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017 - Third Dynasty Night and Her Children- Hymen through the Charities or Graces · Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome

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  Speaker 1: Section sixteen of Myths and Legends. This is a LibriVox recording.
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  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
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  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
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  Speaker 1: by Lucy LaFaro, New South Wales, Australia. Myths and Legends
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  Speaker 1: of Ancient Greece and Rome by E. M. Barons, Section sixteen,
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  Speaker 1: Third Dynasty, Knight and her children Hymen through the charities
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  Speaker 1: or graces Hymen Hymen or Hymeneus, the son of Apollo
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  Speaker 1: and the muse Urania, was the god who presided over
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  Speaker 1: marriage and nuptial solemnities, and was hence invoked at all
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  Speaker 1: marriage festivities. There is a myth concerning this divinity which
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  Speaker 1: tells us that Hymen was a beautiful youth of very
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  Speaker 1: poor parents, who fell in love with a wealthy maiden
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  Speaker 1: so far above him in rank that he dared not
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  Speaker 1: cherish the hope of ever becoming united to her. Still,
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  Speaker 1: he missed no opportunity of seeing her, and upon one
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  Speaker 1: occasion disguised himself as a girl and joined a troop
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  Speaker 1: of maidens, who, in company with his beloved, were proceeding
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  Speaker 1: from Athens to eleusis in order to attend a festival
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  Speaker 1: of Demeter. On their way thither, they were surprised by pirates,
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  Speaker 1: who carried them off to a desert island, where the Ruffians,
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  Speaker 1: after drinking deeply, fell into a heavy sleep. Hymen, seizing
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  Speaker 1: the opportunity, slew them all and then set sail for Athens,
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  Speaker 1: where he found the parents of the maidens in the
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  Speaker 1: greatest distress at their unaccountable disappearance. He comforted them with
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  Speaker 1: the assurance that their children should be restored to them,
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  Speaker 1: provided they would promise to give him in marriage the
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  Speaker 1: maiden he loved. Condition, being gladly complied with, he at
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  Speaker 1: once returned to the island and brought back the maidens
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  Speaker 1: in safety to Athens, whereupon he became united to the
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  Speaker 1: object of his love, and the union proved so remarkably
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  Speaker 1: happy that henceforth the name of Hymen became synonymous with
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  Speaker 1: conjugal felicity. Iris the Rainbow. Iris, the daughter of Thormis
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  Speaker 1: and Electra, personified the Rainbow and was the special attendant
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  Speaker 1: and messenger of the Queen of Heaven, whose commands she
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  Speaker 1: executed with singular tact, intelligence and swiftness. Most primitive nations
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  Speaker 1: have regarded the rainbow as a bridge of communication between
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  Speaker 1: heaven and Earth, and this is doubtless the reason why Iris,
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  Speaker 1: who represented that beautiful phenomenon of nature, should have been
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  Speaker 1: invested by the Greeks with the office of communicating between
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  Speaker 1: gods and men. Iris is, as usually represented, seated behind
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  Speaker 1: the chariot of Hera, ready to do the bidding of
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  Speaker 1: her royal mistress. She appears under the form of a
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  Speaker 1: slender maiden of great beauty, robed in an airy fabric
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  Speaker 1: of variegated hues, resembling mother of Pearl. Her sand was
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  Speaker 1: as bright as burnished silver. She has golden wings, and
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  Speaker 1: wherever she appears, a radiance of light and a sweet odour,
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  Speaker 1: as of delicate spring flowers, pervades the air. Hebe Juventus.
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  Speaker 1: Hebe was the personification of eternal youth under its most
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  Speaker 1: attractive and joyous aspect. She was the daughter of Zeus
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  Speaker 1: and Hera, and though of such distinguished rank, is nevertheless
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  Speaker 1: represented as cutbearer to the gods, a forcible exemplification of
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  Speaker 1: the old patriarchal custom, in accordance with which the daughters
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  Speaker 1: of the house, even when of the highest lineage, personally
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  Speaker 1: assisted in serving the guests. Hebe is represented as a comely,
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  Speaker 1: modest maiden, small of a beautifully rounded contour, with an
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  Speaker 1: upbrown tresses and sparkling eyes. She is often depicted pouring
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  Speaker 1: out nectar from an upraised vessel, or bearing in her
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  Speaker 1: hand a shallow dish supposed to contain ambrosia, the ever
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  Speaker 1: youth renewing food of the immortals. In consequence of an
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  Speaker 1: act of awkwardness which caused her to slip while serving
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  Speaker 1: the gods, Hebe was deprived of her office, which was
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  Speaker 1: henceforth delegated to Ganymede's, son of Tross. Hebe afterwards became
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  Speaker 1: the bride of Heracles, when after his apotheosis he was
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  Speaker 1: received among the immortals Juventus. Juventus was the Roman divinity
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  Speaker 1: identi with Hebe, whose attributes, however, were regarded by the
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  Speaker 1: Romans as applying more particularly to the imperishable vigor and
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  Speaker 1: immortal glory of the state. In Rome, several temples were
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  Speaker 1: erected in the honor of this goddess, gany Meads. Ganymeads,
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  Speaker 1: the youngest son of Tross, King of Troy, was one
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  Speaker 1: day drawing water from a well on Mount Ida when
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  Speaker 1: he was observed by Zeus, who struck with his wonderful beauty,
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  Speaker 1: sent his eagle to transport him to Olympus, where he
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  Speaker 1: was endowed with immortality and appointed cup bearer to the gods.
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  Speaker 1: Ganymeades is represented as a youth of exquisite beauty, with
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  Speaker 1: short golden locks, delicately chiseled features, beaming blue eyes, and
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  Speaker 1: pouting lips the Muses. Of all the Olympic deities, none
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  Speaker 1: occupy a more distinguished position than the Muses, the nine
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  Speaker 1: beautiful daughters of Zeus and Nemosny. In their original signification,
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  Speaker 1: they presided merely over music, song and dance. But with
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  Speaker 1: the progress of civilization, the arts and sciences claimed their
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  Speaker 1: special presiding divinities, and we see these graceful creations in
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  Speaker 1: later times, sharing among them various functions such as poetry, astronomy,
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  Speaker 1: et cetera. The Muses were honored alike by mortals and immortals.
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  Speaker 1: In Olympus, where Apollo acted as their leader. No banquet
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  Speaker 1: or festivity was considered complete without their joy inspiring presence,
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  Speaker 1: and on Earth, no social gathering was celebrated without libations
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  Speaker 1: being poured out to them, nor was any task involving
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  Speaker 1: intellectual effort, ever, undertaken without earnestly supplicating their assistance. They
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  Speaker 1: endowed their chosen favorites with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. They
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  Speaker 1: bestowed upon the orator the gift of eloquence, inspired the
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  Speaker 1: poet with his noblest thoughts, and the musician with his
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  Speaker 1: sweetest harmonies. Like so many of the Greek divinities, however,
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  Speaker 1: the refined conception of the muses is somewhat marred by
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  Speaker 1: the acerbity with which they punished any effort on the
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  Speaker 1: part of mortals to ravel them in their divine powers.
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  Speaker 1: An instance of this is seen in the case of Thamyris,
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  Speaker 1: a Thracian bard, who presumed to invite them to a
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  Speaker 1: trial of skill in music. Having vanquished him, they not
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  Speaker 1: only afflicted him with blindness, but deprived him also of
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  Speaker 1: the power of song. Another example of the manner in
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  Speaker 1: which the gods punished presumption and vanity is seen in
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  Speaker 1: the story of the daughters of King Pyrus. Proud of
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  Speaker 1: the perfection to which they had brought their skill in music,
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  Speaker 1: they presumed to challenge the muses themselves in the art
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  Speaker 1: over which they specially presided. The contest took place on
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  Speaker 1: Mount Helicon, and it is said that when the mortal
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  Speaker 1: maidens commenced their song, the sky became dark and misty,
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  Speaker 1: whereas when the muses raised their heavenly voices, all nature
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  Speaker 1: seemed to rejoice, and Mount Helicon itself moved with exaltation.
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  Speaker 1: The pridies were signally defeated, and were transformed by the
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  Speaker 1: Muses into singing birds as a punishment for having dared
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  Speaker 1: to challenge comparison with the immortals. Undeterred by the above example,
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  Speaker 1: the sirens also entered into a similar contest. The songs
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  Speaker 1: of the muses were loyal and true, wilst those of
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  Speaker 1: the sirens were the false and deceptive strains with which
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  Speaker 1: so many unfortunate mariners had been ured to their death.
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  Speaker 1: The sirens were defeated by the muses, and as a
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  Speaker 1: mark of humiliation, were deprived of the feathers with which
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  Speaker 1: their bodies were adorned. The oldest seat of the worship
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  Speaker 1: of the muses was Piria in Thrace, where they were
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  Speaker 1: supposed to have first seen the light of day. Pieia
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  Speaker 1: is a district on one of the sloping declivities of
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  Speaker 1: Mount Olympus, whence a number of rivulets, as they flow
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  Speaker 1: towards the plains beneath produce their sweet, soothing sounds, which
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  Speaker 1: may possibly have suggested this spot as a fitting home
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  Speaker 1: for the presiding divinities of song. They dwelt on the
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  Speaker 1: summits of Mount Helicon, Parnassus, and Pindus, and loved to
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  Speaker 1: haunt the springs and fountains which gushed forth amidst these
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  Speaker 1: rocky heights, all of which were sacred to them and
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  Speaker 1: to poetic inspiration. Agonipi and Hippocreni on Mount Helicon, and
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  Speaker 1: the Castilian spring on Mount Parnassus were sacred to the Muses.
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  Speaker 1: The latter flowed between two lofty rocks above the city
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  Speaker 1: of Delphi, and in ancient times its waters were introduced
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  Speaker 1: into a square stone basin, where they were retained for
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  Speaker 1: the use of Pythia and the priests of Apollo. The
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  Speaker 1: libations to these divinities consisted of water, milk, and honey,
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  Speaker 1: but never of wine. Their names and functions are as follows. Calliope,
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  Speaker 1: the most honoured of the muses, presided over heroic song
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  Speaker 1: and epic poetry, and is represented with a pencil in
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  Speaker 1: her hand and a slate upon her knee. Cleo, the
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  Speaker 1: Muse of History, holds in her hand a roll of
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  Speaker 1: parchment and wears a wreath of laurel. Melpomenee, the Muse
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  Speaker 1: of Tragedy bears a tragic mask Thalia, the muse of comedy,
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  Speaker 1: carries in her right hand a shepherd's crook and has
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  Speaker 1: a comic mask beside her. Polyhymnia, the Muse of sacred hymns,
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  Speaker 1: is crowned with a wreath of laurel. She is always
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  Speaker 1: represented in a thoughtful attitude and entirely enveloped in rich
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  Speaker 1: folds of drapery terpsickery. The muse of dance and round
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  Speaker 1: delay is represented in the act of playing on a
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  Speaker 1: seven stringed liar. Urania. The Muse of Astronomy stands erect
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  Speaker 1: and bears in her left hand a celestial globe Uterpi.
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  Speaker 1: The muse of Harmony is represented bearing a musical instrument,
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  Speaker 1: usually a flute Zoto. The Muse of Love and him
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  Speaker 1: Nial songs wears a wreath of laurel and is striking
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  Speaker 1: the chords of a liar. With regard to the origin
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  Speaker 1: of the muses, it is said that they were created
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  Speaker 1: by Zeus in answer to a request on the part
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  Speaker 1: of the victorious deities after the war with the Titans,
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  Speaker 1: that some special divinities should be called into existence in
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  Speaker 1: order to commemorate in song the glorious deeds of the
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  Speaker 1: Olympian gods. Pegasus Pegasus was a beautiful winged horse who
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  Speaker 1: sprang from the body of Medusa when she was slain
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  Speaker 1: by the hero Perseus, the son of Zeus and Denay.
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  Speaker 1: Spreading out his wings. He immediately flew to the top
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  Speaker 1: of Mount Olympus, where he was received with delight and
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  Speaker 1: admiration by all the immortals. A place in his palace
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  Speaker 1: was assigned to him by Zeus, who employed him to
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  Speaker 1: carry his thunder and lightning. Pegasus permitted none but the
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  Speaker 1: gods to mount him, except in the case of Bellerophon, whom,
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  Speaker 1: at the command of athen he carried aloft in order
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  Speaker 1: that he might slay the chimera with his arrows. The
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  Speaker 1: latter poets represent Pegasus as being at the service of
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  Speaker 1: the muses, and for this reason he is more celebrated
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  Speaker 1: in modern times than in antiquity. He would appear to
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  Speaker 1: represent that poetical inspiration which tends to develop man's higher
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  Speaker 1: nature and causes the mind to soar heavenwards. The only
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  Speaker 1: mention of the ancients of Pegasus in connection with the
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  Speaker 1: Muses is the story of his having produced with his
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  Speaker 1: hoofs the famous fountain Hippocrine. It is said that during
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  Speaker 1: their contest with the Parietes, the Muses played and sang
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  Speaker 1: on the summit of Mount Helicon with such extraordinary power
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  Speaker 1: and sweetness that heaven and Earth stood still to listen,
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  Speaker 1: whilst the mountain raised itself in joyous ecstasy towards the
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  Speaker 1: abode of the celestial gods. Poseidon, seeing his special function,
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  Speaker 1: thus interfered with, sent Pegasus to check the boldness of
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  Speaker 1: the mountain in daring to move without his permission. When
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  Speaker 1: Pegasus reached the summit, he stamped the foot with his
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  Speaker 1: hoofs and out gushed the waters of Hippocrine. Afterwards so
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  Speaker 1: renowned as the sacred fount. Whence the Muses quaffed their
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  Speaker 1: richest drafts of inspiration. The Hesperides the Hesperides, the daughters
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  Speaker 1: of Atlas dwelt in an island in the far west,
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  Speaker 1: whence they derived their name. They were appointed by Hera
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  Speaker 1: to act as guardians to a tree bearing golden apples,
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  Speaker 1: which had been presented to her by Gaya on the
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  Speaker 1: occasion of her marriage with Zeus. It is said that
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  Speaker 1: the Hesperides, being unable to withstand the temptation of tasting
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  Speaker 1: the golden fruit confided to their care, were deprived of
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  Speaker 1: their office, which was henceforth delegated to the terrible dragon
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  Speaker 1: laid On, who now became the ever watchful sentinel of
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  Speaker 1: these precious treasures. The names of the Hesperides were Eagle,
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  Speaker 1: Arethusa and Hesperia. Charities, gracie, graces, all those gentler attributes
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  Speaker 1: which beautify and refine human existence were personified by the
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  Speaker 1: Greeks under the form of three lovely sisters, Euphrosyne, Aglaia,
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  Speaker 1: and Thalia, the daughters of Zeus and Euronomy, or, according
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  Speaker 1: to later writers of Dionysius and Aphrodite. They are represented
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  Speaker 1: as beautiful, slender maidens in the full bloom of youth,
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  Speaker 1: with hands and arms lovingly intertwined, and are either undraped
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  Speaker 1: or where a fleecy, transparent garment of an ethereal fabric.
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  Speaker 1: They portray every gentle emotion of the heart which vents
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  Speaker 1: itself in friendship and benevolence, and were believed to preside
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  Speaker 1: over those qualities which constitute grace, modesty, unconscious beauty, gentleness, kindliness,
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  Speaker 1: innocent joy, purity of mind and body, and eternal youth.
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  Speaker 1: They not only possessed the most perfect beauty themselves, but
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  Speaker 1: also conferred this gift upon others. All the enjoyments of
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  Speaker 1: life were enhanced by their presence and were deemed incomplete
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  Speaker 1: without them. And wherever joy or pleasure, grace and gayety
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  Speaker 1: reigned there they were supposed to be present. Temples and
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  Speaker 1: altars were everywhere erected in their honor, and people of
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  Speaker 1: all ages and every rank in life entreated. Their favor
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  Speaker 1: in sense was burnt daily upon their altars, and at
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  Speaker 1: every banquet they were invoked and a libation poured out
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  Speaker 1: to them, as they not only heightened all enjoyment, but also,
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  Speaker 1: by their refining influence, moderated the exciting effects of wine, music, eloquence, poetry,
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  Speaker 1: and art, though the direct work of the Muses received
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  Speaker 1: at the hands of the Graces an additional touch of
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  Speaker 1: refinement and beauty, for which reason they are always regarded
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  Speaker 1: as the friends of the Muses with whom they lived
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  Speaker 1: on Mount Olympus. Their special function was to act in
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  Speaker 1: conjunction with the seasons as attendants upon Aphrodite, whom they
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  Speaker 1: adorned with wreaths of flowers, and she emerges from their
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  Speaker 1: hands like the Queen of Spring, perfumed with the odor
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  Speaker 1: of roses and violets and all sweet scented blossoms. The
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  Speaker 1: graces are frequently seen in attendance on the divinities. Thus
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  Speaker 1: they carry music for Apollo, myrtles for Aphrodite, et cetera,
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  Speaker 1: and frequently accompany the muses Eros or Dionysus. End of
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  Speaker 1: Section sixteen.