Hero Tales Page 2

  HOW APOLLO CAME TO PARNASSUS

  A very long time ago, Apollo was born in the island of Delos. When theglad news of his birth was told, Earth smiled, and decked herself withflowers; the nymphs of Delos sang songs of joy that were heard to theutmost bounds of Greece; and choirs of white swans flew seven timesaround the island, piping notes of praise to the pure being who hadcome to dwell among men. Then Zeus looked down from high Olympus, andcrowned the babe with a golden head-band, and put into his hands asilver bow and a sweet-toned lyre such as no man had ever seen; and hegave him a team of white swans to drive, and bade him go forth to teachmen the things which are right and good, and to make light that whichis hidden in darkness.

  So Apollo arose, beautiful as the morning sun, and journeyed throughmany lands, seeking a dwelling place. He stopped for a time at thefoot of Mount Olympus, and played so sweetly upon his lyre that Zeusand all his court were entranced. Then he wandered up and down throughthe whole length of the Thessalian land; but nowhere could he find aspot in which he was willing to dwell. At length he climbed into hiscar, and bade his swan team fly with him to the country of theHyperboreans beyond the far-off northern mountains. Forthwith theyobeyed; and through the pure regions of the upper air they bore him,winging their way ever northward. They carried him over many anunknown land, and on the seventh day they came to the Snowy Mountainswhere the griffins, with lion bodies and eagle wings, guard the goldentreasures of the North.

  In these mountains, the North Wind has his home; and from his deepcaves he now and then comes forth, chilling with his cold and angrybreath the orchards and the fair fields of Greece, and bringing deathand dire disasters In his train. But northward this blustering Boreascannot blow, for the heaven-towering mountains stand like a wallagainst him, and drive him back. Hence it is that beyond thesemountains the storms of winter never come, but one happy springtimeruns through all the year. There the flowers bloom, and the grainripens, and the fruits drop mellowing to the earth, and the red wine ispressed from the luscious grape, every day the same.

  The Hyperboreans who dwell in that favored land know neither pain norsickness, nor wearying labor nor eating care; but their youth is asunfading as the springtime, and old age with its wrinkles and itssorrows is evermore a stranger to them. The spirit of evil, whichwould lead all men to err, has never found entrance among them, andthey are free from vile passions and unworthy thoughts; and among themthere is neither war, nor wicked deeds, nor fear of the avengingFuries, for their hearts are pure and clean, and never burdened withthe love of self.

  When the swan team of silver-bowed Apollo had carried him over theSnowy Mountains, they alighted in the Hyperborean land. And the peoplewelcomed Apollo with shouts of joy and songs of triumph, as one forwhom they had long been waiting. He took up his abode there, and dweltwith them one whole year, delighting them with his presence, and rulingover them as their king. But when twelve moons had passed, hebethought him that the toiling, suffering men of Greece needed most hisaid and care. Therefore he bade the Hyperboreans farewell, and againwent up into his sun-bright car; and his winged team carried him backto the land of his birth.

  Long time Apollo sought a place where he might build a temple to whichmen might come to learn of him and to seek his help in time of need.At length he came to a broad plain, by the shore of a beautiful lake;and there he began to build a house, for the land was a pleasant one,well-watered, and rich in grain and fruit. But the nymph that lived inthe lake liked not to have Apollo so near her, lest men seeing andloving him should forget to honor her; and one day, garmented withmosses and crowned with lilies, she came and stood before him in thesunlight.

  "Apollo of the silver bow," said she, "have you not made a mistake inchoosing this place for a dwelling? These rich plains around us willnot always be as peaceful as now; for their very richness will temptthe spoiler, and the song of the cicada will then give place to the dinof battle. Even in times of peace you would hardly have a quiet hourhere: for great herds of cattle come crowding down every day to my lakefor water; the noisy ploughman, driving his team afield, disturbs themorning hour with his boorish shouts; and boys and dogs keep up aconstant din, and make life in this place a burden."

  "Fair nymph," said Apollo, "I had hoped to dwell here in thy happyvale, a neighbor and friend to thee. Yet, since this place is not whatit seems to be, whither shall I go, and where shall I build my house?"

  "Go to the cleft in Mount Parnassus," answered the nymph. "There thoucanst dwell in peace, and men will come from all parts of the world todo thee honor."

  And so Apollo went down to Parnassus, and there in the cleft of themountain he laid the foundations of his shrine. Then he called themaster architects of the world, Trophonius and Agamedes, and gave tothem the building of the high walls and the massive roof. When theyhad finished their work, he said, "Say now what reward you most desirefor your labor, and I will give it you."

  "Give us," said the brothers, "that which is the best for men."

  "It is well," answered Apollo. "When the full moon is seen above themountain-tops, you shall have your wish."

  But when the moon rose full and clear above the heights, the twobrothers were dead.

  Apollo was pleased with the place which he had chosen for a home; forthere he found rest and quiet, and neither the hum of labor nor the dinof battle was likely ever to enter. One thing, however, must needs bedone before he could have perfect peace. There lived near the foot ofthe mountain a huge serpent called Python, which was the terror of allthe land. Oftentimes, coming out of its den, this monster attacked theflocks and herds, and sometimes even their keepers; and it had beenknown to carry little children and helpless women to its den, and theredevour them.

  The men of the place came to Apollo, and prayed him to drive out ordestroy their terrible enemy. So, taking in hand his silver bow, hesallied out at break of day to meet the monster when it should issuefrom its slimy cave. The vile creature shrank back when it saw itsradiant enemy, and would fain have hidden itself in the deep gorges ofthe mountain. But Apollo quickly launched a swift arrow at it, crying,"Thou bane of man, lie thou upon the earth, and enrich it with thy deadbody!" The never-erring arrow sped to the mark; and the great beastdied, wallowing in its gore. And the people in their joy came out tomeet the archer, singing paeans in his praise. They crowned him withwild flowers and wreaths of olives, and hailed him as the Pythian king;and the nightingales sang to him in the groves, and the swallows andcicadas twittered and tuned their melodies in harmony with his lyre.

  But as yet there were no priests in Apollo's temple; and he pondered,long doubting, as to whom he should choose. One day he stood upon themountain's topmost peak, whence he could view all Greece and the seasaround it. Far away in the south, he spied a little ship sailing fromCrete to sandy Pylos; and the men who were on board were Cretanmerchants.

  "These men shall serve in my temple!" he cried.

  Upward he sprang, and high he soared above the sea; then swiftlydescending like a fiery star, he plunged into the waves. There hechanged himself into the form of a dolphin, and swam with speed toovertake the vessel.

  Long before the ship had reached Pylos, the mighty fish came up withit, and struck its stern. The crew were dumb with terror, and satstill in their places; their oars were motionless; the sail hung limpand useless from the mast. Yet the vessel sped through the waves withthe speed of the wind, for the dolphin was driving it forward by theforce of his fins. Past many a headland, past Pylos and other pleasantharbors, they hastened. Vainly did the pilot try to land at eachfavorable place: the ship would not obey her helm. They rounded theheadland of Araxus, and came into the long bay of Crissa; and there thedolphin left off guiding the vessel, and swam playfully around it,while a brisk west wind filled the sail, and bore the voyagers safelyinto port.

  Then the dolphin changed into the form of a glowing star, which,shooting high into the heavens, lit up the whole world with its glory;and as the awe-stricken
crew stood gazing at the wonder, it fell withthe quickness of light upon Mount Parnassus. Into his temple Apollohastened, and there he kindled an undying fire. Then, in the form of ahandsome youth, with golden hair falling in waves upon his shoulders,he hastened to the beach to welcome the Cretan strangers.

  "Hall, seamen!" he cried. "Who are you, and whence do you come? ShallI greet you as friends and guests, or shall I know you as robbersbringing death and distress to many a fair home?"

  Then answered the Cretan captain, "Fair stranger, the gods have broughtus hither; for by no wish of our own have we come. We are Cretanmerchants, and we were on our way to Pylos with stores of merchandise,to barter with the tradesmen of that city. But some unknown being,whose might is greater than the might of men, has carried us far beyondour wished-for port, even to this unknown shore. Tell us now, we praythee, what land is this? And who art thou who lookest so like a god?"

  "Friends and guests, for such indeed you must be," answered the radiantyouth, "think never again of sailing upon the wine-faced sea, but drawnow your vessel high up on the beach. And when you have brought outall your goods and built an altar upon the shore, take of your whitebarley which you have with you, and offer it reverently to PhoebusApollo. For I am he; and it was I who brought you hither, so that youmight keep my temple, and make known my wishes unto men. And since itwas in the form of a dolphin that you first saw me, let the town whichstands around my temple be known as Delphi [Dolphin], and let menworship me there as Apollo Delphinius."

  Then the Cretans did as he had bidden them: they drew their vessel highup on the white beach, and when they had unladen it of their goods,they built an altar on the shore, and offered white barley to PhoebusApollo, and gave thanks to the ever-living powers who had saved themfrom the terrors of the deep. After they had feasted and rested fromtheir long voyage, they turned their faces toward Parnassus; andApollo, playing sweeter music than men had ever heard, led the way; andthe folk of Delphi, with choirs of boys and maidens, came to meet them,singing songs of victory as they helped the Cretans up the steeppathway to the temple in the cleft of the mountain.

  "I leave you now to have sole care of my temple," said Apollo. "Icharge you to keep it well. Deal righteously with all men; let nounclean thing pass your lips; forget self; guard well your thoughts,and keep your hearts free from guile. If you do these things, youshall be blessed with length of days and all that makes life glad. Butif you forget my words, and deal treacherously with men, and cause anyto wander from the path of right, then shall you be driven forthhomeless and accursed, and others shall take your places in the serviceof my house."

  Then the bright youth left them and hastened away to Mount Olympus.But every year he came again, and looked into his house, and spokewords of warning and of hope to his servants; and men say that he hasoften been seen on Parnassus, playing his lyre to the listening Muses,or with his sister, Artemis, chasing the mountain deer.