Historical Tales -- Greek

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Original Copyright 1904 by Charles Morris. 2 Distributed by Heritage History 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS THE HUMILIATION OF SPARTA .................................. 103 TIMOLEON, THE FAVORITE OF FORTUNE .................. 108 HOW TROY WAS TAKEN ................................................ 4 THE SACRED WAR ...................................................... 114 THE VOYAGE OF THE ARGONAUTS ............................. 10 ALEXANDER THE GREAT AND DARIUS ....................... 118 THESEUS AND ARIADNE ............................................... 14 THE WORLD'S GREATEST ORATOR .......................... 121 THE SEVEN AGAINST THEBES ..................................... 17 THE OLYMPIC GAMES................................................ 125 LYCURGUS AND THE SPARTAN LAWS .......................... 21 PYRRHUS AND THE ROMANS ...................................... 129 ARISTOMENES, THE HERO OF MESSENIA .................... 25 PHILOPOEMEN AND THE FALL OF SPARTA ................ 133 SOLON, THE LAW-GIVER OF ATHENS ......................... 28 THE DEATH STRUGGLE OF GREECE .......................... 138 THE FORTUNE OF CROESUS ......................................... 32 ZENOBIA AND LONGINUS ............................................ 140 THE SUITORS OF AGARISTÉ ......................................... 35 THE LITERARY GLORY OF GREECE .......................... 144 THE TYRANTS OF CORINTH ......................................... 38 THE RING OF POLYCRATES ......................................... 40 THE ADVENTURES OF DEMOCEDES ............................. 44 DARIUS AND THE SCYTHIANS ....................................... 47 THE ATHENIANS AT MARATHON ................................. 50 XERXES AND HIS ARMY ............................................... 54 HOW THE SPARTANS DIED AT THERMOPYLAE ........... 57 THE WOODEN WALLS OF ATHENS .............................. 61 PLATÆA'S FAMOUS DAY .............................................. 66 FOUR FAMOUS MEN OF ATHENS ................................. 69 HOW ATHENS ROSE FROM ITS ASHES ......................... 74 THE PLAGUE AT ATHENS ............................................. 78 THE ENVOYS OF LIFE AND DEATH .............................. 80 THE DEFENCE OF PLATAEA ......................................... 82 HOW THE LONG WALLS WENT DOWN ....................... 85 SOCRATES AND ALCIBIADES ........................................ 89 THE RETREAT OF THE TEN THOUSAND ....................... 93 THE RESCUE OF THEBES .............................................. 98 Original Copyright 1904 by Charles Morris. 3 Distributed by Heritage History 2009 CHAPTER I princely visitor. The result was as Venus had foreseen. Love arose between the handsome youth and the beautiful woman, and an elopement followed, Paris stealing away with both the HOW TROY WAS TAKEN wife and the money of his confiding host. He set sail, had a prosperous voyage, and arrived safely at Troy with his prize The far-famed Helen, wife of King Menelaus of on the third day. This was a fortune very different from that of Sparta, was the most beautiful woman in the world. And from Ulysses, who on his return from Troy took ten years to her beauty and faithlessness came the most celebrated of accomplish a similar voyage. ancient wars, with death and disaster to numbers of famous heroes and the final ruin of the ancient city of Troy. The story As might naturally be imagined, this elopement excited of these striking events has been told only in poetry. We indignation not only in the hearts of Menelaus and his brother propose to tell it again in sober prose. Agamemnon, but among the Greek chieftains generally, who sympathized with the husband in his grief and shared his anger But warning must first be given that Helen and the against Troy. War was declared against that faithless city, and heroes of the Trojan war dwelt in the mist-land of legend and most of the chiefs pledged themselves to take part in it, and to tradition, that cloud-realm from which history only slowly lend their aid until Helen was recovered or restored. Had they emerged The facts with which we are here concerned are those known all that was before them they might have hesitated, of the poet, not those of the historian. It is far from sure that since it took ten long years to equip the expedition, for ten Helen ever lived. It is far from sure that there ever was a years more the war continued, and some of the leaders spent Trojan war. Many people doubt the whole story. Yet the ten years in their return. But in those old days time does not ancient Greeks accepted it as history, and as we are telling seem to have counted for much, and besides, many of the their story, we may fairly include it among the historical tales chieftains had been suitors for the hand of Helen, and were of Greece. The heroes concerned are certainly fully alive in doubtless moved by their old love in pledging themselves to Homer's great poem, the "Iliad," and we can do no better than her recovery. follow the story of this stirring poem, while adding details from other sources. Some of them, however, were anything but eager to take part. Achilles and Ulysses, the two most important in the Mythology tells us that, once upon a time, the three subsequent war, endeavored to escape this necessity. Achilles goddesses, Venus, Juno, and Minerva, had a contest as to was the son of the sea-nymph Thetis, who had dipped him which was the most beautiful, and left the decision to Paris, when an infant in the river Styx, the waters of which magic then a shepherd on Mount Ida, though really the son of King stream rendered him invulnerable to any weapon except in one Priam of Troy. The princely shepherd decided in favor of spot,—the heel by which his mother had held him. But her Venus, who had promised him in reward the love of the most love for her son made her anxious to guard him against every beautiful of living women, the Spartan Helen, daughter of the danger, and when the chieftains came to seek his aid in the great deity Zeus (or Jupiter). Accordingly the handsome and expedition, she concealed him, dressed as a girl, among the favored youth set sail for Sparta, bringing with him rich gifts maidens of the court. But the crafty Ulysses, who for its beautiful queen. Menelaus received his Trojan guest accompanied, them, soon exposed this trick. Disguised as a with much hospitality, but, unluckily, was soon obliged to pedler, he spread his goods, a shield and a spear among them, make a journey to Crete, leaving Helen to entertain the Original Copyright 1904 by Charles Morris. 4 Distributed by Heritage History 2009 before the maidens. Then an alarm of danger being sounded, Meanwhile the Trojans, well aware of what was in the girls fled in affright, but the disguised youth, with store for them, had made abundant preparations, and gathered impulsive valor, seized the weapons and prepared to defend an army of allies from various parts of Thrace and Asia Minor. himself. His identity was thus revealed. They received the two Greek envoys hospitably, paid them Ulysses himself, one of the wisest and shrewdest of every attention, but sustained the villany of Paris, and refused men, had also sought to escape the dangerous expedition. To to deliver Helen and the treasure. When this word was brought do so he feigned madness, and when the messenger chiefs back to the fleet the chiefs decided on immediate war, and sail came to seek him they found him attempting to plough with an was made for the neighboring shores of the Trojan realm. ox and a horse yoked together, while he sowed

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