Gods, Heroes and Men of Ancient Greece: Part 1

Heaven and Earth were parents of a great brood of children.

He was put in the charge of two nymphs, who fed him on goat’s milk, and the cave was watched by armed guards; whenever the baby cried, the guards made such a din by clashing their spears on their shields, that Cronos heard nothing of its cries.

This made Cronos very sick, and he disgorged all the children, one after another.

He gave them nectar, the drink of the gods, and ambrosia, the food of the gods, which was the food of immortality; and he said, “Now let us fight, and make an end of this long war.”

The earth shook, the sea boiled, the forests caught fire and burnt, blustering winds made confusion all round.

A brazen wall runs round it, and brazen gates close it in; there Cronos was in prison, guarded by the Cyclôpês and the three hundred-handed monsters.

When anyone goes in, Cerberos fawns upon him, and licks his hands with his three tongues; but if anyone tries to go out, Cerberos devours him up.

They had come to an agreement of some sort, and as usual when a quarrel was made up, there was to be a solemn sacrifice.

Hitherto they had known the future; they saw trouble and death coming upon them, and they could do nothing to help it, so they were always miserable.

He moulded a beautiful creature, like a modest maid; and all the gods and goddesses gave her gifts.

They all went flying over the world: plague, pestilence, and all uncharitableness—the evils of the whole world, which the wise Prometheus had shut up safely in the great jar.

Demeter said, “I accept the charge gladly; there shall be no heedlessness in me. No witchcraft shall touch him, and no gnawing worm, for I know charms that are stronger than worms and witchcraft.”

For Demeter would anoint him with the ambrosia of immortality, and she would breathe softly upon him as she held him to her
 breast; but at night, unknown to his parents, she would plunge him like a brand into the fire.

I would have made your boy immortal, free from death and old age; but now he must abide his fate, and die when his time comes.

Hadês smiled grimly when he heard the behest of Zeus; and he said, “Go now, Persephonê, and be kind to me; I am no unfitting husband for you, for I am brother to Father Zeus. And while you are here, you shall rule all that lives and moves, and all shall worship you and pay you due offerings, or he shall be punished.”

Her daughter Persephonê had eaten in the world below, and she must return there; but Zeus ordained that she should remain there only one-third part of the year, and that for the other two parts of the year she should live with her mother.

And Hephaistos raised his axe, and brought it down with a great crash on the head of Zeus, and split it open: and out of the split jumped a little figure, a young goddess it seemed, clad in armour, which rapidly grew bigger until she was full size.

Zeus was there, of course, with his mother Rheia the Titan, and Hera, his wife; Demeter, now she was reconciled again, and Persephonê in the summer; Aphroditê, goddess of love and beauty.

Zeus was the head of the family; and on the whole, he managed his big household with tact.

There he had an oracle, giving answers with divine voice to all who sought his aid, the first of many such oracles of Apollo; and there he had great feasts, with splendid processions and ceremonies, with dancing and singing of hymns, and games and sports to amuse the people.

We do not know how the gods received him, but I should think they may have been doubtful at first of the stranger, and snubbed him; in any case, he thought he had better look out for a more notable place to settle than the little island of Delos, which Hera sneered at, we may be sure.

This did not suit Telphusa at all; she wanted to keep her own place for herself, and who was this upstart that he should calmly take possession of it?

Past the Laconian coast they sped, and on towards the coast of Elis, and when they would have put in to land, the ship would not obey the helm, but Apollo guided it whither he would.

He procured priestesses, also, to help in the oracle.

He would do this even in war, if he chose to help any army of fighting men; and long ages afterwards, he is said to have raised his cry among the Persians at the battle of Marathon, and made the Athenians drive them in rout.

Why in this dark lone forest do you play,
O rustic Pan, on a melodious reed?

I am glad to see you, tortoise; where did you get that dappled shell to cover you with, a fine treasure here in the hills?

He touched each string in turn, and each gave a different note, because they were each of different thickness and tightness; then he played tunes, while he sang little ditties, full of mirth and fun.

He flayed them, and laid their skins on the rocks; then he cut out the choicest parts, and pierced them with spits, and roasted chine and paunch over the fire.

As he said this, Hermês darted his glances this way and that, wrinkling his brows, and then he began to whistle aloud, as if Apollo’s talk was just an idle tale.

Many a herdsman will you plague in days to come, when you have a hankering for meat.

Here is a child, a thief and a robber, whom I found on the hill of Cyllênê; never in all my days have I seen one so pert as he is.

But Zeus laughed aloud at the cunning little knave, and said:
“Go now, both of you, and you, Hermês, show where you have hidden the cattle.”

Here is a choice of three things at once—mirth, or love, or sleep; they are all in your music.

I promise you great fame, both you and your mother; I will make you a leader renowned among the gods; I will give you great gifts.

Then Hermês held out the harp; and Apollo took it, and gave to Hermês his whip, and made him keeper of the herds: and ever since, Hermês Eriunios, or All-wool, has been the helper and guardian of herdsmen and shepherds; and he became also the god and patron of all traders, who make bargains together.

As for men, if they come to me guided by birds of true omen, I will tell them the truth, and I will not deceive them; but if any trust to idly chattering birds, and invoke me against my will, wishing to know more than the gods do, it shall be a vain errand, yet their gifts I will take.

Hyperion married Theia, the Divine, a most venerable and radiant goddess, and his children were Eos, Helios and Selênê.

When Zeus and the Immortals were dividing the earth among them, so that each should have his own particular part, they forgot all about the Sun-god, for he was busy about his duties, out of sight, out of mind, and no place was allotted to him.

She crept down to him, and kissed him, and there she kept him in perpetual sleep, that she might visit him whenever she wished.