Stories of Old Greece and RomeBaker, Emilie K. (Emilie Kip)
General
Stories of Old Greece and Rome
Baker, Emilie K. (Emilie Kip)
Mythology, Greek -- Juvenile literature; Mythology, Roman -- Juvenile literature
Not far from sunny Sicily and the deep crater of Etna, in which Vulcan
built his glowing forge, were the Æolian Islands--now called Lipari
Islands--where Æolus, god of the winds and storms, kept his turbulent
children. He never allowed them to roam at will, but held them securely
bound in a great cave, and let them loose one at a time when they
needed exercise or when the gods demanded their release. Only once were
they allowed to give free play to their boisterous feelings, and rush
over the waters, making havoc everywhere, and this was when Jupiter
sent a deluge upon the impious earth. Since that time the winds have
never roamed at large, though they always chafe at being restrained in
their narrow prison and long to break free.
"Hic vasto rex Æolus antro
Luctantes ventos--tempestatesque sonoras
Imperio premit ac vinclis et carcere frenat.
Illi indignantes magno cum murmure montis
Circum claustra fremunt; celsa sedet Æolus arce,
Sceptratenens, mollitque animos et temperatiras;
Ni faciat, maria ac terras cælumque profundum
Quippe ferant rapidi secum verrantque per auras."[67]
--VIRGIL, _Æneid_, Book I, line 52.
Æolus wooed and married the dainty Aurora, goddess of the morning,
who bore him his sons, _i.e._ Boreas, the north wind; Notus, the
south wind; Eurus, the east wind; and Zephyrus, the soft and gentle
west wind. Sometimes Aurora sought the services of her children, but
they were entirely under the control of their father Æolus who ruled
them with a strict hand. Sometimes when the stately Juno sought his
assistance, he let the winds sweep over the calm sea until the waves
rose mountain high, for he was reputed to have received his royal
status as god from Juno's hands, and so was ever anxious to serve her.
Once, at her request, he let loose the fiercest winds to destroy the
ships of Æneas--that unfortunate hero who was always being pursued
by "cruel Juno's unrelenting hate." The goddess was so eager for his
destruction that she went herself to the cave of the winds, and begged
Æolus to shatter the Trojan ships. So a terrible storm broke over the
sea, and the winds drove the vessels of Æneas far out of their course,
scattering them here and there, until no two could see each other amid
the fury of the tempest. When Neptune realized what was happening, he
lifted his head above the white-capped waves and saw the Trojan ships
tossed about and beaten out of their course. As he himself had given no
commands for such a storm, he knew it was the never-ending hatred of
Juno for the Trojans that had brought about the disaster. But the sea,
and all that therein is, was Neptune's to control, and he was justly
angry with Juno's interference; so he recalled the winds from their mad
race and bade the storm cease.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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