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
Quite differently did Æolus treat another famous hero, Ulysses, whose
ships, on the long homeward journey, touched at the Lipari Islands.
Here the wanderer was hospitably entertained by Æolus, and when he
set sail again, the kindly god sent the west wind to blow the ships
gently over the sea, while he shut up the blustering winds in a leather
bag and tied it with a silver string. This bag he gave to Ulysses,
"the sagacious," and bade him keep it closed until the journey was
over. For nine days and nights the hero stood at the helm watching,
while the west wind bore the ships along without the help of oars.
At last, exhausted by his long vigil, Ulysses fell asleep; and the
sailors, believing that the bag contained treasure that King Æolus had
generously given, untied the string and freed the roistering winds.
The ships were now driven hither and thither by the madly-rushing
winds, and were tossed over the sea far away from the longed-for
Ithaca. Finally they were blown back to the Lipari Islands, where Æolus
received them but coldly, and refused to help them further. So they
turned their prows once more toward home, and worked wearily against
wind and weather by the slow pull of the oars.
The Athenians built a temple to Æolus, which is still extant, and is
generally known as the Tower of the Winds, or the Temple of Æolus.
The structure is hexagonal, and on each side there is a flying figure
of one of the winds. Notus (or Auster), the south wind, was usually
represented by an old man with dusky wings. He is clad in a black robe,
and his head is covered with clouds, for he sends the rains and sudden
showers. Eurus, the east wind, was a young man full of impetuous and
lively motion. Corus, the northwest wind, drove clouds of snow before
him, and Boreas was a figure rough and shivering. Zephyrus had a lapful
of flowers, and was the one wind sent to play among children. Boreas
was the bringer of hail and tempests, and when he wooed the nymph
Orithyia, he sought in vain to approach her gently, and to breathe his
love softly. But he could not sigh, and his lightest whisper frightened
the maiden by its harshness; so Boreas gave up attempting to win her
by gentle means and boldly carried her off to his home in the midst of
snow and ice. Their children were Zetes and Calais--winged warriors who
accompanied the Argonauts on their famous expedition, and performed a
valuable service in driving away the Harpies.[68]
II. Janus
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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