Legendary Passages #0019 - Athenian Fables - The next six episodes focus on the people and stories of Crete, from the family of King Minos and Ariadne to Daedalus and Icarus. This passage is from the Fables of Hyginus, and is an overview of the stories of Theseus, the Minotaur, and a few others. First is a review of the origins of Theseus, from his mother Aethra to all of the bandits and monsters he killed on his way to Athens. Next how Daedalus helped Pasiphae consummate her love with the Cretan Bull, which resulted in the Minotaur. Minos imprisoned Daedalus, but he escaped with Icarus by mechanical wings. But Icarus fell to his death, and Daedalus fled to Sicily. Theseus killed the minotaur, loses Ariadne to Dionysus, and becomes King when his father jumps into the sea. Minos follows Daedalus to Sicily, ruled by King Cocalus. The king's daughters help Deadalus kill Minos. Next is the story of Progne and Philomela, daughters of King Pandion of Athens. Tereus, the Thracian son of Mars is married to Progne, but tells her farther that she died, and asks to marry her sister Philomela. Tereus violates her and gives her as a cocubine to King Lynceus, whose wife reunites the sisters. In revenge they kill Tereus' son, cook him, and trick Tereus into eating him. Then there is the story of the daughters of Erectheus. When a son of Neptune is killed attacking the city, Neptune demands the sacrifice of one of the daughters. They had previously sworn an oath to all die together, and Erechtheus dies by thunderbolt. Theseus once married an Amazon, and they had a son Hippolytus before she died. He then married Phaedra, daughter of Minos and sister to Ariadne, but she fell in love with his son Hippolytus. Spurned, she hung herself, and claimed that he had violated her. Theseus exiles his son, and asks Neptune for his death. Hippolytus' horses drag him to his doom. After a list of Kings of Athens, we hear the story of Aesculapius. He is a son of Apollo and a healer, and after bringing Hippolytus back from the dead, he is killed by a thunderbolt. In revenge, Apollo kills the forgers of thunderbolts, the cyclops. As punishment, he serves King Admetus. In order to marry Alcestis, King Admetus must yoke wild animals to a chariot. Apollo helps him, and offers to prolong his life if someone will die in his place. Alcestis dies for him, but Hercules wrestles death to save her. Lastly is the story of Aegina, daughter of Asopus, and mother, by Jupiter, of King Aeacus. He names his island after his mother, and Hera sends a terrible plague. Aeacus prays to Jupiter, who changes men into ants, and thus is the reason the the men of Ageina are called Myrmidones. Next time we shall hear the story of the mother of Minos, Europa. Athenian Fables a Legendary Passage From HYGINUS FABLES, TRANSLATED BY MARY GRANT [37]-[52] XXXVII. AETHRA Neptune and Aegeus, son of Pandion, one night in the shrine of Minerva both lay with Aethra, daughter of Pittheus. Neptune conceded the child to Aegeus. Now he, on the point of returning to Athens from Troezene, put his sword under a stone, and told Aethra that when the boy could lift the stone and take his father’s sword, she should send him to him. He would recognize his son by that. And so later Aethra bore Theseus. When he had reached young manhood, his mother told him Aegeus’ instructions, showed him the stone so that he could get the sword, and bade him set out for Athens to Aegeus . . . and he killed all those who made the road unsafe. XXXVIII. LABORS OF THESEUS He slew Corynetes, son of Neptune, by force of arms. He killed Pityocamptes, who forced travellers to help him bend a pine tree to the ground. When they had taken hold of it with him, he let it rebound suddenly with force. Thus they were dashed violently to the ground and died. He killed Procrustes, son of Neptune. When a guest came to visit him, if he was rather tall, he brought a shorter bed, ...

• published: 01 Aug 2015
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