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said, that ho was too intimate with Pasiphae. On this account, when Theseus offered to contend with him, Minos agreed. And, as it was the custom in Creto for women as well as men to be spectators of the games, Ariadne was present, and was struck with the appearance of Theseus, and his strength, as he conquered all competitors. Minos was especially pleased, in the wrestling match, at Taurus's defeat and shame, and, restoring the children to Thesous, remitted the tributo for tho futuro. Kleidemus tells tho story in his own fashion and at unnecessary length, boginning much farther back. Thero was, ho says, a decreo passed by all the Greeks, that no ship should sail from any post with more than five hands on board, but Jason alone, the master of the great ship Argo, should cruise about, and keep the sca free of pirates. Now when Daedalus fled to Athens, Minos, contrary to the decree, pursued him in long war galleys, and being driven to Sicily by a storm, died thero. When his son Doukalion sent a warlike message to the Athenians, bidding them give up Daedalus to him, or else threatening that he would put to death the children whom Minos had taken as hostages, Theseus returned him a gentle answer, begging for the life of Dadalus, who was his own cousin and blood relation, being the son of Merope, the daughter of Erechtheus. But he busied himself with building a fleet, some of it in Attica, in the country of tho Thymaitada, far from any placo of resort of strangers, and some in Trozen, under the management of Pittheus, as ho did not wish his preparations to be known. But when tho ships were ready to set sail, having with him as pilots, Dadalus himself and some Cretan exiles, as no one knew that he was coming, and the Cretans thought that it was a friendly flect that was advancing, he seized the harbour, and marched at once to Knossus before his arrival was known. Then he fought a battle at the gates of tho Labyrinth, and slew Doukalion and his body-guard. As Ariadne now succeeded to the throno, he made peaco with her, took back the youths, and formed an alliance between the Cretans and tho Athenians, in which cach nation swore that it would not begin a war against the other.

XX. There are many more stories about these events,

PLUTARCH'S LIVES.

and about Ariadne, none of which agree in any particulars. Some say that she hanged herself when deserted by Theseus, and some, that she was taken to Naxos by his sailors, and there dwelt with Enarus, tho priest of Dionysus, having been deserted by Theseus, who was in love with another.

"For Ægle's love disturbed his breast."

This line, we are told by IIercas of Megara, was struck out of Hesiod's poems by Peisistratus; and again he says that he inserted into Homer's description of the Shades,

"Peirithous and Theseus, born of gods,"

to please the Athenians. Some writers say that Thesous had by Ariadno two sons, Staphylus and Enopion, whom Ion of Chios follows when he speaks of his own nativo city as that

"Which erst Œnopion stablished, Theseus' son."

The pleasantest of these legends aro in nearly every one's mouth. But Pæon of Amathus gives an account peculiar to himself, that Theseus was driven by a storm to Cyprus, and that Ariadne, who was pregnant, suffered much from the motion of the ship, and became so ill, that she was set ship, and was blown off to sca. The women of the country on shore, but Theseus had to return to take charge of the took care of Ariadne, and comforted her in her bereave

ment,

ment;

the

Theseus, and rendering her assistance during her confineTheseus, on his return, grieved much, and left money to Ariadne; ho also set up two little statues, one of silver, and the other of brass. And at this sacrifico, which takes place on the second day of the month Gorpiæus, one of the young mon lies down on the ground, and imitates the cries of a woman in travail; and the peoplo of Amathus call that the grove of Ariadno Aphrodito, in which they show

even bringing forged letters to her as if from

and when she died in childbirth, they buried her.

Poplo of the country, bidding them sacrifico to

her tomb.

But

to themselves, that there were two Minoses and two

Some writers of Naxos tell a different story, peculiar

Ariadnes, of whom one, they say, was married to Dionysus in Naxos, and was the mother of Staphylus and his brother, while the younger was carried off by Theseus, and came to Naxos after he deserted her; and a nurso called Korkyne came with her, whose tomb they point out. Then Naxians also says that this Ariadno died there, and is honoured, but not so much as the elder; for at tho feast in honour of the elder, there are merriment and revelry, but at that of the younger gloomy rites are mingled with mirth.

XXI. Theseus, when he sailed away from Crete, touched at Delos; here he sacrificed to the god and offered up the statue of Aphrodite, which Ariadno had given him; and besides this, ho and the youths with him danced a measure which they say is still practised by the people of Delos to this day, being an imitation of the turnings and windings of the Labyrinth expressed by complicated evolutions performed in regular order. This kind of dance is called by the Delians "the crane dance," according to Dikwarchus. It was danced round the altar of the Horns, which is all formed of horns from the left side. They also say that he instituted games at Delos, and that then for the first time a palm was given by him to the victor.

XXII. As he approached Attica, both he and his steersman in their delight forgot to hoist the sail which was to be a signal of their safety to geus; and ho in his despair flung himself down the cliffs and perished. Theseus, as soon as ho reached the harbour, performed at Phalerum the sacrifices which ho had vowed to the gods if ho roturned safe, and sent off a herald to the city with the nows of his safe return. This man met with many who were lamenting the death of the king, and, as was natural, with others who were delighted at the news of their safety, and who congratulated him and wished to crown him with garlands. These he received, but placed them on his herald's staff, and when he came back to the seashore, finding that Theseus had not completed his libation, he waited outside the temple, not wishing to disturb the sacrifice. When the libation was finished he announced the death of Ageus, and then they all hurried up to tho city with loud lamentations: wherefore to this day, at the Oschophoria, they say that it is not the herald that is

PLUTARCII'S LIVES.

erowned, but his staff, and that at the libations the by standers cry out, "Elclcu, Ion, Ion;" of which cries the first is used by men in haste, or raising the paan for battle, while the second is used by persons in surprise and

trouble.

Theseus, after burying his father, paid his vow to Apollo, on the seventh day of the month Pyancpsion; for on this day it was that the rescued youths went up into the city. The boiling of pulse, which is customary on this anniversary, is said to be done because the rescued youths put what remained of their pulse together into ono pot, boiled it all, and merrily feasted on it together. And on this day also, the Athenians carry about the Eiresione, bough of the olive tree garlanded with wool, just as Theseus had before carried the suppliants' bough, and Covered with first-fruits of all sorts of produce, because the barrenness of the land ceased on that day; and they sing,

told it.

"Eiresione, bring us figs

And whenten loaves, and oil,

And wine to quaff, that we may all
Rest merrily from toil."

However, some say that these ceremonies are performed in memory of the Herakleidæ, who were thus entertained by the Athenians; but most writers tell the tale as I have Bailed with the youths, and came back safe, was kept by XXIII. Now the thirty-oared ship, in which Theseus the Athenians up to the time of Demetrius Phalercus. They constantly removed the decayed part of her timbers.

and

renewed them with sound wood, so that the ship

The

became an illustration to philosophers of the doctrine of growth and change, as some argued that it remained the same, and others, that it did not remain the same. feast of the Oschophoria, or of carrying boughs, which to Theseus. For he did not take with him all the maidens day the Athenians celebrate, was instituted by intimate friends, who were feminine and fair to look upon, who were drawn by lot, but he chose two youths, his

this

but of

the heat of the sun and caroful tending of their hair and

manly spirit; these by warm baths and avoiding.

skin he completely metamorphosed, teaching them to imitato the voico and carriage and walk of maidens. These two were then substituted in the place of two of the girls, and deceived every one; and when they returned, ho and these two youths walked in procession, dressed as now those who carry boughs at the Oschophoria aro dressed. They carry them in honour of Dionysus and Ariadne, because of the legend, or rather because they returned home when the harvest was being gathered in. And the women called supper-carriers join in carrying them and partake of the sacrifice, in imitation of the mothers of those who were drawn by lot; for they used continually to bring their children food. Also, old tales are told, because these women used to tell their children such ones, to encourage and amuse them.

These things are related by the historian Demus. Moreover, a sacred enclosuro was dedicated to Theseus, and those families out of whom the tributo of the children had been gathered were bidden to contributo to sacrifices to him. Theso sacrifices wero presided over by the Phytalida, which post Theseus bestowed upon them as a recompense for their hospitality towards him.

XXIV. After the death of Ageus, Theseus conceived a great and important design. ÏIo gathered together all the inhabitants of Attica and made them citizens of ene city, whereas before they had lived dispersed, so as to bo hard to assemble together for the common weal, and at times even fighting with ono another.

He visited all the villages and tribes, and won their consent; the poor and lower classes gladly accepting his proposals, while ho gained over the more powerful by promising that the new constitution should not include a king, but that it should be a pure commonwealth, with himself merely acting as general of its army and guardian of its laws, while in other respects it would allow perfect freedom and equality to every ono. By theso arguments ho convinced some of them, and the rest knowing his power and courage chose rather to be persuaded than forced into compliance. He therefore destroyed the prytancia, the senate house, and the magistracy of cach individual township, built one common prytaneum and

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