Oh My Gods, page 23
After the dust had settled, Creon once again assumed rule of Thebes and gathered all the bodies of the fallen Theban warriors for a proper burial. But contrary to all custom, he ordered that the corpses of the enemy—including his nephew Polynices—be left to rot on the battlefield. Moreover he ordered that anyone who buried any of them would be executed. Everyone was shocked at this decree. If someone was buried, even with a sprinkling of dust over his body, he could cross the river Styx and enter the underworld at peace. But without burial, he was doomed to wander the far bank of the river for a hundred years in misery. No Greek would deny burial to even his worst enemy for fear of offending the gods.
Antigone and Ismene returned to Thebes, having nowhere else to go, and heard the proclamation of Creon in horror. Ismene was mortified at the thought of her brother’s corpse lying on the plain, a feast for birds and dogs, but she accepted the decree. Antigone, however, placed family honor above impious rules and determined to give Polynices a decent burial. Even her engagement to Creon’s son Haemon and the pleas of Ismene to reconsider would not change her mind.
When Creon received news that someone had sprinkled dust on the body of Polynices, he launched a search for the culprit. He was shocked to discover that it was his own niece who had disobeyed him: “Antigone, do you admit that you did this shameful deed or do you deny it?”
“I admit it proudly. I knew about your decree, but there are laws more ancient and binding than those you proclaim. Zeus and Justice demand a proper burial for the dead, no matter what you say. You are a fool to think you can stand against the gods!”
“And you are a fool to think you can stand against me! The city will fall apart if I let a mere woman scorn my laws. You will pay the price for what you have done.”
“Go ahead and kill me! I would rather die honoring the gods than live under your wicked rules.”
Creon then ordered her to be sealed in a cave until she was dead. Haemon pleaded with his father to rescind his judgment and spare his bride, but not even the words of his own son could bend his will. Tiresias then appeared before the new king and told him he was offending the gods by his impious actions. Relent, he warned, or you will suffer more than you can imagine. Creon hesitated but by the time he had changed his mind, it was too late. Antigone had hung herself in her cave and Haemon, seeing his love dead, struck out at his father with his sword, then plunged it into his own heart. When Creon’s wife heard that their son was dead, she committed suicide as well. Like Oedipus before him, Creon at last realized in sorrow that men were helpless before the will of the gods.
ARGONAUTS
Aeolus was the grandson of Deucalion and Pyrrha, the pair who had escaped the great flood sent by Zeus to destroy humanity. He ruled over Magnesia in Thessaly, south of Mount Olympus, and had seven sons, including a boy named Athamas. This young man migrated to Boeotia and became king of Orchomenus, not far from Thebes. A king needs a queen, so he married a woman named Nephele (“cloud”) and by her had a son named Phrixus and a daughter Helle. In time Athamas noticed Nephele was looking older, so he sent her away and married young Ino, daughter of King Cadmus of Thebes. She bore Athamas two sons, then began to plot the death of Phrixus to put her own boys on the throne.
Ino went to the women who stored seed grain for the kingdom and bribed them to parch it before planting. Naturally the grain did not grow and Orchomenus soon faced starvation, so Athamas sent heralds to Delphi to ask Apollo how he could save his kingdom. Ino intercepted the messengers on their return and persuaded them to give a false report to the king. They told Athamas that the oracle had said the only way to save Orchomenus was to sacrifice his firstborn son, Phrixus, to Zeus.
The king was horrified at the thought of killing his child, but the people of the land cried out that Phrixus must die so they could live. Athamas therefore led Phrixus to the altar with a sharpened knife in hand and began to bind him for the sacrifice. At that moment, a golden ram appeared beside the altar—some say it was sent by Nephele, who had received it as a gift from Hermes—and both Phrixus and his sister Helle climbed on its back. As Athamas watched in relief and Ino in outrage, the two children flew away on the ram high into the sky.
While the brother and sister soared over the sea near Troy, Helle lost her grip and fell to her death in the straits between Europe and Asia. This passage was known ever after as the Hellespont. But Phrixus flew on across the Black Sea until he came to the land of Colchis beneath the Caucasus Mountains. The ruler of this kingdom was Aeetes, a son of Helios the sun god. One of the king’s sisters was the powerful witch Circe and the other was Pasiphae, wife of Minos of Crete and mate of his favorite bull. Aeetes happily received Phrixus and gave him one of his own daughters to be his wife. In gratitude for his escape from certain death, Phrixus sacrificed the golden ram to Zeus and gave its fleece to Aeetes. The king of Colchis hung the priceless gift on a tree in a local grove sacred to Ares. There it was guarded by a fierce dragon that killed anyone who dared approach.
Athamas had a brother named Salmoneus who fathered a beautiful daughter named Tyro. This princess was married to a cousin Cretheus, but she was in love with a local river god named Enipeus. She would often sneak away from her household duties and wander alone by her lover’s river, waiting for him to come to her. There Poseidon saw Tyro and determined to have her. He disguised himself as Enipeus and made love with her on the soft grass, a giant purple wave hanging over the pair to hide their amorous encounter from prying eyes. When he was done, Poseidon revealed his true identity to Tyro and told her she would soon have twin sons. Then he dove back into the sea and did not think of her again.
In due time Tyro bore Pelias and Neleus, handsome boys who grew into strong men born to rule. Pelias became king of Iolcus on the coast of Thessaly, a land rich in cattle and horses, but he drove away his brother Neleus, who founded a dynasty in sandy Pylos in the far southwest of Greece. Tyro also had two sons, Aeson and Pheres, by her mortal husband.
Pelias kept his half brother Aeson under careful watch in Iolcus as he was considered by many to be the rightful heir to the kingdom. Aeson knew his life depended on keeping quiet and so caused no trouble for King Pelias. When Aeson’s wife bore him a son, the couple announced that the infant had died so that Pelias would fear no future threat to his throne. But Aeson secretly took the baby to be raised by the wise centaur Chiron on the slopes of nearby Mount Pelion, where the boy, named Jason, was educated and grew into manhood.
Pelias was ever-vigilant against threats to his power as the years went by. He had learned from an oracle that if a man wearing only one sandal ever arrived in his kingdom, his rule was in grave danger. He was therefore always on guard for such a strange sight.
When Jason reached maturity, he boldly decided to journey down the mountain to the town of Iolcus and claim the throne from his uncle Pelias. Soon he came to a stream swollen with spring rains. He saw there a feeble old woman who approached him and asked if he might carry her across. She had sought the help of many before him, but all had scorned her. Jason was in a great hurry, but he took the woman on his back and bore her safely to the far shore, although he did slip and lose a sandal in the mud midway across. She thanked him for his kindness and he went on his way, not realizing he had just met the goddess Hera. The wife of Zeus was angry at King Pelias for failing to sacrifice to her properly, so she was testing Jason at the river to see if he was worthy to replace his uncle. After he had showed her such kindness, Hera set in motion an elaborate scheme to do away with Pelias.
Jason arrived in Iolcus just as the king was conducting a grand sacrifice to his father, Poseidon. When Pelias was finished, he was startled to notice a young man in the crowd wearing only one sandal. After discovering who he was, he approached Jason and welcomed his nephew to Iolcus. He then posed to him a hypothetical question—what would you do, as king, if you knew a certain subject of yours was going to kill you?
Jason laughed and thought of the most outrageous method possible to get rid of such a man: “I would send him off to fetch the fabled Golden Fleece.”
“An excellent idea,” responded the king. He then looked Jason in the eye and said, “Go fetch the Golden Fleece.”
As a young man eager to prove himself, Jason gladly accepted the challenge from his uncle and began his preparations. He knew he would need an extraordinary ship for such a long and dangerous journey, so he asked a distant cousin named Argus to build a fifty-oared craft to sail to Colchis. The goddess Athena herself advised Argus on the construction and fitted a special prow made of oak onto the ship. The wood of the prow came from the sacred grove of Zeus at Dodona in western Greece and had the miraculous gift of speech. When the craft was finally complete, Jason christened it the Argo in honor of its builder.
There are many different stories about who accompanied Jason on the Argo, but all agree that he invited the greatest warriors in Greece into his fellowship. First there was Hercules, who interrupted one of his labors to make the journey. Next were the great bard Orpheus and the two brothers of Helen, Castor and Pollux. Zetes and Calais also came, two winged sons of Boreas, god of the north wind. Peleus, the grandson of Zeus and father of Achilles, was there, as was his brother Telamon, the sire of Ajax. Some say Theseus of Athens sailed with Jason, while others say the famous female warrior Atalanta also accompanied the men—though most claim they would never have included a woman on such an adventure. Everyone agrees that Meleager, brother of Hercules’ wife Deianira, joined Jason. Idmon the seer was also among the chosen, as was Tiphys, who served as helmsman. There were many others who joined the band of sailors, all great men of valor, known ever after as the Argonauts.
The sailors unanimously elected Hercules as their leader, but the hero refused such an honor. He said he would go on the quest only if Jason acted as their captain. The young prince accepted and made a long speech promising the men undying glory. Soon even the ship was tired of listening and the oak prow shouted out that they should begin. The men all took their places on the rowing benches and cast off. The Argo then slipped away from the port of Iolcus and set out into the Aegean Sea, while King Pelias watched from shore, certain he would never see Jason again.
After a few days, the Argonauts came to Lemnos in the northern Aegean. The arrival of the ship threw the inhabitants of the island into a panic, for they believed the Thracians were descending on them to seek revenge. The men of Lemnos had long raided Thrace for treasure and slaves, especially the exotic women of that northern land. The island pirates grew so fond of their Thracian captives that they rejected their legitimate wives. Some say this was revenge from Aphrodite because the Lemnian women had neglected to sacrifice to her, but whatever the cause, the island wives soon had had enough. They killed their husbands along with their Thracian concubines. Ever since, Lemnos had been an island of women alone.
The widows soon discovered that life without men was not so bad. Previously they had spent their long days cooking, washing, and weaving for husbands who cared little for them. Now they herded their own cattle and plowed their own fields. Their husbands had always complained that men had the more difficult lot, but the women found that their previous domestic duties were far more onerous and confining than their new life.
The men of the Argo knew none of this when they sailed into the harbor of Lemnos looking for fresh water, but the eerie stillness of the island unnerved them. They sent their herald, Aethalides, a son of the god Hermes, to speak to the ruler, who turned out to be the beautiful Hypsipyle. Although he was surprised to find himself speaking to a woman leader and her armored companions, Aethalides explained that the Argonauts were no threat to Lemnos and simply wanted to take on supplies. Hypsipyle summoned an assembly of island women to discuss the matter. She was in favor of giving the sailors what they needed and sending them on their way immediately, but a wise old woman of the island named Polyxo rose and suggested a different plan. She said they were all doing well since the Lemnian men had been killed, but they should think of the future. Did they want to grow old without children and grandchildren? Should those among them who were virgins never know the touch of a man or the joys of motherhood? Polyxo urged them to welcome the Argonauts into their homes and beds, then, when their handsome visitors had done their job, send them on their way.
This proposal met with rousing approval from the Lemnian women, who, although they had no desire for husbands again, dearly missed the pleasures of making love. They dressed in their most seductive clothing and each invited an Argonaut into her home. Jason put on his own finery and went eagerly with Hypsipyle, while the others were shared among the island women. After a fine meal and good wine, all the men enjoyed the intimate company of the Lemnians until dawn.
A night turned to a week and a week to a month as the Argonauts made their rounds among the women of Lemnos. It was Hercules who finally brought them to their senses. He had stayed on the boat with a young boyfriend he had brought on the voyage named Hylas and cared nothing for the native women: “You fools! Are we on this voyage to sail distant seas and accomplish deeds worthy of eternal glory or to sleep with the first women we meet? The Golden Fleece lies there, beyond the far sunrise, not on this island. If Jason wants to play the gigolo and waste away his life in Hypsipyle’s bed, let him. I’m sailing to Colchis!”
The Argonauts were ashamed of themselves when they heard Hercules’ words. They gathered their gear and said farewell to the fair women of Lemnos, who by this time were ready to see them go. They had gotten what they wanted, most being pregnant by now, and were looking forward to a normal life without men to bother with. They waved a fond farewell as the Argo sailed away, then happily returned to their work.
From Lemnos the Argonauts sailed northeast across the Aegean to the Hellespont, the first of two narrow passages leading to the Black Sea. The winds were strong and the waves choppy as they fought their way up the straits past Abydos, where Leander had once swum the rough waters to spend the night with his secret love Hero. Once beyond the Hellespont, they entered the inland sea of the Propontis, then sailed along its southern coast until they came to a place called Bear Mountain, barely connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. On this mountain lived fearsome creatures of great strength known as the Earthmen, each brandishing six powerful arms.
But instead of monsters, the Argonauts were met on the beach by a friendly folk called the Doliones, led by a young king named Cyzicus, who had just married a beautiful maiden named Cleite. He had been advised once by an oracle that if a boatload of foreign heroes ever landed on his shore, he should welcome them with open arms. Cyzicus did so and immediately struck up a warm friendship with Jason, who was the same age as the king.
Jason and his men once again left Hercules and his lover Hylas to guard the ship in a sheltered cove and entered the town of the Doliones to be treated like royalty. The Earthmen looking down from Bear Mountain saw the ship all alone and decided it was an easy target for a raid. The creatures did not bother the Doliones, who were protected by their patron Poseidon, but strangers to their shores were fair game. The Earthmen began to toss huge boulders into the mouth of the cove to prevent the Argo from escaping, but this served only to stir Hercules to action. He pulled out his bow and began to shoot down every Earthman in sight. The Argonauts heard the uproar and rushed back to join the battle. Soon there was a pile of dead monsters lying on the beach.
Cyzicus had described to Jason the kingdoms and lands that lay ahead on their journey, at least as far as the entrance to the Black Sea, so the next morning the Argonauts cast off with many thanks and pledges of friendship to Cyzicus and the Doliones. They sailed around the great bulk of Bear Mountain all day until they passed the northern point of the peninsula and headed due east. But when evening came, a great storm arose and blew them back to the west. The wind was so strong and the rain so heavy they had no idea where they were, only that they had to find land or perish. Finally they saw a harbor in the distance and arrived with their ship and lives intact. But the men of that unknown land had seen the strangers make shore. In the darkness they could not tell who they were, but unwelcome guests from the east could only mean Pelasgian raiders come to steal their women and sack their town. A fierce battle in the darkness erupted between the natives and the Argonauts, who also had no idea who they were killing.
When the sun finally rose, Jason and his men were horrified to see that they had been fighting their friends the Doliones. The winds had driven them back to the opposite side of the narrow isthmus they had set out from the previous morning. The Argonauts were heartbroken to see the dead Doliones at their feet, no one more than Jason, who beheld his own spear piercing the chest of Cyzicus. The Argonauts wept and cut their hair in mourning for the terrible mistake they had made, then built funeral pyres for the Doliones with their own hands. They laid out a special tomb for Cyzicus and marched around it three times in their bronze armor to honor him. Cleite, the young bride of Cyzicus, could not bear the thought of life without her husband and killed herself in their home. With this pain added to that they already bore, the Argonauts sailed away, leaving the Doliones alone in their grief.
