The Junior Classics, Volume 3: Tales from Greece and Rome
General
The Junior Classics, Volume 3: Tales from Greece and Rome
Children's literature; Mythology, Classical -- 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. Now Cyzicus, the songs say,
welcomed the heroes, for his father had been one of Chiron’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 Hercules 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
leaped 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 Hercules, a silver one, for he was
the strongest of all; and to Castor, who rode best, a golden crest; and
Pollux 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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