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performed many glorious deeds, from which the saying came into vogue, "This is another Herakles."

Theseus, together with Adrastus, effected the recovery of the bodies of those who fell under the walls of the Cadmea at Thebes, not after conquering the Thebans, as Euripides puts it in his play, but by a truco and convention, according to most writers. Philochorus even states that this was the first occasion on which a truce was made for the recovery of those slain in battle. But wo have shown in our Life of Herakles' that he was the first to restore the corpses of the slain to the enemy. The tombs of the rank and file are to be seen at Eleuthera, but those of the chiefs at Eleusis, by favour of Theseus to Adrastus. Euripides's play of the Suppliants' is contradicted by that of Eschylus, the Eleusinians,' in which Theseus is introduced giving orders for this to be done.

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XXX. His friendship for Peirithous is said to have arisen in the following manner: He had a great reputa tion for strength and courage; Peirithous, wishing to make trial of these, drove his cattle away from the plain of Marathon, and when he learned that Thesens was pursuing them, armed, he did not retire, but turned and faced him. Each man then admiring the beauty and courage of his opponent, refrained from battle, and first Peirithous holding out his hand bado Theseus himself assess the damages of his raid upon the cattle, saying that he himself would willingly submit to whatever penalty the other might inflict. Theseus thought no more of their quarrel, and invited him to become his friend and comrade; and they ratified their compact of friendship by an oath. Hereupon, Peirithous, who was about to marry Deidameia, begged Theseus to come and visit his country and meet the Lapitha. He also had invited the Centaurs to the banquet; and as they in their drunken insolenco laid hands upon tho women, the Lapithe attacked them. Some of them they slew, and the rest they overcame, and afterwards, with the assistanco of Theseus, banished from their country. Herodorus, however, says that this is not how these events took place, but that the war was going on, and that Theseus went to help the Lapithm and while 011 his way thither first behold IIerakles, whom he made

PLUTARCII'S LIVES.

a point of visiting at Trachis, where he was resting aftor his labours and wanderings; and that they met with But one would more incline to those writers who tell us many compliments and much good feeling on both sides. that they often met, and that Herakles was initiated by Theseus's desire, and was also purified before initiation at his instance, which ceremony was necessary because of

Bome reckless action.

child.

XXXI. Theseus was fifty years old, according to Hellanikus, when ho carried off Helen, who was a moro For this reason some who wish to clear him of it was not he who carried off IIelon, but that Idas and this, the heaviest of all the charges against him, say that Lynkens carried hor off and deposited her in his keeping. Afterwards the Twin Brethron camo and demanded her back, but ho would not give her up; or oven it is said that Tyndarous himself handed her over to him, becanso he feared that Enarsphorus the son of Hippocoon would tako her by forco, sho being only a child at the time. agree in is the following: The two friends, Thesens and But the most probablo story and that which most writers dancing in the temple of Artemis Orthia, and carried her they felt no alarm, but leisurely travelled through As the pursuers followed no farther than Tegea, Peloponnesus, and made a compact that whichever of them must help the other to a marriage. They cast lots on this should win Helen by lot was to have her to wife, but understanding, and Theseus won.

Peirithous,

off.

not

Aphidna,

camo to Sparta, seized the maiden, who was

As the maiden was

and there placing his mother with her gavo

yet ripe for marriago ho took hor with him to her into the chargo of his friend Aphidnus, bidding him in ordor to repay his obligation to Peirithous went on a watch over her and keep her presence secret. He himself Persephone, his daughter Kore, and his dog Cerberus. Aidoneus the king of the Molossians, who called his wife All the suitors of his daughter wero bidden by him to However, as he learned that Peirithous and his friend fight this dog, and the victor was to receive her hand.

with him to Epirus to obtain the daughter of

journoy

wero

Come, not as wooers, but as ravishers, he cast them

into prison. He put an end to Peirithous at once, by means of his dog, but only guarded Theseus strictly.

XXXII. Now at this poriod Mnesthous, the son of Peteus, who was the son of Orneus, who was the son of Erechtheus, first of all mankind they say took to the arts of a demagogue, and to currying favour with the people. This man formed a league of the nobles, who had long borno Theseus a grudgo for having destroyed the local jurisdiction and privileges of each of the Eupatrids by collecting them all together into the capital, where they woro no more than his subjects and slaves; and he also excited the common people by telling them that although they were enjoying a fancied freedom they really had been deprived of their ancestral privileges and sacred rites, and mado to enduro the rule of ono foreign despot, instead of that of many good kings of their own blood.

Whilo ho was thus busily omployed, the invasion of Attica by tho sons of Tyndarous greatly assisted his revolutionary scheme; so that some say that it was ho who invited them to come. At first they abstained from violence, and confined themselves to asking that their sister Helen should be given up to them; but when they were told by the citizens that sho was not in their hands, and that they knew not where she was, they proceeded to warlike measures. Akademus, who had by some means discovered that sho was concealed at Aphidna, now told them whero sho was; for which causo he was honoured by the sons of Tyndareus during his life, and also tho Lacedaemonians, though they often invaded the country and ravaged it unsparingly, yet never touched the place called the Akademeia, for Akademus's sake. Dikaarchus says that Echiemus and Marathus, two Arcadians, took part in that war with the sons of Tyndarcus; and that from the first the place now called Akademeia was then named Echedemia, and that from the second tho township of Marathon takes its names, because he in accordance with some oracle voluntarily offered himself as a sacrifice there in the sight of the whole army.

However, the sons of Tyndareus came to Aphidna, and took the place after a battle, in which it is said that Alykus fell, the son of Skeiron, who then was fighting on

the side of the Dioskuri. In memory of this man it is Baid that the place in the territory of Megara where his remains lie is called Alykus. But Icreas writes that Alykus was slain by Thesens at Aphidna, and as ovidonco he quotes this verso about Alykus,

"Him whom Theseus slow in the spacious streets of Aphidna,

Fighting for fair-haired IIelen."

But it is not likely that if Theseus had been there, his mother and the town of Aphidna would have been taken. XXXIII. After the fall of Aphidna, the people of Athens became terrified, and were persuaded by Mnestheus to admit the sons of Tyndarcus to the city, and to treat them as friends, becauso, he said, they were only at war with Theseus, who had been the first to uso violence, and were the saviours and benefactors of the rest of mankind. These words of his were confirmed by their behaviour, for, victorious as they were, they yet demanded nothing except initiation connected with the city. This was permitted them, and they were adopted by Aphinus, as Herakles had been by Pylius. "Anakes," either because of tho cessation of the war, or They received divine honours, being addressed as from the caro they took, when they had such a large army within the walls of Athens, that no one should be wronged; for those who take care of or guard anything are said to anakos," and perhaps for this reason kings are called

do it "

"Anak tes." Some say that they were called Anakas because of the appearance of their stars in the heavens above, for the Attics called "above" "anckas."

XXXIV. It is said that Ethra, the mother of Theseus, Troy with Helen, and Homer supports this view, when ho The carried off as a captive to Lacedaemon, and thence to Bays that thoro followed Helen,

66

Aithra

the daughter of Pittheus and large-eyed Klymeno."

Others reject this verse, and the legend about Mounychus, who is said to have been the bastard son of Laodike, by Demophoon, and to have been brought up in Troy by Aithra. But Istrus, in his thirteenth book of his History of Attica, tolls quite a differont and peculiar story about

Aithra, that ho had heard that Paris was conquered by Achilles and Patroklus near the river Sperchcius, in Thessaly, and that Hector took tho city of Troezen by storm, and amongst the plunder carried off Aithra, who had been left thero. But this scoms impossiblo.

XXXV. Now Aidoncus the Molossian king chanced to be entertaining Herakles, and related to him the story of Thesens and Peirithous, what they had intended to do, and how they had been caught in the act and punished. Herakles was much grieved at hearing how ono had perished ingloriously, and the other was like to perish. ile thought that nothing would be gained by reproaching the king for his conduct to Peirithons, but ho begged for the life of Theseus, and pointed out that the release of his friend was a favour which he deserved. Aidoneus agreed, and Theseus, when set free, returned to Athens, where he found that his party was not yet overpowered. Whatever consecrated grounds had been set apart for him by the city, ho dedicated to Herakles, and called Heraklca instead of Thesca, except four, according to Philochorus. But, as he at once wished to preside and manage the stato as before, he was met by factions opposition, for he found that those who had been his enemies before, had now learned not to fear him, while the common people had become corrupted, and now required to be specially fluttered instead of doing their duty in silence.

He endeavoured to establish his government by forco, but was overpowered by faction; and at last, despairing of success, he secretly sent his children to Euboea, to Elephenor, the son of Chalkodous; and he himself, after solemnly uttering curses on the Athenians at Gargettus, where now is the placo called Araterion, or tho place of curses, set sail for Skyros, where he was, ho imagined, on friendly terms with tho inhabitants, and possessed paternal estate in the island. At that time Lykomedes was king of Skyros; so he proceeded to demand from him his lands, in order to live there, though some say that he asked him to assist him against the Athenians. Lykomedes, either in fear of the great reputation of Theseus, or else to gain the favour of Mnestheus, led him up to the highest mountain top in the country, on the pretext

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