The Heroes; Or, Greek Fairy Tales for My ChildrenKingsley, Charles
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The Heroes; Or, Greek Fairy Tales for My Children
Kingsley, Charles
Mythology, Greek -- Juvenile literature
So they rowed on over the long swell of the sea, past Olympus, the seat
of the Immortals, and past the wooded bays of Athos, and Samothrace the
sacred isle; and they came past Lemnos to the Hellespont, and through the
narrow strait of Abydos, and so on into the Propontis, which we call
Marmora now. And there they met with Cyzicus, ruling in Asia over the
Dolions, who, the songs say, was the son of Æneas, of whom you will hear
many a tale some day. For Homer tells us how he fought at Troy, and
Virgil how he sailed away and founded Rome; and men believed until late
years that from him sprang our old British kings. Now Cyzicus, the songs
say, welcomed the heroes, for his father had been one of Cheiron’s
scholars; so he welcomed them, and feasted them, and stored their ship
with corn and wine, and cloaks and rugs, the songs say, and shirts, of
which no doubt they stood in need.
But at night, while they lay sleeping, came down on them terrible men,
who lived with the bears in the mountains, like Titans or giants in
shape; for each of them had six arms, and they fought with young firs and
pines. But Heracles killed them all before morn with his deadly poisoned
arrows; but among them, in the darkness, he slew Cyzicus the kindly
prince.
Then they got to their ship and to their oars, and Tiphys bade them cast
off the hawsers and go to sea. But as he spoke a whirlwind came, and
spun the _Argo_ round, and twisted the hawsers together, so that no man
could loose them. Then Tiphys dropped the rudder from his hand, and
cried, ‘This comes from the Gods above.’ But Jason went forward, and
asked counsel of the magic bough.
Then the magic bough spoke, and answered, ‘This is because you have slain
Cyzicus your friend. You must appease his soul, or you will never leave
this shore.’
Jason went back sadly, and told the heroes what he had heard. And they
leapt on shore, and searched till dawn; and at dawn they found the body,
all rolled in dust and blood, among the corpses of those monstrous
beasts. And they wept over their kind host, and laid him on a fair bed,
and heaped a huge mound over him, and offered black sheep at his tomb,
and Orpheus sang a magic song to him, that his spirit might have rest.
And then they held games at the tomb, after the custom of those times,
and Jason gave prizes to each winner. To Ancæus he gave a golden cup,
for he wrestled best of all; and to Heracles a silver one, for he was the
strongest of all; and to Castor, who rode best, a golden crest; and
Polydeuces the boxer had a rich carpet, and to Orpheus for his song a
sandal with golden wings. But Jason himself was the best of all the
archers, and the Minuai crowned him with an olive crown; and so, the
songs say, the soul of good Cyzicus was appeased and the heroes went on
their way in peace.
But when Cyzicus’ wife heard that he was dead she died likewise of grief;
and her tears became a fountain of clear water, which flows the whole
year round.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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