Chapter 8 The Story of Theseus-8

Theseus was at a turning point in his fortunes.When he was young, he took Minos' daughter Ariadne from Crete, and her younger sister Phaedra with her, because she did not want to leave them.Later, Ariadne was snatched by Bacchus, the god of wine, and Phaedra followed Theseus to Athens because she dared not return to her tyrannical father.It was not until her father died that she returned to her hometown of Crete and lived in the palace of her brother, King Deucalion.She grew into a bright, beautiful girl. Theseus had never married since the death of his wife Hippolyta.He heard many people praise Phaedra for being charming and charming, and he secretly hoped that she would be as beautiful and kind as his sister Ariadne.Deucalion, the new king of Crete, had a crush on Theseus.When Theseus returned from fighting at Pirithous' bloody wedding, the two kings formed an offensive and defensive alliance.

Theseus asked Deucalion to marry his sister Phaedra as his wife, and the king agreed.Soon, Theseus returned from Crete with his young wife.The wife was really as pretty as Ariadne, and he felt instantly younger.His new marriage is full of happiness and sweetness.His wife gave birth to two sons, Akamas and Demophon.However, Phaedra's attitude towards marriage is not as beautiful as her appearance, she is not a chaste woman.The king had a son, Hippolytus, who happened to be her own age.He was young, handsome, and handsome, and she liked him more than his father.Hippolytus' mother was an Amazon woman whom Theseus had abducted from the Amazon.His father had sent the young Hippolytus to Trozen to be educated by the brothers of Etra.After Hippolytus grew up, he was willing to dedicate his life to the virgin goddess Artemis, and he had never had any desire for women.

Hippolytus returned to Athens and Eleusis, where he took part in the holy festival.When Phaedra saw him for the first time, he thought he was standing before Theseus in his youth.His graceful figure and pure heart ignited a fire in her heart.But she buried her feelings deeply in her heart.After Hippolytus was gone, she built a temple to the goddess of love on the castle of Athens, which was later called the Temple of Aphrodite, from which Trodzen can be seen in the distance.She sits there every day looking at the sea, her heart fluctuates with the waves. Once, Theseus traveled to Trozen to visit relatives and sons.Phaedra accompanied him.Here, she still suppresses her fiery enthusiasm, often seeks a lonely place, and hides under the myrtle tree to mourn her own fate.Finally, unable to control herself, she confides her heart to her old nurse.This is a cunning and ignorant old woman who promised to tell Hippolytus her stepmother's love.When he heard her message, he was very disgusted, and when his unrighteous stepmother suggested that he overthrow his father and share the throne with her, he was very frightened.He considered it blasphemous to hear such a sinful suggestion.He cursed all women and shunned all women.At this time Theseus was out, Phaedra was trying to take advantage of this opportunity, but Hippolytus claimed that he would never be with his stepmother.Having driven away his old nurse, he went off to hunt in the fields, and served Artemis, his lovely goddess, so as to stay out of the palace until his father returned, and then he would tell his father what had happened.

After Phaedra was rejected by him, conscience and selfish desire fought fiercely in his heart, and finally, evil thoughts prevailed.When Theseus returned, he found his wife had hanged herself with a suicide note in her hand.It says: "Hippolytus has ruined my reputation. I have no choice but to die than to be unfaithful to my husband." Trembling with rage, Theseus stood there for a while, and finally stretched out his hands and pointed to the blue sky, begging: "Father Poseidon, you love me more than your own son. You promised to satisfy my desires. Three wishes, now I ask you to grant them at once. I only need to grant one wish: let my despicable son perish before sunset today!" His curse had just finished when Hippolytus had returned from hunting.Knowing that his father had returned, he immediately entered the palace.Hearing his father's curse, he calmly replied: "Father, my conscience is pure, and I have done nothing bad." Theseus didn't believe it, so he handed him the letter from his stepmother and expelled him.Hippolytus appealed to the goddess of protection, Artemis, to testify of his purity and innocence, and left his adopted home, Trozen, in tears.

That night, an envoy came to King Theseus and said, "King, your son Hippolytus has passed away." Theseus listened to the news coldly, and said with a wry smile: " She raped a woman, as she raped his father's wife, and was killed by her enemies, didn't she?" "No, king," replied the emissary, "his chariot killed him!" "Oh, Poseidon!" cried Theseus, raising his hands in gratitude, and pointing to heaven, he said: "You Indeed, like my father, he obeyed my request! But tell me, Messenger, how did my son die?" The messenger told him:

"A few of our servants were brushing horses by the river. The master Hippolytus came over and ordered us to harness the horses immediately. When everything was ready, he raised his hands and prayed to heaven: "Zeus, if I am A bad man, then please get rid of me!Moreover, whether I live or die, I must let my father know that there is no reason for him to reprimand me! With that he jumped into his chariot, seized the reins, and galloped towards Argos and Epidauria. We followed closely behind. We reached a deserted beach with rolling waves on the right and high mountain cliffs on the left. Suddenly , we heard a loud noise, like thunder rumbling from underground. The horses pricked up their ears in surprise, and we looked around cautiously to find out where the noise was coming from. Just then, we saw A mountain-like wave rose from the sea, covering our sight, and we couldn't see the opposite bank and the Isthmus of Corinth. The wave was full of foam, like a huge gable, roaring and rushing over. Between the waves, a monster separated The water came out. It was a gigantic bull. It gave a cry, and the earth shook. The horses that pulled the cart were frightened at the sight of this monster. But Hippolytus grabbed the reins and did not panic. The horses began to gallop again. Just as the horses were pulling the carriage onto the flat road, the water monster jumped up and blocked the way. The carriage turned to the rock to give way to the monster, but the monster stopped the carriage, so that the carriage finally hit On the rock your unfortunate son fell headfirst. The horses were still dragging him and the overturned wagon galloping over the sand. It all happened so suddenly that we had no time to save him. Later he was in the middle of the mountain road. The turn is gone, and the monster of the sea is gone, as if swallowed by the earth."

Theseus stared silently at the ground. "I am not happy about his misfortune, but I am not sad either," he said at last doubtfully. "I wish I could see him alive and ask him about his sins." His words were captured by an old woman. The cries were interrupted.Pushing aside the servants, she ran and knelt at the feet of King Theseus.This is Queen Phaedra's wet nurse. She was so tormented by her conscience that she dared not hide any more, so she confessed the king's son's innocence and the queen's viciousness with tears in her eyes.Before the unfortunate father could react, his son had already been carried in on a stretcher. Although his limbs were dragged, he was still breathing.Theseus threw himself on his dying son regretfully and desperately.The son asked weakly, "Has my innocence been proven?" People around him nodded their heads.Hippolytus was soothed, and said with all his might, "Poor father, I forgive you!" and died.

Theseus buried his son under a myrtle tree.Under this tree, Phaedra had struggled repeatedly with love, and her body was buried in this place she loved, because King Theseus did not want to disgrace her dead wife.