DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.800#0074
EXPLOITS OF THESEUS.
him to death. 0. On the banks of the Eleusinian Cephisus he sub-
dued Polypemou or Damastes, better known as Procrustes. Having
achieved these labours, he crossed the Cephisus, and at the altar of
Zeus Meilichios was purged by the Phytalidae of the homicides he had
committed.1
The contrast between manly strength and female delicacy, and the
picture of the hero sunk for a while into effeminacy, were favourite-
topics with the ancients, and gave rise to the stories of Heracles in the
service of Omphale, and of Achilles among the daughters of Lycomedes.
After performing these exploits, Theseus, like Heracles, puts on the
dress of a maiden and proceeds to Athens. His appearance provokes
the ridicule of some labourers employed in building the temple of the
Delphinian Apollo, which, according to the description of Pausanias,*
must have been near the Olympium and the llissus. Enraged at their
jeers, Theseus unyokes some oxen from a cart, and throws it over their
heads upon the roof of the temple. Hence we see that the worship of
Apollo had been introduced before this time, and that the city had
extended itself beyond the original Cecropia.
In the interval, iEgeus had espoused Medea, a fugitive from Corinth,
' and Athens was distracted by factions. Medea recognised Theseus, who
had not yet discovered himself to his father, and fearing his influence,
persuaded iEgeus to poison him at dinner; but during the banquet
Theseus happened to draw his father's sword, and iEgeus, recognising
his son, dashed the poisoned cup from his lips. The spot where the
poison was said to have fallen was still marked, in Plutarch's time, by
an inclosure in the Delphinium, which therefore must have originally
formed part of the royal palace.3
Aided by the herald Leos, Theseus now kills his uncle, Pallas, and
overthrows his cousins, the Pallantid*, who were aiming at the throne;
for which act he was arraigned before the Delphinian tribunal and
acquitted. His next exploit was the capture of the Marathonian bull,
which annoyed the inhabitants of the Tetrapolis. Theseus brought it
1 Patisan. i. 37, 2 sq.
2 i. lf>, 1.
Pint. Thes. V.
him to death. 0. On the banks of the Eleusinian Cephisus he sub-
dued Polypemou or Damastes, better known as Procrustes. Having
achieved these labours, he crossed the Cephisus, and at the altar of
Zeus Meilichios was purged by the Phytalidae of the homicides he had
committed.1
The contrast between manly strength and female delicacy, and the
picture of the hero sunk for a while into effeminacy, were favourite-
topics with the ancients, and gave rise to the stories of Heracles in the
service of Omphale, and of Achilles among the daughters of Lycomedes.
After performing these exploits, Theseus, like Heracles, puts on the
dress of a maiden and proceeds to Athens. His appearance provokes
the ridicule of some labourers employed in building the temple of the
Delphinian Apollo, which, according to the description of Pausanias,*
must have been near the Olympium and the llissus. Enraged at their
jeers, Theseus unyokes some oxen from a cart, and throws it over their
heads upon the roof of the temple. Hence we see that the worship of
Apollo had been introduced before this time, and that the city had
extended itself beyond the original Cecropia.
In the interval, iEgeus had espoused Medea, a fugitive from Corinth,
' and Athens was distracted by factions. Medea recognised Theseus, who
had not yet discovered himself to his father, and fearing his influence,
persuaded iEgeus to poison him at dinner; but during the banquet
Theseus happened to draw his father's sword, and iEgeus, recognising
his son, dashed the poisoned cup from his lips. The spot where the
poison was said to have fallen was still marked, in Plutarch's time, by
an inclosure in the Delphinium, which therefore must have originally
formed part of the royal palace.3
Aided by the herald Leos, Theseus now kills his uncle, Pallas, and
overthrows his cousins, the Pallantid*, who were aiming at the throne;
for which act he was arraigned before the Delphinian tribunal and
acquitted. His next exploit was the capture of the Marathonian bull,
which annoyed the inhabitants of the Tetrapolis. Theseus brought it
1 Patisan. i. 37, 2 sq.
2 i. lf>, 1.
Pint. Thes. V.