Half a Hundred Hero Tales of Ulysses and The Men of Old
General
Half a Hundred Hero Tales of Ulysses and The Men of Old
Mythology, Classical -- Juvenile literature
Then said Oedipus: "The gods are showing now that the time of my doom
is come. Blind though I am, I myself will guide my own steps to the
spot where I am doomed to die, but thou alone, O Theseus, shalt know
where is my resting-place, and thou shalt tell it to none on earth
save when thy death-hour comes, and then shalt thou disclose it to thy
eldest born. He in like manner shall hand the secret on, and thus
shall peace and prosperity forever dwell in this land. Touch me not.
Let me find my hallowed grave myself. Think of me sometimes when I am
gone, and thou and all thy state are prosperous."
Then the old man allowed his weeping daughters to lave his limbs and
put on him a garment meet for the grave.
And when this was done, and Antigone still clung weeping to her
father, there came first a roll of thunder, and after the thunder a
voice that called: "Ho, Oedipus, why tarriest thou?"
Then the old king arose and called on Theseus and begged him to care
for his daughters, and Theseus vowed to be a true friend to the
desolate maidens. And Oedipus kissed his daughters and sent them
weeping away, and only Theseus saw the blessed end of a man in life
more sinned against than sinning, or knew the last resting-place of
the body of King Oedipus.
Antigone craved leave to visit her father's sepulcher, but not even
she was allowed to know where was the secret burial-place; and when
she was told that her father had willed that no mortal save Theseus
should know the spot, she submitted, and only begged permission to go
back to Thebes and try to save her brothers from their doom. But it
was in vain that the gentle maiden strove to bring peace where was
nothing but hatred. The two brothers, fighting in single combat, slew
each other, and because Polynices had brought a great host against his
own city, the Thebans cast his body without their walls and forbade
that any man should sprinkle dust upon it, so should its soul never
find rest, as a punishment for all its misdeeds. But Antigone would
not leave her brother's corpse unburied. Her sister Ismene dared not
help in such a deed, so the heroic maiden went alone, poured the
three libations due to the dead, and scattered dust upon her brother's
body, thus giving rest to his soul.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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