Myths and Legends of All Nations | Page 3

woman. When the work was done he carried it
to Olympus.
Jupiter called the other gods together, bidding them give her each a gift.
One bestowed upon her beauty, another, kindness, another, skill,
another, curiosity, and so on. Jupiter himself gave her the gift of life,
and they named her Pandora, which means "all-gifted."
Then Mercury, the messenger of the gods, took Pandora and led her
down the mountain side to the place where Prometheus and his brother
were living.
[Illustration: PROMETHEUS PUNISHED FOR HIS GIFT TO MAN]
"Epimetheus, here is a beautiful woman that Jupiter has sent to be your
wife," he said.
Epimetheus was delighted and soon loved Pandora very deeply,
because of her beauty and her goodness.

Now Pandora had brought with her as a gift from Jupiter a golden
casket. Athena had warned her never to open the box, but she could not
help wondering and wondering what it contained. Perhaps it held
beautiful jewels. Why should they go to waste?
At last she could not contain her curiosity any longer. She opened the
box just a little to take a peep inside. Immediately there was a buzzing,
whirring sound, and before she could snap down the lid ten thousand
ugly little creatures had jumped out. They were diseases and troubles,
and very glad they were to be free.
All over the earth they flew, entering into every household, and
carrying sorrow and distress wherever they went.
How Jupiter must have laughed when he saw the result of Pandora's
curiosity!
Soon after this the god decided that it was time to punish Prometheus.
He called Strength and Force and bade them seize the Titan and carry
him to the highest peak of the Caucasus Mountains. Then he sent
Vulcan to bind him with iron chains, making arms and feet fast to the
rocks. Vulcan was sorry for Prometheus, but dared not disobey.
So the friend of man lay, miserably bound, naked to the winds, while
the storms beat about him and an eagle tore at his liver with its cruel
talons. But Prometheus did not utter a groan in spite of all his
sufferings. Year after year he lay in agony, and yet he would not
complain, beg for mercy or repent of what he had done. Men were
sorry for him, but could do nothing.
Then one day a beautiful white cow passed over the mountain, and
stopped to look at Prometheus with sad eyes.
"I know you," Prometheus said. "You are Io, once a fair and happy
maiden dwelling in Argos, doomed by Jupiter and his jealous queen to
wander over the earth in this guise. Go southward and then west until
you come to the great river Nile. There you shall again become a
maiden, fairer than ever before, and shall marry the king of that country.

And from your race shall spring the hero who will break my chains and
set me free."
Centuries passed and then a great hero, Hercules, came to the Caucasus
Mountains. He climbed the rugged peak, slew the fierce eagle, and with
mighty blows broke the chains that bound the friend of man.

THE LABORS OF HERCULES
Before the birth of Hercules Jupiter had explained in the council of the
gods that the first descendant of Perseus should be the ruler of all the
others of his race. This honor was intended for the son of Perseus and
Alcmene; but Juno was jealous and brought it about that Eurystheus,
who was also a descendant of Perseus, should be born before Theseus.
So Eurystheus became king in Mycene, and the later-born Hercules
remained inferior to him.
Now Eurystheus watched with anxiety the rising fame of his young
relative, and called his subject to him, demanding that he carry through
certain great tasks or labors. When Hercules did not immediately obey,
Jupiter himself sent word to him that he should fulfill his service to the
King of Greece.
Nevertheless the hero son of a god could not make up his mind easily
to render service to a mere mortal. So he traveled to Delphi and
questioned the oracle as to what he should do. This was the answer:
The overlordship of Eurystheus will be qualified on condition that
Hercules perform ten labors that Eurystheus shall assign him. When
this is done, Hercules shall be numbered among the immortal gods.
Hereupon Hercules fell into deep trouble. To serve a man of less
importance than himself hurt his dignity and self-esteem; but Jupiter
would not listen to his complaints.
THE FIRST LABOR

The first labor that Eurystheus assigned to Hercules was to bring him
the skin of the Nemean lion. This monster dwelt on the mountain of
Peloponnesus, in the forest between Kleona and Nemea, and could be
wounded by no weapons made