every sort), Calypso, Charybdis, Acheron, Aeolus, Aeëtes, the Argo, Ariadne, the Amazons, the Aethiopians, Ate, Amphitrite, Alcmena, Alcestis, Halcyone, Amphiaraus, Amphitryon, Asclepius, Assaracus, Atlas, Bellerophon, Boötes, Briareus, Ganymede, the Giants, Daedalus, Dardanus, Deucalion, Dionysus, Enyalius, Hesperus, Eumelus, Eurystheus, Eos, Themis, Thetis, Thyestes, Jason, Idas, Hippotades, Iris, Cadmus, Cassandra, Castor and Pollux, the Centaurs, the Cimmerians, the Cyclops, Laomedon, Marpessa, Memnon, Minos, Niobe, Paeeon, Panope, Oedipus, Pirithous, Pelops, Proteus, the Sirens, Semele, the Gorgon, Jocasta, Sisyphus, Scylla, Tantalus, Tithonus, the Titans, Hyperion, Chiron, Chimaera, the Pygmies, the Lotus-Eaters, the Symplegades, Thamyris, Medea, Orion, and Hercules. All these are referred to under attributes with which they have ever since been joined. It may be that these later traditions were created out of inferences drawn from Homer; but it seems more probable that the poet was referring to familiar tales, tales which somehow survived without being incorporated in the poetry of Homer. To these should be added such words as nectar and ambrosia, the drink and food of the gods; nepenthe, a drug or magic something which deadened the sense of grief or pain; moly, an herb capable of withstanding the powers of sorcery; ichor, a fluid flowing in the veins of the gods; a sardonic smile, and Homeric laughter, also rosy-fingered dawn; even the word Iliad has passed into a figure of speech in such a phrase as "an Iliad of woes," and Odyssey in such an expression as "an Odyssey of adventures." How important the words of this above list are in modern literature will be shown by one of the lesser and more obscure of the number, Proteus. VII. PROTEUS IN ENGLISH M LITERATURE ENELAUS was unable to get away from the island of Pharos and in his extremity was met by Eidothea who urged him to form an ambush and seize her father, Proteus, who had the gift of prophecy and who, if firmly seized, would direct Menelaus in methods of escape and would tell him also how things at home had fared during his long absence. She slew and flayed four seals which belonged to the flock of Proteus, then she concealed Menelaus and three companions under these skins of the seals and told them to await the approach of the aged sea-divinity and seer, Proteus. About noon the sea-god came out of the deep and, having numbered his seals and found that none was missing, he lay down near them and went to sleep. Menelaus and his companions threw off the skins of the seals and tried to seize the aged Proteus, "But the old man forgot not his crafty art and became first of all a bearded lion, next he took the form of a serpent, a panther, and a huge boar, and then he changed into the likeness of running water, after which he became a tree with towering branches, but all this time we held on with determined purpose." At last when Proteus saw that his wiles were in vain and that his captors would not let him go, he assumed his wonted form, became again an old man of the sea and told Menelaus how he could resume his journey from the island, also revealed the fate of many of the companions he had left at Troy, and ended by assuring him of his blessed immortality in the fields of Elysium which he was to enjoy with his restored and untarnished Helen. "Thus having spoken he sank under the billowy waves of the sea," and he did not reappear, at least in the poetry of Homer. This is the Homeric story of Proteus and most literary references depend on it: Spenser: The Faerie Queene: He then devisde himselfe how to disguise; Now like a foxe, now like a dragon fell. (I, 2, 10.) (For Proteus was with prophecy inspir'd) Her deare sonnes destiny to her to tell. (III, 4, 25.) Then like a Faerie knight himselfe he drest; To dreadfull shapes he did himselfe transforme: I'll play the orator as well as Nestor, Change shapes with Proteus, for advantages. The words of Richard: Henry VI, Part III, III, 2. |