The Story of the GreeksGuerber, H. A. (Hélène Adeline)
History
The Story of the Greeks
Guerber, H. A. (Hélène Adeline)
Greece -- History; Readers -- History
The Pelasgians who joined this young hero helped him to build great
walls all around his town. These were provided with massive gateways and
tall towers, from which the soldiers could overlook the whole country,
and see the approach of an enemy from afar.
[Illustration: The Lion Gate, Mycenae.]
This same people built tombs for some of the ancient kings, and many
treasure and store houses. These buildings, buried under earth and
rubbish, were uncovered a few years ago. In the tombs were found swords,
spears, and remains of ancient armor, gold ornaments, ancient pieces of
pottery, human bones, and, strangest of all, thin masks of pure gold,
which covered the faces of some of the dead.
Thus you see, the Pelasgians little by little joined the new colonies
which came to take possession of the land, and founded little states or
countries of their own, each governed by its own king, and obeying its
own laws.
IV. STORY OF DEUCALION.
The Greeks used to tell their children that Deu-ca'li-on, the leader of
the Thes-sa'li-ans, was a descendant of the gods, for each part of the
country claimed that its first great man was the son of a god. It was
under the reign of Deucalion that another flood took place. This was
even more terrible than that of Ogyges; and all the people of the
neighborhood fled in haste to the high mountains north of Thes'sa-ly,
where they were kindly received by Deucalion.
When all danger was over, and the waters began to recede, they followed
their leader down into the plains again. This soon gave rise to a
wonderful story, which you will often hear. It was said that Deucalion
and his wife Pyr'rha were the only people left alive after the flood.
When the waters had all gone, they went down the mountain, and found
that the temple at Del'phi, where they worshiped their gods, was still
standing unharmed. They entered, and, kneeling before the altar, prayed
for help.
A mysterious voice then bade them go down the mountain, throwing their
mother's bones behind them. They were very much troubled when they heard
this, until Deucalion said that a voice from heaven could not have
meant them to do any harm. In thinking over the real meaning of the
words he had heard, he told his wife, that, as the Earth is the mother
of all creatures, her bones must mean the stones.
Deucalion and Pyrrha, therefore, went slowly down the mountain, throwing
the stones behind them. The Greeks used to tell that a sturdy race of
men sprang up from the stones cast by Deucalion, while beautiful women
came from those cast by Pyrrha.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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