希腊神话节选
希腊神话【8】Dionysus 狄俄尼索斯
Dionysus
Dionysus was the god of wine．He was the son of Zeus by Semele． When his mother was burnt to death in the glory of Zeus ．He was still a helpless infant．His father trusted his upbringing to some mountain fairy maidens ．They tookthe greatest care of him． Under the tutorship of Silennus，the Satyr， he was introduced to all the secrets of nature and the culture of the wine． He travelled far and wide in his carriage drawn by wild beasts． He was said to have been to India and Ethiopia ．Wherever he went， there was music and song and revelling．Hisattendants，known as the Bacchantes， were noted for their noiseand disorder．A most wild，noisy crow，they drank，danced andsang in a careless way．The women Bacchantes were infamous for their excessive immodesty and disgraceful excitement ．In their madness and intoxication they committed cruel violence. They tore Orpheus，the gifted musician，limb from limb．King Pentheus of Thebes，for frowning on the worship of Bacchus in his kingdom， suffered the same treatment at the hands of a band of these fanatical women，of whom his own mother was the leader．
狄俄尼索斯
狄俄尼索斯是酒神，他是宙斯和塞梅莱的儿子。当他的妈妈被宙斯的璀璨之焰烧死时，他还只是个孤弱的婴儿。他的父亲将他寄托在山中仙子们那里，他们精心地哺育他长大。在森林之神西莱娜斯的辅导下，他掌握了有关自然的所有秘密以及酒的历史。他乘坐着他那辆由野兽驾驶的四轮马车到处游荡。据说他曾到过印度和埃塞俄比亚。他走到哪儿，乐声、歌声、狂饮就跟到哪儿。他的侍从们，被称为酒神的信徒，也因他们的吵闹无序而出名。他们肆无忌惮地狂笑，漫不经心地喝酒、跳舞和唱歌。侍从中的妇女也因极端粗野、得意起来有失体面而臭名昭著。当她们疯狂或是极度兴奋时，她们使用残忍的暴力。她们曾把俄尔浦斯这位才华横溢的音乐家的手足撕裂。就连底比斯国王，仅因为在本国崇拜巴克斯（狄俄尼索斯的别名）问题上皱了皱眉头，也遭受了同样的惩罚。而带领这群狂热的女人胡作非为的就是狄俄尼索斯的母亲。
希腊神话【11】The Flood 洪水
The Flood
Towards the end of the Age of Bronze the human world became very cruel．
Men grew hungry，impolite and ungodly．Neither rightn or law was respected any longer，and the rule of hospitality was forgotten．Dressed up in human form，Zeus visited Arcadia andThessaly，and disliked the deadly wrongs of men ．He decidedto clear the earth of them all．Without hesitation he released therainy south wind and called upon the heartless Poseidon to help．Soon the whole world sank in a vast ocean， and the entire humanrace disappeared in the unheard of flood，all but two poor Thessalians ．
These were an old childless couple，kind and faithful and contented with life．The man was called Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha．Son of Prometheus，Deucalion had been warned beforehand by his father of the coming flood and made himself a hugechest．When the roaring flood came the couple hid themselves init and floated for nine days until it touched land again on Mt Parnassus．
The once active world presented a frightening sight．It was all death and ruin．Feeling lonely and unsafe，the old coupleprayed to the gods for help．A sage instructed them to cast the bones of their mother about ．The son of the wise Titan， havingguessed the true meaning of the mysterious command， started throwing stones behind him． A miracle occurred． The stonesthat the man cast became men；the stones that the woman threwturned into women．Since then，people appeared on the land again．The Heroic Age had begun．
洪水
到了青铜期末代，人类世界变得非常残忍，人类也变得贪婪、粗鲁且不虔诚。公理与法律不再受到尊重。殷勤好客的'风俗被遗忘。宙斯装扮成凡人的样子查看了阿卡迪亚和色萨利两地。他不喜欢凡人极度的罪恶，决心将他们从地球上铲除。他毫不犹豫地释放了夹雨的南风，并召来冷酷无情的波塞冬协助他。很快整个人类世界被淹没在一片汪洋之中。除了两名恭顺的色萨利人幸免于难外，人类被史无前例的洪水吞噬。
这对老夫妻没有孩子。他们善良、虔诚、对生活心满意足。丈夫是普罗米修斯的儿子，名叫丢卡利翁，妻子名为皮拉。丢卡利翁的父亲事先就警告他会爆发洪水，因此，他制了个巨大的箱子。当咆哮的洪水涌来时，夫妻俩就躲藏在箱中，这样漂泊了九天，最终漂到了帕那萨斯山。
曾经生机勃勃的大地呈现出恐怖的景象。死亡与毁灭四处可见。老夫妻深感孤独和危险。他们就向上帝祈祷，乞求帮助。一位圣人指示他们把母亲的遗骨掷向四周。这位聪明的泰坦的后代，马上悟出了这个神秘指示所隐含的意义。他们开始将石头抛向身后。奇迹出现了。男人抛出的石头变成了男人，女人抛的则变成了女人。从此人类再次在陆地上出现，英雄时代来临。
希腊神话【10】Palladium 雅典娜的神像
Palladium
When Ilus had first built his new seat，the city of Troy， he prayed Zeus to show some sign of blessing for it． His prayer was heard，and a wooden image of Pallas- A-thena fell from heaven to within the walls of the city． Known as the Palladium， the statue afforded the city safety and protection． At religious meetings of the goddess it was carried through the city streets amid joys and songs of praise．
After the flames of war had spread for ten years before the walls of Troy， a prophet foretold that Troy could never be expected to fall as long as the Palladium was treasured by its people ．In order to steal it out，Odysseus and Diomedes slipped into the capital one night in disguise ，known to none but Hellen．The bad woman took out them to He cuba， the queen of Troy， at whose feet Odysseus immediately bowed down and asked formercy．The queen granted their request，and with the help of Helen，they successfully brought the image back to the Greek camp at dawn．
Later it was said that Aeneas got hold of it and carried itwith him to his new land，where it was Preserved together with the goddess' fire．
雅典娜的神像
当伊拉斯最初建造特洛伊城时，他祈求宙斯赐福于这座城市。宙斯听到祈求后，一尊木制的智慧雅典娜像从天堂落到了城墙里。人们将它称作雅典娜神像。这尊木像担任着保卫和看守城市的任务。在祭神的宗教仪式中，它在欢快的气氛和赞美的歌声中被抬着走过城市的所有街道。
在特洛伊建成之前，战火已弥漫了十年。一位预言家说：只要雅典娜的神像受人民的爱戴，特洛伊城就永远不会衰灭。为了将神像偷出城，一天夜里奥德修斯和狄俄墨德斯乔装改扮潜入首都，这一切只有海伦知道。这个可恶的女人把他们介绍给特洛伊皇后赫克犹巴。奥德修斯立刻跪倒在她的面前乞求怜悯。皇后答应了他们的要求，在海伦的帮助下，他们在拂晓的时候成功地带着雕像回到希腊营地。
据说后来埃弥斯得到了雕像并带着它到了自己的新领地。木像和神火一起被保存在这块土地上。
希腊神话【9】Philomela 菲勒美拉
Philomela
King Pandion of Athens had two daughters，Procne and Philomela．When Athens was threatened by the wild men，King Tereus of Thrace came to its help．Out of gratitude King Pandion offered Tereus either of his daughters in marriage and the Thracian king chose Procne as wife． For yearsthey lived in Thrace and had one son，Itylus by name．Then Procne became homesick and longed to see her dear sister Philomela．At her repeated requests Tereus sailed to Athens tofetch Philomela．On the way back his evil heart took flame at the sight of Philomela who was then in her beauty of maidenhood．He seized and carried her away by force，cut out her tongue and imprisoned her in a lonely hut in the woods．To Procne he lied，saying that Philomela was dead．Philomela stayed in prison for ayear，where she had woven her painful story into the web of a robe ．Then she managed to send the robe to her sister． As soon as she received the web Procne came over to the woods and to reher sister away from the keepers．
Back at the palace, the two women，hot for paying back ，killed little Itylus and served him up to his father ． When Tereus learned of the terrible truth he grasped his sword and chased the sisters into the woods． There the gods turned Procne into a swallow，Philomela a nightingale and Tereus a hoopoe ．
菲勒美拉
雅典国王潘底翁有两个女儿，普鲁丝妮和菲勒美拉。当雅典受到蛮人的威胁时，色雷斯国王泰诺斯伸出了援助之手。出于感激，国王潘底翁让泰诺斯从自己的女儿中任选一位作他妻子。泰诺斯选择了普鲁丝妮。他们在色雷斯生活了许多年，并且生了一个儿子，名叫意大拉斯。由于远离故土，普鲁丝妮患了思乡病，她非常想见亲爱的妹妹菲勒美拉。在她的一再要求下，泰诺斯乘船去雅典接菲勒美拉来与她姐姐团聚。在返回的途中，看到菲勒美拉浑身散发出的青春和美丽，泰诺斯非常嫉妒，顿生歹意。他强行带走了菲勒美拉，并割去了她的舌头，将她关在森林中一个偏僻的小茅屋里。在普鲁丝妮面前，他撒谎说菲勒美拉已经死了。菲勒美拉被囚禁了整整一年。在囚禁期间，她将痛苦的经历编织成了一件长袍；然后，她想方设法让长袍落到她姐姐的手中。普鲁丝妮一收到那件长袍就来到了森林，将她妹妹救了出来。
回到宫殿后，姐妹俩急于复仇，杀死了小意大拉斯，并派人将尸体送到他父亲那里。国王泰诺斯得知事情真相后，提起剑来把姐妹两人赶到森林里。在林中，众神将普鲁丝妮变为一只麻雀，将菲勒美拉变为一只夜莺，而将泰诺斯变成了一只戴胜科鸟。
希腊神话【7】Ares 阿瑞斯
Ares
Son of Zeus and Hera，Ares was appointed god of war．Hewas terrible and majestic ，and his march shook the world．Of all the major gods at Olympus，he was the most hateful，loving struggle and war and ever thirsty for blood ．On the other hand he signified courage and victory in battle，and was devoutly worshipped by soldiers going to war．Prayers were addressed to him before the war and spoils presented at his altar after it．
He was the one god who ever had to submit to the power ofhis inferiors ．At one time lack of tact and good udge ment led to his shame．He was fighting with two giants，and finding himself no match for the two monstrous creatures，laid down hisarms and was imprisoned in chains． He was set free in the end by the artful Hermes，but not before he had suffered all the humiliations .
He was as thoughtless as he was unkind ．A son of Poseidon's，attempting to kidnap his daughter，made the war-god unhappy，so that he killed the youth Without he sitation.In retaliation ，Poseidon dragged him before a group of Athenian judges for trial．The court was held on a hill outside Athens．Ares presented his case and was declared innocent . The hill was ever after called Areopagus，“the hill of Ares”，and the judges receivedthe names of Areopagitae．
阿瑞斯
阿瑞斯，宙斯和赫拉之子，被委任为战神。他威严而可怕。他一走动，整个世界都会摇晃。在奥林波斯山上的所有主神中，他是最可恨的、最喜欢争斗和战争的神，并且永远对血腥有一种渴望。另一方面，他代表勇气和胜利，被即将上战场的战士们疯狂地崇拜。这些崇拜者战前都要向他祈祷，战后将战利品供奉在他的祭坛前。
他是惟一一位曾经不得不屈于部下威力的神。有一次，由于缺乏机智与正确判断使他蒙受羞辱。他和两个巨人决斗，发现自己不能抵挡。他自动放下武器，被铐上铁链关了起来，最后他被老练的赫尔墨斯救出来，但在此之前，他已饱尝了受侮辱的滋味。
他做事不加思考，就像他的残暴一样典型。波塞冬的一个儿子企图诱拐他的女儿，弄得战神非常不悦。于是，他毫不留情地把他干掉了。为了替儿子报仇，波塞冬拉着阿瑞斯到雅典法官面前要求审判战神。审判是在城外的一座小山上开庭的，阿瑞斯叙述了案情，最后被判无罪。从那以后，这座山就称作雅典的最高法院，即“阿瑞斯之山”；而出审的法官们被称作雅典最高法院的法官。
希腊神话【6】Eros（Cupid）厄洛斯（丘比特）
Eros（Cupid）
Eros was the god of love，better known by hislatin name Cupid．Son of Aphrodite by Ares ，he took his place among the small gods of Olympus．He was represented asa little naked boy，with sparkling wings，and he carried his bowand arrows wherever he wandered．Shooting his thrilling arrows in evils，he inspired the passion of love and provided all nature with life and power of reproduction．The lovely，naughty god had two kinds of arrows：the gold tipped arrows used to quicken the pulse of love and the lead tipped ones to palsy it． Besides，he had a torch to light hearts with．
Though sometimes he was blindfolded ，no man nor god，Zeus himself included，was safe from his evils．At one time the little naughty god was wounded by his own arrows and suchburning love was awakened in him for the human maiden Psyche that he disregarded the constant interference of his mother and plucked up his courage to beg Zeus for justice．Another famousstory where Eros played an important part was the Argonautic expedition．Medea，daughter of king Aeetes，was wounded by Eros' arrows，took Jason's part in recovering the golden fleece and eventually became the hero's wife．
厄洛斯（丘比特）
厄洛斯是爱神，它的拉丁名称丘比特更为人熟知。他是阿瑞斯和阿芙罗狄蒂的儿子，是一位小奥林波斯山神。他的形象是一个裸体的小男孩，有一对闪闪发光的翅膀。他带着弓箭漫游。他恶作剧地射出令人震颤的神箭，唤起爱的激情。给自然界带来生机，授予万物繁衍的能力。这位可爱而又淘气的小精灵有两种神箭：加快爱情产生的金头神箭和中止爱情的铅头神箭。另外，他还有一束照亮心灵的火炬。
尽管有时他被蒙着眼睛，但没有任何人或神，包括宙斯在内，能逃避他的恶作剧。有一次这位淘气的精灵被自己的箭射中。对人间少女普赛克炽热的爱在他心中复苏，以致于他不顾他母亲的干预，鼓起勇气让宙斯给予公正评判。厄洛斯起了重大作用的另一个著名的故事是亚尔古英雄的远征。美狄亚，国王埃厄忒斯的女儿，被厄洛斯的神箭射中，和伊阿宋一起寻觅金羊毛，最后成为这位英雄的妻子。
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