Page:History of Greece Vol I.djvu/26

ent legends respecting Dêmêtêr elsewhere.—Expansion of the legends.—Hellenic importance of Dêmêtêr.—Legends of Apollo.—Delian Apollo.—Pythian Apollo.—Foundation legends of the Delphian oracle.—They served the purpose of historical explanation.—Extended worship of Apollo.—Multifarious local legends respecting Apollo.—Festivals and Agônes.—State of mind and circumstances out of which Grecian mythes arose.—Discrepancies in the legends little noticed.—Aphroditê.—Athênê.—Artemis.—Poseidôn.—Stories of temporary servitude imposed on gods.—Hêrê.—Hêphaestos.—Hestia.—Hermês.—Hermês inventor of the lyre.—Bargain between Hermês and Apollo.—Expository value of the Hymn.—Zeus.—Mythes arising out of the religious ceremonies.—Small part of the animal sacrificed.—Promêtheus had outwitted Zeus.— Gods, heroes, and men, appear together in the mythes. pages 1-64

CHAPTER II.

LEGENDS RELATING TO HEROES AND MEN.

Races of men as they appear in the Hesiodic "Works and Days."—The Golden.—The Silver.—The Brazen.—The Heroic.—The Iron.—Different both from the Theogony and from Homer.—Explanation of this difference.—Ethical vein of sentiment.—Intersected by the mythical.—The "Works and Days," earliest didactic poem.—First Introduction of daemons.—Changes in the idea of daemons.—Employed in attacks on the pagan faith.—Functions of the Hesiodic daemons.—Personal feeling which pervades the "Works and Days."—Probable age of the poem 64-73

CHAPTER III.

LEGEND OF THE IAPETIDS.

Iapetids in Hesiod.—Promêtheus and Epimêtheus.—Counter-manœuvring of Promêtheus and Zeus.—Pandôra.—Pandôra in the Theogony.—General feeling of the poet.—Man wretched, but Zeus not to blame.—Mischiefs arising from women.—Punishment of Promêtheus.—The Promêtheus of Æschylus.—Locality in which Promêtheus was confined 73-80

CHAPTER IV.

HEROIC LEGENDS. GENEALOGY OF ARGUS.

Structure and purposes of Grecian genealogies.—To connect the Grecian community with their common god.—Lower members of the genealogy historical—higher members non-historical.—The non-historical portion equally believed, and most valued by the Greeks.—Number of such genealogies pervading every fraction of Greeks.—Argeian genealogy.—Inachus.—Phorôneus.—Argos Panoptês.—Iô.—Romance of Iô histhoricized by Persians and Phoenicians.—Legendary abductions of heroines adapted to the feelings prevalent during the Persian war.—Danaos and the Danaïdes.—Acrisios and Prœtos.—The Proetides cured of frenzy