Stories from the Greek Tragedians

Stories from the Greek
Tragedians

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Title: Stories from the Greek Tragedians
Author: Alfred Church
Release Date: February 9, 2005 [EBook #14994]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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FROM THE GREEK TRAGEDIANS ***

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[Illustration: THE CHARIOT OF ZEUS]

Stories from the Greek Tragedians
By the
REV. ALFRED J. CHURCH, M.A.
AUTHOR OF
"Stories from Homer" and "Stories from Virgil"
With Twenty Illustrations from Designs

by FLAXMAN and Others
New York
Dodd, Mead and Company
Publishers

PREFACE.
I have added to the "Story of the Seven Chiefs against Thebes" the
description of the single combat between Eteocles and Polynices,
which occurs in the _Phoenissæ_ of Euripides. Some changes have
been made in the "Story of Ion" to make it more suitable for the
purpose of this book. Throughout the Stories compression and omission
have been freely used. I can only ask the indulgence of such of my
readers as may be familiar with the great originals of which I have
given these pale and ineffectual copies.
RETFORD,
October 11, 1879.

To my Sons,
ALFRED, MAURICE, HERBERT,
RICHARD, EDWARD, HARALD.
This Book
IS DEDICATED.

CONTENTS.

THE STORY OF THE LOVE OF ALCESTIS
THE STORY OF THE VENGEANCE OF MEDEA
THE STORY OF THE DEATH OF HERCULES
THE STORY OF THE SEVEN CHIEFS AGAINST THEBES
THE STORY OF ANTIGONE
THE STORY OF IPHIGENIA IN AULIS
THE STORY OF PHILOCTETES, OR THE BOW OF HERCULES
THE STORY OF THE DEATH OF AGAMEMNON
THE STORY OF ELECTRA, OR THE RETURN OF ORESTES
THE STORY OF THE FURIES, OR THE LOOSING OF ORESTES

THE STORY OF IPHIGENIA AMONG THE TAURIANS
THE STORY OF THE PERSIANS, OR THE BATTLE OF SALAMIS
THE STORY OF ION

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
THE CHARIOT OF ZEUS _Frontispiece._
PELIAS SENDING FORTH JASON
HERCULES ON MOUNT OETA
OEDIPUS AND THE SPHINX
THE OATH OF THE SEVEN CHIEFS
THE DEAD BROTHERS
ANTIGONE AND THE BODY OF POLYNICES
"THE EMPTY JOY THAT DWELLS IN THE DREAMS OF THE
NIGHT"
THE RETURN OF AGAMEMNON
THE MURDER OF AGAMEMNON
ELECTRA AND ORESTES
CHARIOT RACE
THE BIRTHDAY GIFTS OF PHOEBUS
ORESTES SUPPLIANT TO APOLLO
THE FURIES DEPARTING
ORESTES AND THE FURIES
IPHIGENIA AND ORESTES
OFFERINGS TO THE DEAD
ATOSSA'S DREAM
THE HORSES OF THE MORNING

THE STORY OF THE LOVE OF ALCESTIS.
Asclepius, the son of Apollo, being a mighty physician, raised men
from the dead. But Zeus was wroth that a man should have such power,
and so make of no effect the ordinance of the Gods. Wherefore he
smote Asclepius with a thunderbolt and slew him. And when Apollo
knew this, he slew the Cyclopés that had made the thunderbolts for his
father Zeus, for men say that they make them on their forges that are in
the mountain of Etna. But Zeus suffered not this deed to go unpunished,
but passed this sentence on his son Apollo, that he should serve a

mortal man for the space of a whole year. Wherefore, for all that he
was a god, he kept the sheep of Admetus, who was the Prince of Pheræ
in Thessaly. And Admetus knew not that he was a god; but,
nevertheless, being a just man, dealt truly with him. And it came to
pass after this that Admetus was sick unto death. But Apollo gained
this grace for him of the Fates (which order of life and death for men),
that he should live, if only he could find some one who should be
willing to die in his stead. And he went to all his kinsmen and friends
and asked this thing of them, but found no one that was willing so to
die; only Alcestis his wife was willing.
And when the day was come on the which it was appointed for her to
die, Death came that he might fetch her. And when he was come, he
found Apollo walking to and fro before the palace of King Admetus,
having his bow in his hand. And when Death saw him, he said--
"What doest thou here, Apollo? Is it not enough for thee to have kept
Admetus from his doom? Dost thou keep watch and ward over this
woman with thine arrows and thy bow?"
"Fear not," the god made answer, "I have justice on my side."
"If thou hast justice, what need of thy bow?"