Heroes of Olympus

by Philip Freeman

  The young man arrived at the palace and asked for Atalanta’s hand. Iasus urged him to change his mind, but Melanion was determined to try. Atalanta took her place at the starting line and flashed Melanion a charming smile, knowing he would soon be dead.

  The race began and Melanion took off. Atalanta let the boy get ahead for a short stretch. Then she began to fly down the course. Just as she was passing Melanion, he threw a golden apple on the ground. Atalanta had never seen anything so beautiful. She stopped and picked it up, letting Melanion pull ahead of her.

  Atalanta caught up again, but just as she did Melanion dropped another apple. The young woman couldn’t help but stop and pick it up.

  They were nearing the end of the race and Atalanta was coming from behind. Melanion took his final apple and threw it far to the side of the track. Atalanta could not resist the golden fruit. She ran to the edge of the path, swooped up the apple, and flew to the finish line. It was too late—Melanion crossed just ahead of her.

  Iasus gave the couple his blessing and they married. Melanion could not believe his good luck, but on the way back to Arcadia with his wife, he insulted Zeus in his own temple. Such an insult did not escape the ruler of the gods. Zeus turned both Melanion and Atalanta into lions. The couple lived out their days roaming the mountains and hunting their prey. It was a cruel fate for Melanion, but for Atalanta it was a wonderful life.

  PROCNE and PHILOMELA

  There was once a king of Athens named Pandion who had two beautiful daughters, Procne and Philomela. Although his family life was peaceful and happy, Athens was threatened by raids from outside the city. When the bloodthirsty brutes were almost inside Pandion’s gates, King Tereus from Thrace arrived and drove away the invaders. Tereus, a son of Ares, was a great warrior. Pandion was so grateful that he promised his friend the hand of his eldest daughter in marriage.

  Procne said farewell to her father and sister with many tears, then boarded Tereus’s ship to sail to her new home in Thrace. They had a son named Itys who was his father’s pride and joy.

  When Itys was five years old, Procne asked Tereus if she might make the journey back to Athens for a short visit: “If I have found any favor in your eyes, allow me to travel to my home. Or, if you prefer, let my sister come here to visit me. It would mean so much to me, dear Tereus, if you allowed her to come.”

  Tereus agreed to fetch Philomela himself. The journey to Athens was swift and soon he was sailing into port. Pandion greeted his son-in-law warmly. The kings talked late into the evening. Then Philomela walked into the room. She had been an awkward girl on Tereus’s previous trip, but now she was a beautiful young woman.

  Tereus wanted Philomela more than anything in the world. He hid his feelings and greeted her as if he were the most proper of brothers-in-law. He then told of how Procne longed to have her sister visit. He swore he would protect Philomela from all harm. Everyone was deeply touched by Tereus’s love for his wife. Philomela begged that she might be allowed to return with dear Tereus.

  Pandion hesitated, but his daughter’s pleas and Tereus’s earnest vows convinced him. Pandion agreed to let Philomela go. The king of Athens waved good-bye. He felt a terrible worry in his heart.

  As soon as the ship landed in Thrace, Tereus dragged Philomela to a hut hidden deep in the woods. The maiden begged to see her sister. The king laughed, then forced himself on her.

  Afterward, Philomela stood before Tereus, unbroken: “You monster! Do you care nothing for your friendship with my father? Does my sister’s love mean nothing to you? I will shout out your foul deed until the very trees and rocks cry out your shame.”

  Tereus pulled out his razor-sharp sword. Philomela offered him her throat. But the king didn’t kill her. He sliced off her tongue so she could not tell what he had done.

  Tereus placed guards outside the hut and returned to his palace. He told Procne between sobs that her dear sister had died on the voyage. Procne was deeply sad. She built a memorial to Philomela and offered sacrifices so that her spirit might find rest.

  A year passed. The guards outside Philomela’s wretched hut were ever watchful and the woods beyond were dark and deep. Even if she could escape, how could she explain what had happened without words? But pain brings with it sharp wits. There was an old loom in her hut, so Philomela made the guards understand that she would like to weave upon it. She was given the materials needed and began her work.

  On the tapestry she wove the story of her voyage from Athens, the vicious attack by Tereus, and her lonely prison. She showed how she had suffered. When she finished, she rolled up the weaving and gave it to an old woman to deliver to the queen. Procne read the story it told. Then, without a word, she withdrew to her room.

  Normally, Procne was not allowed beyond the palace grounds alone, but that night was the celebration of Dionysus when women worshipped the god in the nearby woods. Procne joined in the festivities dressed as one of the god’s followers. Then she slipped away and came to the small hut. In her disguise, the guards did not recognize her. She slipped inside.

  Philomela was overjoyed to see Procne. Procne told Philomela to ready herself for vengeance: “This is no time for tears. I will burn Tereus alive in his palace or cut out his own tongue and eyes. I will do anything to punish him for what he did to you.”

  Procne then snuck her sister into the palace. When Philomela was safely hidden, Procne’s young son Itys ran to his mother. She hugged him and said: “How like your father you are.” A terrible plan began to form in her mind.

  Later that evening, Procne invited her husband to a banquet. This was a special feast of her homeland, she said, in which only the lord of the house dined, served by his wife. Once he was seated, she brought him platters of meat cooked with tasty herbs. The king was hungry, so he enjoyed every bite. He praised his wife for the delicious meal and asked her to call their son Itys to join him. But she said: “That won’t be necessary, my lord, for the one you seek is now inside you.”

  Tereus didn’t understand what she meant, but then Philomela walked into the room covered in blood and holding the knife that mother and aunt had used to butcher the boy. She then hurled the head of Itys into the lap of Tereus.

  When he realized what had happened, he screamed in agony, asking the Furies to witness the sisters’ monstrous deed.

  Procne and Philomela fled from the castle, running into the forest as fast as birds in flight. Tereus raced after them, anxious to slay them both. The gods took pity on the sisters and transformed Tereus into a hoopoe—a small bird with a stiff crest like a war helmet. They changed Procne into a swallow and, at last, Philomela became a nightingale that sings sweetly for all to hear.

  Lovers

  NARCISSUS and ECHO

  Tiresias of Thebes became the most famous soothsayer in all of Greece. People from far and wide, including the nymph Liriope, asked him what the future held. She gave birth to the most beautiful baby anyone had ever seen and named him Narcissus. Liriope asked Tiresias if her son would live a long and happy life. “Only if he never knows himself,” was the seer’s mysterious reply.

  By the time Narcissus was sixteen, he was famous for his good looks. He wanted nothing to do with love and claimed that no one would ever touch his heart.

  The nymph Echo had once been an attendant of Hera. No one could talk as much as Echo. Whenever Zeus saw the nymph in Hera’s company, he knew he could sneak away without notice. Hera grew so angry at Echo for distracting her that she made it so Echo could only repeat the last few words spoken to her.

  Banished from Mount Olympus, Echo wandered the fields and forests. One day she came upon Narcissus while he was hunting with his friends, and fell in love. How could she tell him if she could only repeat the words he spoke? She followed him until he became separated from his friends. Narcissus called out:

  “Is anyone here?”

  “Here,” said Echo.

  Narcissus was surprised by the sound of a woman’s voice.

  “Please
, come to me,” he urged.

  “Come to me,” replied Echo.

  The youth could find no one.

  “I’m here, let’s meet together,” Narcissus pleaded.

  “Let’s meet together,” answered Echo.

  The nymph ran to Narcissus and covered him with kisses.

  Narcissus pushed her away and ran. Still hopelessly in love, Echo stayed hidden in the forest longing for a glimpse of Narcissus as he hunted. She lost all interest in eating and sleeping. Soon she was nothing but bones, then even these turned to dust and she was just a voice haunting the forest.

  Narcissus scorned everyone who tried to win his love. One bitter young man rejected by Narcissus prayed to the goddess Nemesis. From the dark places of the earth the goddess of revenge heard his cry.

  There was a crystal-clear pool in the woods. One day Narcissus came to it and cupped his hands to bring water to his lips. He saw his reflection. The young man had never seen anyone so beautiful. He tried to take the figure in his arms, but every time his fingers touched the water, the reflection disappeared in the ripples.

  Narcissus sat by the pool unable to tear his eyes away. Night came and the bright moon rose, but the young man took no notice. Food and drink meant nothing. He wasted away day after day.

  “You are so near, but I cannot touch you, alas,” he moaned to his reflection.

  “Alas,” Echo sighed.

  Even when Narcissus was only skin and bones, he could only gaze at his image. With his last breath he looked into the pond and whispered: “Farewell.”

  “Farewell,” cried Echo.

  The youth died at the edge of the pool, his weary head drooping over the water. The gods transformed his broken body into a beautiful flower that bends ever downward. Even in Hades, Narcissus spends eternity gazing at his own image in the River Styx.

  PYRAMUS and THISBE

  In the great city of Babylon lived two young lovers side by side but far apart. They were Pyramus, the most handsome youth in the land, and Thisbe, the most beautiful maiden. Although their houses shared a common wall, their families hated each other and the two were never allowed to speak to each other. But love always finds a way.

  There was a small crack in their shared wall that no one had ever noticed. Pyramus and Thisbe found this opening and whispered through it when both houses were asleep. Each time they parted, they promised to meet again the next night. Soon the two could no longer bear to be apart. They made plans to meet at an ancient tomb outside the city beside a cool spring with a tall mulberry tree.

  Thisbe carefully opened her door the next evening and walked quietly through the streets of Babylon. Once outside the gates, she came to the tree and sat down to wait for Pyramus. But suddenly she saw a lion in the darkness. It had just killed a cow and its face was covered in blood. As it approached the spring to quench its thirst, Thisbe ran away in terror. She dropped her cloak on the ground as she fled. The lion found the cloak and tore it with its bloody jaws, though it left the cloak on the ground beside the tree.

  Pyramus arrived at the pool just as the lion left and saw its tracks along with the bloody cloak of his dear Thisbe. He recognized the garment and thought that a lion had slain the maiden. He collapsed in grief, believing that it was his fault she had died. He then pulled out his sword and plunged it into his side. As he fell on the ground, his blood shot into the air, turning the white berries of the tree bright red.

  It was then that Thisbe came back to the pool. She saw a body lying there and was frightened, but realized it was her own Pyramus. She ran to him and held him in hers arms, crying out his name. At the sound of her voice, Pyramus used the last of his strength to open his eyes. He gazed at her one last time, then closed his eyes forever. Thisbe wept over his body long into the night. Then she took his sword and stabbed herself in the heart.

  The gods took pity on the two lovers. From that day forward the fruit of the mulberry turned crimson when it was ripe in their memory. Even their parents were touched by the love their children had shown each other and placed their ashes in a common urn.

  CEYX and ALCYONE

  Over the mountains, north of the sacred site of Delphi, was the small kingdom of Trachis, ruled over by Ceyx. Ceyx was the son of Lucifer, the morning star. He was a good king who loved peace and welcomed refugees to his land. He took in Peleus, father of Achilles, after he had killed his brother. He gave shelter to Hercules when Hercules was weary. Both guests repaid their host. Peleus helped slay a monstrous wolf, and Hercules drove away hostile invaders from Ceyx’s borders.

  Ceyx was troubled by all his kingdom had suffered and wanted to seek the council of Apollo at Delphi. The king decided to travel there by sea. His beautiful wife, Alcyone, daughter of the god of the winds, begged him to reconsider. Like all Greeks, she knew the sea was dangerous and could crush a ship in a moment.

  Ceyx loved his wife, but he felt he had to consult with the god: “I swear to you by the bright fire of my father, I will return to you—if the Fates allow.”

  Alcyone could not change her husband’s mind. She watched him sail away. He waved to her for as long as he could see her.

  A few days later, a terrible storm began to blow. Rain fell, lightning lit the sky, and waves rose like mountains over the little ship. Every man, King Ceyx included, tried to hold the ship together. They prayed and wept and cursed until an enormous wave crashed over the ship and broke it into pieces.

  A few men, including Ceyx, clung to timbers hoping to outlast the storm. The force of the waves was too strong. One by one they slipped beneath the raging water until only Ceyx remained, clinging to a plank. He thought only of Alcyone.

  He prayed that his body might wash onto his own shore so that her hands might bury him. Finally, the waves closed over him.

  Alcyone prayed to Hera every day for her husband’s safe return. The wife of Zeus could not bear to hear Alcyone’s prayers. She asked the god Sleep to send a vision to Alcyone, revealing the fate of her husband. Sleep ordered his son Morpheus to enter Alcyone’s dreams and reveal the truth. Morpheus appeared before her wearing the form of her husband, with water dripping from his hair: “Sweet Alcyone, cease your prayers for my safe return. I was caught in a raging storm and dragged to my death by the cruel sea. Good-bye, my love.”

  Alcyone awoke crying, “Wait, I will come with you!,” but the vision was gone. Her attendants told her that it was just a dream, but she knew the truth. “My husband is dead,” she cried. “The gods have sent me a message.”

  She made her way to the shore and knelt in the sand, weeping and looking out to sea. Suddenly she saw the body of her husband drifting on the waves. Alcyone leaped into the sea. By the will of the gods, her arms became wings. She flew to Ceyx and kissed him. He felt her touch and opened his eyes.

  The gods had revived Ceyx. They changed both husband and wife into birds, named halcyons or kingfishers. It was said that Alcyone’s father, Aeolus, caused the winds to cease for a week each winter. During these seven halcyon days, the pair floated peacefully in their nest on the waves of the sea.

  GLAUCUS and SCYLLA

  The sea was home to a god named Glaucus who fell deeply in love with a young maiden named Scylla. Glaucus was once a fisherman on a quiet shore. One day he took his catch and laid it in a meadow. As soon as the dead fish touched the grass they began to stir; then they jumped back into the water. Glaucus wondered if the grass had magical powers. He nibbled a blade. Suddenly he ran to the shore and jumped into the waves, leaving the land behind forever.

  The sea nymphs brought him to the ancient gods Oceanus and Tethys. They instructed the nymphs to sing a magic song nine times and bathe Glaucus in the waters of a hundred streams. When this was done, Glaucus was a god. He awoke to find his beard was green, his arms blue, and he had the long tail of a fish in place of his legs.

  Glaucus enjoyed his life in the sea, swimming with the nymphs. One day his travels took him to a secluded cove where he spied a mortal woman of extraordinary beauty
. This was Scylla who was swimming in a hidden inlet. Glaucus greeted her.

  Scylla sprang from the water and sprinted up the side of a nearby cliff overhanging the sea. Hiding behind a rock, she looked down at this strange creature. Glaucus pleaded: “Dear maiden, please don’t run away. I am no wild creature of the sea, but a god. I was once human like you, but was changed to what you see. I thought I was happy, but what good is it to be divine if you are frightened of me? Please come down.”

  Scylla ran away before he had even finished speaking. Glaucus did not know how to win her love, but then he remembered Circe.

  The famous sea witch was the daughter of Helios, the sun, and granddaughter of Oceanus himself. She lived on an island where she used her magic to turn men into beasts. Glaucus begged her for a love potion, but Circe wanted him for herself: “Why seek after some mortal woman when you can have a goddess? Forget this girl and be mine.”

  Glaucus answered: “Trees will grow upon the waves before I abandon my love for Scylla.”

  Circe flew into a rage. She knew she could not harm Glaucus, but she could destroy his dreams. So she mixed dreadful herbs and roots, then sung over them the charms of Hecate. When all was ready, she made her way to Scylla’s cove.

  The maiden didn’t see Circe pour her poison into the peaceful water, then fly away. Glaucus arrived just as the witch left and watched his love from a hiding place, not wishing to frighten her again.

  Scylla waded into the cove. The water was cool and wonderful. Then monstrous heads suddenly sprang from her body. Six snarling beasts like wolves with horrid teeth and long snakelike necks shot forth from her. She screamed in terror and ran to the overhanging cliff hoping to leave the beasts behind. Soon she was rooted to the rock and couldn’t move. The maiden had become the ugliest monster anyone could imagine. Scylla screamed until she lost her mind. She struck out at anyone who sailed near, tearing them to pieces. She became a legend among sailors who avoided her. Only Glaucus wept for her, knowing what she had once been and what she had become, all because of his love.