Flora, 180

  Robigus, 180

  Pomona, 180

  Vertumnus, 181

  Pales, 181

  Picus, 182

  Picumnus and Pilumnus, 182

  Silvanus, 182

  Terminus, 182

  Consus, 183

  Libitina, 183

  Laverna, 184

  Comus, 184

  Camen?, 184

  Genii, 185

  Manes, 185

  Penates, 187

  PUBLIC WORSHIP OF THE ANCIENT GREEKS AND ROMANS—

  Temples, 188

  Statues, 190

  Altars, 191

  Priests, 191

  Sacrifices, 192

  Oracles, 194

  Soothsayers, 195

  [vi] Augurs, 196

  Festivals, 196

  GREEK FESTIVALS—

  Eleusinian Mysteries, 196

  Thesmophoria, 197

  Dionysia, 197

  Panathen?a, 199

  Daphnephoria, 200

  ROMAN FESTIVALS—

  Saturnalia, 200

  Cerealia, 201

  Vestalia, 201

  PART II.—LEGENDS.

  Cadmus, 203

  Perseus, 205

  Ion, 210

  D?dalus and Icarus, 211

  The Argonauts, 213

  Pelops, 232

  Heracles, 234

  Bellerophon, 256

  Theseus, 259

  Œdipus, 269

  The Seven against Thebes, 272

  The Epigoni, 276

  Alcm?on and the Necklace, 277

  The Heraclid?, 280

  The Siege of Troy, 283

  Return of the Greeks from Troy, 304

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  [7]

  MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.

  * * *

  PART I.—MYTHS.

  * * *

  INTRODUCTION.

  Before entering upon the many strange beliefs of the ancient Greeks, and the extraordinary number of gods they worshipped, we must first c
onsider 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 Ichor, 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 punish the evil-doer, and visit with dire calamities any impious mortal who dares to neglect their worship or despise their rites. We often hear of them visiting mankind and partaking of their hospitality, and not unfrequently both gods and goddesses [8]become attached to mortals, with whom they unite themselves, the offspring of these unions being called heroes or demi-gods, 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, viz., 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, &c., 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, &c., 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 honour, 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 [9]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 pre-historic times. Again, the daily recurring phenomena, which to us, who know them to be the result of certain well-ascertained 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 vivid 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 the 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. [10]

  It is highly probable that the reputed actions of these deified beings were commemorated by bards, who, travelling 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 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 colonized 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 civilized 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 deficient in all those fairy-like stories and wonderfully poetic ideas which so strongly characterize that of the Greeks.