Chapter 8 Descendants of Hercules - 8

Crisphontes, king of Mesonia, also met many hardships, and his fate was not much better than that of Temenos.He married Merobe, and had many children, the youngest of which was Abitus.Merobe was the daughter of King Cypselos of Arcadia.Cresphontes built a splendid palace for himself and his children.But he did not enjoy long blessings in the palace, because he was a wise monarch who was especially willing to help the common people.This made many rich people very angry, and they gathered together and killed the king and several of his sons.Only the youngest son, Ebitos, escaped by chance, and his mother hid him in Arcadia, letting him live and receive education quietly with his grandfather Cypselos.

Another descendant of Hercules, Polyphontes, usurped the throne of Mesonia.He married Merobe by force, and when he heard that there was an heir alive to Cresphontes, he offered a great price for his head.But no one wants to, and no one can get the bounty, because no one knows exactly where the heir is hiding. When Abitus grew up, he quietly left his grandfather's palace, not letting anyone know his purpose, and came to Mesonia alone. Abitus had heard that there was a reward for his head.He ventured to disguise himself as a stranger, and went to the palace of King Polyphontes, without being recognized by his own mother.He said in the presence of the king and queen: "O king, I come to tell you that I want to receive a bounty for the head of the little prince. He is indeed a threat to your throne as the rightful heir of Cresphontes. I know He, just like knowing myself. I am willing to hand him over to you to dispose of."

Hearing this, Merobo turned pale with fright.She hastened to find a faithful old servant.The old servant, who had helped her rescue Abitus, lived in seclusion far from the palace because he was afraid of the new king.Merobe sent him secretly to Arcadia, to remind her son to be careful, or to bring him to Mesonia, where he would lead the people who hated the faint king to rebel against Polyphontes and regain the throne. The old servant came to Arcadia and met King Cypselos and other members of the royal family.They were all very worried, for Abitus was missing, and no one knew what had happened to him.The old servant hurried back to Mesonia and told the queen everything.Both thought that the stranger who had come before the king must have murdered Epitus in Arcadea, and brought his body to Mesonia.They didn't think much about it, and wanted to kill the foreigners who were already living in the palace.That night, with a sharp ax in hand, the queen, with the help of a loyal old servant, sneaked into the stranger's room, intending to hack him to death while he was asleep.

The young man slept peacefully and peacefully.The moonlight shone on his face.Merobe raised the ax and was about to chop down, when the old servant suddenly screamed and quickly grabbed the queen's arm. "Stop!" he shouted, "The person you want to kill is your own son Abitus!" At this, Merobe dropped his arms, and dropped the ax on the ground.She threw herself on her son, who woke up with a start.The two hugged each other.The son tells his mother that he is back to punish the murderers, free her from a marriage she loathes, and regain the throne with the help of the townspeople.The three discussed the way of revenge, and then acted separately.Merobe, dressed in mourning, came before the king, and told him that she had just received the sad news that her youngest son was indeed dead, and that she resolved to live in peace with her husband and to forget all past misfortunes.The tyrant fell into a trap.He got rid of his worries and was very happy.He also promised to sacrifice to the gods to celebrate the destruction of his enemies.He summoned the citizens to the square to take part in the ceremony.Reluctantly they came to the square, still remembering the former king Crifontes, and mourning his son Abitus.When the king was offering sacrifices, Abitus rushed out from the crowd and stabbed the king's chest with his sword.Merobe also went up to the crowd with his servants, and announced to the townspeople that this stranger was Abitus, the rightful heir to the throne.Cheers erupted from the crowd.Abytus inherited the throne that very day, and then punished the murderers of his father and brother, he won the respect of the Mesonia, and enjoyed such a high prestige that his descendants were no longer called Heracles. Descendants, and are called the Descendants of Abitus.