In truth, I am quite done up, and give in. If I could, I vow I would gladly claim my right to be sold like those slaves on the earth who are vilely treated.1

Maia. Don't mind these things, child; for you must, perforce, be submissive to your father in everything, since you are but a youth. And now, as you have been despatched, march off to Argos, then to Boeotia, that you may not get a beating for your dilatoriness-for people in love are apt to have short tempers.

XXV.

HELIOS, ACCUSED BY ZEUS OF RASH CONDUCT IN GIVING UP HIS CHARIOT TO HIS SON, OBTAINS A CONDITIONAL PARDON.

Zeus and Helios.2

Zeus. What have you done, worst of Titans? you have ruined everything on the Earth by trusting that chariot of yours to a foolish youth who has burned up the one half of the world by being carried too near the Earth, and the other half has caused to be utterly destroyed by cold, by withdrawing heat too far from it; and, in fine, there is nothing whatever that he has not utterly thrown into disturbance and confusion. Indeed, if I had not perceived what had happened, and hurled him down with my thunderbolt, there would have remained not even a remnant of the

1 It was almost the only sort of interposition of Greek Law (at Athens) that, upon proof of extraordinarily cruel treatment of a slave by his owner, the victim of his brutality might claim the privilege to be put up to auction.

2 Helios, in the earlier Greek Theology, was the son of Hyperion and Theia (Oɛoy. 371-4). Later he was identified with Apollo. The horses and chariot of the Sun are of later invention than the times of the Homeric epics and of Hesiod, and first occur in the Homeric Hymn to Helios. Some of the poets give him a golden boat, the work of Hephæstos, in which he makes his diurnal voyage. Others represent him as making his nightly journey in a golden bed. See Dict. of Mythology, etc. ed. by Wm. Smith. Cf. Ov. Metam. ii., where the Latin poet devotes large space to the tremendous catastrophe, which he so eloquently poetises, and the death of Phaethon, for grief for whom his august father hid his face; and, "si modo credimus, unum Isse diem sine sole ferunt."

human species. Such an excellent driver and charioteer have you sent forth, in that fine son of yours.

Helios. I committed an error, Zeus; but don't be hard upon me, since I was prevailed upon by my son with his frequent entreaties: for from whence could I have at all expected that so tremendous a mischief could come about?

Zeus. Did you not know what extreme caution the matter needed, and that if one swerved ever so little from the road, everything was ruined? Were you ignorant, too, of the temper of the horses, and how absolutely necessary it is to hold a tight rein? For, if one slackens it at all, they immediately take the bit in their mouths; just as, in fact, they ran away with him, now to the left, and, after a space, to the right, and sometimes in the opposite direction to their course, and upwards and downwards, in fine, where they themselves had a mind to go; while he did not know how to treat them.

Helios. All this, indeed, I knew, and for that reason I for a long time resisted, and would not trust the driving to him: but, when he begged me over and over again with tears, and his mother Klymene with him, after mounting him on the chariot I cautioned him how he must stand firmly, and how far he should allow his horses to go into the higher regions, and be borne aloft; then how far he must direct them downwards again, and how he must have complete control of the reins, and not surrender them to the fieriness of his steeds. And I told him, too, how great was the peril, if he did not keep the straight road. Well, he -mere boy that he was-taking his stand upon such a tremendous fire-chariot, and peering down into the yawning abyss, was seized with sudden terror, as was to be expected; while the horses, when they perceived that it was not I who was mounted upon the vehicle, not heeding the youthful driver, swerved from their proper route, and caused this terrific calamity. Then he, letting go the reins from sheer fright, I suppose, lest he should be thrown out himself, clung to the front rail1 of the chariot-but he now

1 "Avrug was the curved rim of the front part of the Greek chariot, which was always circular, or rather elliptical, in form.

has received the reward of his rashness, and for me, Zeus, the consequent grief ought to be enough punishment.

Zeus. Enough punishment, do you say, you who have rashly risked all this! However, I will grant your pardon now, for this time: but, for the future, if you transgress at all in a similar fashion, or despatch any similar substitute for yourself, you shall at once know of how much more fiery virtue is my thunderbolt than your fire. So now let his sisters' bury him near the Eridanus, whereabouts he fell, when he was pitched out, weeping amber over him; and let them become poplars out of their grief for him: but do you, for your part, put your chariot to pieces again— both its pole is broken in two, and one of the wheels is completely smashed-and yoking your horses drive on once more. Well, keep in mind all these injunctions.

XXVI.

APOLLO ASKS HERMES TO POINT OUT TO HIM, OF THE TWIN DIOSCURI WHICH IS KASTOR AND WHICH POLYDEUKES; AND TAKES THE OPPORTUNITY OF CRITICISING THEIR DIVINE PRETENSIONS.

Apollo and Hermes.

Apollo. Can you tell me, Hermes, which of these is Kastor, or which is Polydeukes? For I could not distinguish between them.

Hermes (pointing them out). That is Kastor, who was with us yesterday, and this is Polydeukes.

Apollo. How do you make your distinction? For they are as like as two peas.

1 Of the Heliade or Heliades, Phœbe, Phaethusa, and Lampetie, whose tears were converted into amber by divine interposition, Ovid has commemorated, in particular, the two last (Metam. ii. 3). The Eridanus was the poetic name assigned to various rivers by the early poets, but was, later, identified with the Padus (Pado). Eschylus, in his lost Heliades, applied it to the Rhodanus. As for the chariot of the Sun, S. Chrysostom (who, in common with most of the Christian Fathers, and indeed, with much later authorities, found the origin and counterpart of Greek theological myths in the Jewish Scriptures) is persuaded that it is derived from a distorted version of the fire-chariot of Elias.

Hermes. Thus because this one, Apollo, has upon his face the traces of the wounds which he received from his antagonists when boxing, and especially the wounds which were inflicted on him by the Bebrycian Amykus,' when on the voyage with Jason; while the other shows nothing of the kind, but is untouched and unwounded in his face.

Apollo. You have conferred an obligation upon me by indicating the distinguishing marks, since in regard to other parts, all are exactly alike—the half segment of an egg and star above, on their heads, a javelin in the hand, and each mounted on a white horse,2-so that I frequently addressed Polydeukes as Kastor, and the latter by the name of Polydeukes. But tell me this, too, why in the world do they not both live with us, but by halves either of them at one moment is a dead man, and at another a divinity?

Hermes. They act so out of brotherly affection. For, since one of the sons of Leda must have died, and the other have been immortal alone, they of their own accord divided for themselves immortality between them in this way.

Apollo. A not altogether wise division, Hermes, since by this arrangement they will not even see each other; what, I suppose, they especially desired. For how can they, when one is with the gods, and the other with the dead? But, however, just as I deal in prophecy, and as Asklepius deals in medicine, and you, excellent trainer that you are, give instruction in the art of wrestling, and as Artemis acts the midwife, and each one of the rest of us

1

For this terrific pugilistic encounter, see Theok. Eid. xx. Διόσ κουροι. ; Apollonius, ̓Αργοναύτ.

2 In Greek and Latin Art, the Dioscuri ("the sons of Zeus" KAT' ¿óxηv) are represented with egg-shaped hat or helmet, stars standing on the fore part of the head, and holding spears or javelins, and mounted on white horses, and as duplicates one of the other. In the Homeric epic they are of human birth, on both sides, and the brothers of Helene. Later authorities assign them various origins. Kastor, the equestrian, was mortal, Polydeukes, the patron of pugilists, immortal. With the Romans, the "fratres Helena-lucida sidera," were always in high honour and esteem, as their saviours and patrons in battle. The twindivinities especially claimed the devotion of sailors. Cf. Apollod. iii. 11. Pausanias, Livy, Hor. Car. i. 12. Ov. Metam. viii. 373, Lucian, Nɛɛρ. Δίαλ.

exercises some profession useful either to Gods or to menwhat, then, will these good people do for us? Will they, such strapping youths as they are, enjoy the banquet, without working?

Hermes. By no means, but they have assigned to them to act as deputies for Poseidon, and they must ride over the sea, and, if they anywhere perceive sailors overtaken by a storm, perch themselves on the ship and protect the voyagers.

Apollo. A good and salutary profession, Hermes.