《希腊神话》打印版英文原版.docx

《希腊神话》打印版英文原版.docx

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《希腊神话》打印版英文原版

1TheOlympinGods

BetweenMacedonandThessalyofeasternGreecetherestoodahighmountain．Itscloudytoprushedintotheveryheavens．Onthetopofthemountain，thehomeofthegodswasbathedinbrightness．AtOlympusZeusruledasthefatherofgodsandmen．Zeuswasnotacruderulerbyanystandards．Allthegodslistenedtohisfinalwords，itwastrue．ButZeusmadethemallsitonacommitteeoftwelvemembers，includingsixgodsandsixgoddesses．ThefirstintheOlympiancrowdsatZeushimself．Hewastheoverlordofgodsandmenandtheoperatorofthethunderbolt．NexttohimwasHera，hisproudandgreeneyedqueen．Poseidonwasrulerofthesea，AndHades，kingofthelowerworld，hadnoseatinthecommittee．Apollowasthegodofthesun，musicandpoetry，whilehistwinsisterArtemiswasthegoddessofthemoonandthechase．Athenawasthegoddessofwisdomandpatronessofhouseholdarts．Hestin，thegoddessofthefamily，representedhomelifeandfamilyhappiness．ThefrighteningAreswasthegodofwar，andthecharmingAphroditethegoddessofloveandbeauty．Thegodoffire，Hephaestus，wastheforgerofthethunderboltsofZeus．ThewingfootedmessengerHermeswasthegodofinventionandcommerce；andthegoddessofgrainsandharvests，Demeter，lookedafteragricultureandstoodformotherofcivilization．

Allthechiefgodsmentionedabovetookhumanformsofincomparablebeautyandgrace．Oftenmovedbyhumanfeelingsanddesires，theyfrequentlygavewaytoangerandjealousy．Theybecameinvolvedinceaselessbattleswiththeworldofman．AmongthemselvesatOlympustheyplottedandstruggledforpower．Inthehumanworldtheyexperiencedcompetitionsanddifficulties．Theyenjoyedearthlyfriendshipsandloves．AcrowdofeverlastinggodslookedandactedinaperfectlyhumanfashionthatiswhatallgodsatOlympusactuallywere．

2Pandora

Afterthestealingoffire，Zeusbecameincreasinglyunkindtomen．OnedayheorderedhissonHephaestustobuildanimageofabeautifulmaidenoutofclay．Hethenaskedthegodsandgoddessestoawardherwithdifferentkindsofgifts．Amongothers，AthenaclothedherinanattractivecoatandHermesgaveherthepoweroftellinglies．Acharmingyounglady，shewasthefirstwomanthateverlived．ZeuscalledherPandora．Becauseshehadreceivedfromeachofthegodsandgoddessesagift．Thegiftwasharmfultomen．

Zeusdecidedtosendherdowntomenasapresent．SoHermesthemessengerbroughthertoEpimetheus，brotherofPrometheus．Thegreatnessofherbeautytouchedtheheartsofallwholookeduponher，andEpimetheushappilyreceivedherintohishouse．HehadquiteforgottenPometheus'warning：

nevertoacceptanythingfromZeus．Thecouplelivedahappylifeforsometime．Thentroublecameontothehumanworld．

Whenhewasbusywithteachingmentheartofliving，PrometheushadleftabigcaskinthecareofEpimetheus．Hehadwarnedhisbrothernottoopenthelid．Pandorawasacuriouswoman．Shehadbeenfeelingverydisappointedthatherhusbanddidnotallowhertotakealookatthecontentsofthecask．Oneday，whenEpimetheuswasout，sheliftedthelidandoutitcameunrestandwar，Plagueandsickness，theftandviolence，griefsorrow，andalltheotherevils．Thehumanworldwashencetoexperiencetheseevils．Onlyhopestayedwithinthemouthofthejarandneverflewout．Somenalwayshavehopewithintheirhearts．

3Apollo

AmongthecrowdofOlympiangodstheonemostwidelyadmiredwasApollo．HewasthesonofZeusandLetto．AccordingtoGreekmythology，LetowasdrivenbyHerafromlandtolandatlastPoseidontookPityonherandbroughttheislandofDelosoutofwaterforhertoliveon．Thereshegavebirthtothetwins，ApolloandArtemis．

Apollowasmesun-god．Heworeapurplerobe．Heusuallysatinhisbrighteasternpalaceearlyinthemorningandmadereadytostarthisdailyjourneyacrossthesky．Duringthedayhedrovehiscarriageofgoldandivory，andbroughtlight，lifeandlovetothegreatworldbelow．Iateintheafternoonhecametotheendofhisjourneyinthefarwesternseaandgotonhisgoldenboattoreturntohiseasternhome．

Apollowasthegodofmusicandpoetry．Hecouldstirupallfeelings．Thesefeelingsareexpressedinloftysongs．WithhislyreofgoldandthesweetaccentsofhisgodlikevoiceheledthechoiroftheMusesatOlympus．ThepleasantmusicfromhislyrewassoexcitingthatstonesmarchedintotheirplacesinrhythmictimeandoftheirownwillwhenhehelpedPoseidonbuildupthewallsofTroy．Ononeoccasion，invitedtoacontestbythehumanmusicianMarsyas，hewonandthenflayedhimtodeathforhispride．Onanotheroccasion，helostouttoPanatamusicalcontestandturnedtheearsofthejudge，KingMidas，intothoseofanass．

Hisson，Orpheus，tookoversuchskillfromthefatherthathislyremovedmanandanimalsalike．

Apollostoodforyouthfulandmanlybeauty．Hisgoldenhair，statelymannerandairallcombinedtomakehimtheadmirationoftheworld．Abeautifulgirl，bythenameofClytle，wassofondofhisbeautyandglorythatfromdawntoduskshekneltontheground，herhandsoutstretchedtowardsthesungod，andhereyeslookedathisgoldenwheeledcarriageracingacrossthebluesky．Thoughherlovewasnotreturned，shehadneverchangedhermindaboutApollo．Thegodsweremovedatthesadsight，andchangedherintoasunflower．

4Prometheus

PrometheuswasaTitan．InthewarbetweenZeusthegiantshehadstoodonthesideofthenewOlympiangods．Outoftheclayhemadethefirstman，towhomAthenagavesoulandholybreath．Prometheusspentalotoftimeandenergyincreatingthegiftoffire．Andfireraisedmanaboveallanimals．Later，thereheldajointmeetingofgodsandmen．Themeetingwastodecidewhatpartofburntanimalsshouldbegiventogodsandwhattomen．Prometheuscutupanoxanddivideditintotwoparts：

undertheskinheplacedthefresh，andunderthefatheputthebones，forheknewtheselfishZeuslovedfat．ZeussawthroughthetrickandfeltdispleasedatthePrometheus'favortowardsmen．Soinamasterfulwayhetookawaythegiftoffirefrommankind．However，Prometheusmanagedtostealfirefromheavenandsecretlybroughtitdowntomen．Flyingintoanangeratthisunjustifiedactofrebellion，ZeuslettheothergodschainPrometheustoarockonMountainCaucasus，whereahungryeagleevertoreathisliverwhichevergrewagain．Hisperiodofpainwastobethirty-thousandyears．PrometheusfacedhisbitterfatefirmlyandneverlostcouragebeforeZeus．AtlastHeraclesmadePrometheusandZeusrestoretofriendship，whenHeraclescameoverinsearchofthegoldenappleandkilledtheeagleandsetthefriendofmankindfree．

5NereusandProteus

OfallthesmallseadivinitiesNereusandProteusstoodoutasPeculiarsea-gods．Nereus，knownas“theOldManofthesea〞，representedthepleasantaspectofoceanwaters．Helivedbeneaththeseawithhisfiftylovelydaughters，ofwhomthemostfamouswereAmphritrite，Thetis，GalateaandPanope．ItwasNereuswhoadvisedHeraclestoseekPrometheusinthehero'ssearchofthegoldenapples．

ProteuswasPoseidon'sherdsman.Hewaswellknownfortwoqualities：

thegiftofprophecyandthepowertotakevariousforms．Atonetimehewasalionwithacurlywavyhairs；atanotherheappearedintheshapeofawildboar；andstillanotherhestoodastatelytreecoveredwithrichleaves．When，afteralltheseandmanyotherchanges，hefailedtogetridofhisquestioner，thegodoffereddetailedanswers．

6Eros〔Cupid〕

Eroswasthegodoflove，betterknownbyhislatinnameCupid．SonofAphroditebyAres，hetookhisplaceamongthesmallgodsofOlympus．Hewasrepresentedasalittlenakedboy，withsparklingwings，andhecarriedhisbowandarrowswhereverhewandered．Shootinghisthrillingarrowsinevils，heinspiredthepassionofloveandprovidedallnaturewithlifeandpowerofreproduction．Thelovely，naughtygodhadtwokindsofarrows：

thegoldtippedarrowsusedtoquickenthepulseofloveandtheleadtippedonestopalsyit．Besides，hehadatorchtolightheartswith．

Thoughsometimeshewasblindfolded，nomannorgod，Zeushimselfincluded，wassafefromhisevils．AtonetimethelittlenaughtygodwaswoundedbyhisownarrowsandsuchburninglovewasawakenedinhimforthehumanmaidenPsychethathedisregardedtheconstantinterferenceofhismotherandpluckeduphiscouragetobegZeusforjustice．AnotherfamousstorywhereErosplayedanimportantpartwastheArgonauticexpedition．Medea，daughterofkingAeetes，waswoundedbyEros'arrows，tookJason'spartinrecoveringthegoldenfleeceandeventuallybecamethehero'swife．

7Ares

SonofZeusandHera，Areswasappointedgodofwar．Hewasterribleandmajestic，andhismarchshooktheworld．OfallthemajorgodsatOlympus，hewasthemosthateful，lovingstruggleandwarandeverthirstyforblood．Ontheotherhandhesignifiedcourageandvictoryinbattle，andwasdevoutlyworshippedbysoldiersgoingtowar．Prayerswereaddressedtohimbeforethewarandspoilspresentedathisaltarafterit．

Hewastheonegodwhoeverhadtosubmittothepowerofhisinferiors．Atonetimelackoftactandgoodudgementledtohisshame．Hewasfightingwithtwogiants，andfindinghimselfnomatchforthetwomonstrouscreatures，laiddownhisarmsandwasimprisonedinchains．HewassetfreeintheendbytheartfulHermes，butnotbeforehehadsufferedallthehumiliations.

Hewasasthoughtlessashewasunkind．AsonofPoseidon's，attemptingtokidnaphisdaughter，madethewar-godunhappy，sothathekilledtheyouthWithouthesitation.Inretaliation，PoseidondraggedhimbeforeagroupofAthenianjudgesfortrial．ThecourtwasheldonahilloutsideAthens．Arespresentedhiscaseandwasdeclaredinnocent.ThehillwaseveraftercalledAr