希腊神话

7. Cupid and Psyche:
Cupid was the god of love, better known by his son of Aphrodite and Ares
The story [Eros and Psyche] is about a princess named Psyche, who was so beautiful that when it came time for her to wed no suitors could be found -- for everyone worshiped her from afar believing that she was the appearance on earth of the Goddess of Love. While this attention saddened and embarrassed the young princess it infuriated Venus, the real Goddess of Beauty and Love. She directed her son, Cupid, to cast a spell upon Psyche that would cause her to fall in love with some despicable creature and in consequence to suffer so greatly that her beauty would fade. Obediently Cupid descended to earth, but the moment he saw the maiden his heart filled with love.
Psyche's parents meantime had gone to the Oracle at Delphi for advice. Oracle was explicit: dress Psyche in mourning, escort her to the top of the mountain, and leave her to await her bridegroom Grief-stricken, Psyche was led in funeral procession to the summit of the mountain and left there as the sun slowly set. Zephyrus, the evening breeze, carried her down into the valley below. Upon waking, Psyche found herself before the entrance of a magnificent palace. She entered and walked from room to room, admiring the treasures they contained. In the darkness of night Cupid arrived and, though invisible to her, his words and embraces were so tender and loving she knew that this was the lover she had always longed for. When he asked her to give him her trust and her love and to become his bride, even though she must promise never to look upon him, she readily pledged him her troth.
Life for Psyche was happier than ever, but after a time she grew homesick. To cheer her Cupid arranged for her two sisters to visit, but warned that if she revealed the secret of their marriage, their happiness would end as he would be forced to depart. Psyche promised to say nothing, but under the pressure of her sisters' questioning she let something slip which they twisted to convince her that she had married a monster and must slay him.
Tormented with doubts, Psyche determined to discover the truth about her invisible husband who always disappeared before dawn. She arose, lit a lamp, and turned to look for the first time upon her beloved:
Overwhelmed by his beauty Psyche inadvertently tipped the lamp and a drop of oil spilled on his shoulder, waking the slumbering god. "O simple-hearted Psyche," he exclaimed, "how could you doubt me? Now I must depart." In an instant he was gone. Psyche, brokenhearted, set out to find her beloved, not knowing that he had returned to Olympus where his mother tended his wound and had him guarded lest he return to earth.
Psyche searched through long and weary years but found no trace of Cupid. She entered the temples of Demeter and Hera to seek their aid, and they advised her to be steadfast and faithful: "If Cupid still loves you, no power on earth or in
heaven will keep him from you." Psyche realized now that Cupid must be on Olympus and was wondering how she could reach him when Mercury, messenger of the gods, appeared and offered to carry her there. She gladly accepted. Upon her arrival, however, Venus had her seized and would have had her destroyed had Psyche not pleaded for clemency. She offered to serve the goddess in every way possible could she but see her beloved once more. Venus agreed -- Psyche had first to accomplish three tasks, which the goddess knew were impossible for mortals to perform. The first was to separate by nightfall the seeds in an enormous pile of mixed grains; the second, to fetch golden fleece from a herd of fierce wild sheep; and the third, to obtain a cupful of black water from a river guarded by dragons. Psyche accomplished the first with the help of ants; the second, by following the advice of a nymph; and the third with the aid of the eagle of Jupiter.
Venus was amazed and set Psyche one more task: to descend into Hades and obtain enough spray from the Fountain of Youth to restore the beauty the goddess had lost caring for her son's burnt shoulder. Again Psyche received help. She overcame all obstacles and lures of the underworld, and finally received the precious spray from Persephone. Upon reaching the world of the living she began to weaken: "One drop of this potion would restore my own beauty and bring Cupid to my side . . . only one little drop . . . no one would know." She barely touched the lid when it sprang open and poisonous fumes enveloped her and she fell into a deathlike stupor. Cupid, having recovered and escaped his guards, at this very moment arrived at her side, with a kiss, wakened the unconscious Psyche and explained to her that spray from the Fountain of Youth, being derived from the Water of Death, overcomes mortals and causes them to pass through death and rebirth.
As he spoke Psyche herself was transformed, with wings unfolding from her shoulders; and when Cupid placed his arm around her they rose together to Olympus. In the presence of the gods, Jupiter united the couple in wedlock.
当Cupid 离开Psyche 时说：Love could not dwell where there is no trust.
Psyche: a hellenistic personification of the soul as female 人类灵魂德女性化身 or sometimes as a butterfly.
psyche: the human soul, mind or spirit.
Psychiatric
Psychiatrist 精神病医生
psychology n. 心理学
psychological adj. 心理的
Under the Rose ：in secret; privately confidentially 秘密地;私下得;暗中
丘比特是战神玛斯(Mars)和爱与美之神维纳斯(venus)所生的儿子.维纳斯，也就是希腊神话里的阿芙罗狄蒂(Aphrodite),传说她是从大海的泡沫里生出来，以美丽著称,从宙斯到奥林匹帕斯的诸神都为起美貌姿容所倾倒.有关她的恋爱传说很多，欧洲很多文艺作品常用维纳斯做题材.小爱神丘比特为了维护其母的声誉,给沉默之神哈伯克拉底(Harpocrates)送了一束玫瑰花,请他守口如瓶不要把维纳斯的风流韵事传播出去.哈伯克拉底受了玫瑰花就缄默不语了,成为名副其实的"沉默之神"
古罗马人对维纳斯非常尊崇,不仅奉为掌管人类的爱情.婚姻.生育的爱与美的神,而且尊为丰收女神.园艺女神.罗马的统治者恺撒大帝甚至追搠维纳斯是罗马人的祖先.由于上述神话传说,古罗马人把玫瑰花当作沉没或严守秘密的象征,并在日常生活中相尚成风.人们去串门做客,当看到主人家的桌子上方画有玫瑰,客人就了解在这桌上所谈的一切行为均不应外传.于是在语言中产生了Sub rosa 在玫瑰花底下这个拉丁成语. 据<牛津英语词典>解释,英语under the rose 系源自德语unt
er der Rosen. 古代德国的宴会厅.会议室以及旅店的餐室,在天花板上常画有或雕刻着玫瑰花,用来提醒在场者要守口如瓶,严守秘密,不要把玫瑰花底下的言行透露出去.这个流行于15至17世纪的德语成语反映了这种习俗. 罗马帝国全盛时,其势力几乎席卷了整个欧洲,罗马某些文化风尚也随着他的军事力量渗透到欧洲各国.因此，以玫瑰花象征沉默的习俗,并不限于德国..
under the rose 是个状语性成语，在句中修饰动词,其含义因所修饰的动词的不同而略有不同.如:born under the rose"私生的""非婚生的";do under the rose"暗中进行"
eg:The senator told me under the rose that there is to be a chance in the cabinet.
The matter was finally settled under the rose.
Do what you like undeer the rose,but don't give a sign of what you're about...
8. the Legend of half-god(Greek Hero)
8.1. Legend of Odysseus:
The king of Ithaca, a leader of the Greeks in the Trojan War, who reached home after ten years of wandering.
8.1.1. Lotus Eaters: a person who spends his time indulging in pleasure and luxury rather than dealing with practical concerns.
On the tenth day after leaving Troy，and his men came to an island，where the people only took lotus fruit and flowers as their food．This plant had such a magic effect on its eaters that it could make them forget their past and produce a dreamy laziness over them．When Odysseus' men arrived，they were kindly invited by the people on the island to eat the sweet food．Its magic power began to work on the mimmediately．They fell into a deep daydream．They lost all wishes for future，To them the sea and ship appeared dull and hateful．And they were not eager to see wife，child and kingdom．When he saw no trace of his men coming back，Odysseus became suspicious．He set out with some well armed men to find out the truth．It did not take him long to find out the magic effect of the food．Not allowing his followers to touch the plant，he ordered them to drag their lazy friends back to their ship．There he had them tied to the benches until they slept off the harmful effect of the lotus．8.1.2. The Sirens
Far out in the sea there was an island，on the rocky edge of which lived three Sirens，the three sisters of magic song．Half human and half bird，the Siren sisters sat in a field of flowers，singing in voices that excited the hearts of men．The attractive songs were so sweet that ships were attracted to the island and struck to pieces on the rocks．No sailor nor ship had ever been known to pass the Island of the Sirens without being attracted to disaster ．
Odysseus took careful preparation against the Sirens．Before their ships came to where they could hear the song，Odysseus had himself tied to the mast，stopped the ears of his men with wax and ordered them to ignore his orders and gestures when they were passing the fatal island ．
Soon they came in sight of the rocky island，and the attractive song reached the ears of Odysseus．It moved him so much that he struggled in despair to free himself and shouted for his men to turn towards the rich and flowery grass land of the singing sisters．But no one paid any attention to him．The sailors kept straight on until they
were completely out of hearing．Then his friends freed him and took the wax out of their ears．For once the Sirens had sung with no effects．The eldest of the sisters，loved Odysseus so much that she threw herself into the sea after his ships had passed．siren 迷人的美女；汽笛；警报
8.1.3. Odysseus and Trojan War
At the end of nine years of Trojan War, a prophet predicted that Troy would not fall as long as the Palladium stayed within its walls. Odysseus went into the city in disguise and stole it out of the temple of the city. Then he designed a great wooden horse, in which some Greek soldiers hid themselves, and pretended to withdraw. The overjoyed Trojans believed that it was sent by Athena and hauled it into their capital. At night the hidden Greeks crawled out and threw the whold city into confusion. Troy was robbed.
The Trojan Horse木马计；暗藏的危险；奸细the hidden danger; the covert wreckers （内奸）; to engage in underhand activities
The superpowers are always sending the Trojan horses to many countries in the world. They are defeated only because of the Trojan horse in their country.
Greek Gift(s): a gift with some sinister purposes of the enemy; one given with intent to harm; a gift sent in order to murder sb. When the fox preaches,take care of your geese；阴谋害人的礼物；黄鼠狼拜年，不安好心
He is always buying you expensive clothes, I'm afraid they are Greek gifts for you.
当特洛伊人要把大木马拖进城的时候，祭司拉奥孔(Laocoon)劝说不要接受希腊人留下的东西。

他说I fear the Greeks ,even when bringing gifts. 其简化形式就是Greek Gifts.可惜特洛伊人不听拉奥孔的警告，把木马作为战利品拖进城里。

木马里藏着希腊的精锐部队，给特洛伊人带来了屠杀和灭亡
8.1.4. A Penelope's Web/The Web of Penelope:
the tactics of delaying sth on purposel;the task that can never be finished 故意拖延的策略；永远做不完的工作
Mr Jones made a long speech at the meeting.
Everyone else thought it a Penelope's web.
My work is something like the Penelope's web,never done,but ever in hand.
主人公奥德修斯是希腊半岛西南边伊大卡岛(Ithaca)的国王，他有个美丽而忠诚的妻子，名叫珀涅罗珀。

奥德修斯随希腊联军远征特洛伊，十年苦战结束后，希腊将士纷纷凯旋归国。

惟独奥德修斯命运坎坷，归途中又在海上漂泊了10年，历尽无数艰险，并盛传他已葬身鱼腹，或者客死异域。

正当他在外流浪的最后三年间，有一百多个来自各地的王孙公子，聚集在他家里，向他的妻子求婚。

坚贞不渝的珀涅罗珀为了摆脱求婚者的纠缠，想出个缓兵之策，她宣称等她为公公织完一匹做寿衣的布料后，就改嫁给他们中的一个。

于是，她白天织这匹布，夜晚又在火炬光下把它拆掉。

就这样织了又拆，拆了又织，没完没了，拖延时间，等待丈夫归来。

后来，奥德修斯终于回转家园，夫妻儿子合力把那些在他家里宴饮作乐，胡作非为的求婚者一个个杀死，终于夫妻团圆了。

Penelope: a chaste woman贞妇
with a penelope faith坚贞不渝
在特洛伊战争開戰前，他的儿子忒勒玛科斯还是襁褓中的婴儿，因此他不愿意加入希腊联军，在阿伽门农来找他时装疯，在地里倒着犁地。

然而阿伽门农把忒勒玛科斯放在犁下，为免伤害儿子，奥德修斯只得停下，加入這場戰爭。

在特洛伊战争中，許多優秀的計謀都是奥德修斯貢献的，他受到女神雅典娜的寵愛，最重要也是致勝關鍵的木马计就是他的主意，让希腊人假装撤退，留下巨大的木马。

特洛伊人把木马拖进城中，作为战利品。

晚上藏在木马里的希腊人与联军里应外合，毁灭了特洛伊城，结束了十年之久的战争。

然而在奧德賽故事中，由于得罪了海神波塞冬，奥德修斯在海上漂流了十年，经历各种苦难，最后只剩一人回到了家。

在雅典娜女神和儿子的帮助下，他杀死了所有的在他离开时赖在他家不走，向他妻子求婚以霸占他家财产的求婚人。

虽然重新当上了国王，有美满的家，但奥德修斯年老时仍重新出海去探索，从此不知所踪。

奧德修斯高举酒碗，献给独眼巨人。

8.2. Legend of Jason
8.2.1. the origin of The Golden Fleece
King Athamus of northern Greece had two children, Phrixus and Helle, After he left his first wife and married Ino，a wicked woman，the two children received all the cruel treatment that a stepmother could devise. At one time the kingdom was ruined by a famine．Ino persuaded her credulous husband into believing that his son, Phrixus, was the actual cause of the disaster，and should be sacrificed to Zeus.The poor boy was then placed on the altar and was about to be knifed when a ram with golden fleece was sent down by the gods and carried off the two children on its back．As they flew over the strait that divides Asia from Europe，Helle，faint at the vast expanse of water below，fell into the sea and was drowned．Thus the sea of Helle，Hellespont赫勒之海(the ancient name for the Dardanelles达达尼尔海峡)，became the ancient name of the strip of water．Her brother kept on and arrived in Colchis on the eastern shore of the Black Sea. There he sacrificed the ram to Zeus and gave its golden fleece to King Aeetes，who nailed it on a sacred tree and put a sleepless dragon in charge.
8.2.2. Jason
Jason was a pupil of the wise and just Centaur- Chiron, he was by birth a prince．His father was once king of Iolcus，but was overthrown by his own half brother Pelias．So he sent his baby son Jason to the Centaur for safekeeping．As a boy Jason took part in the boar hunt．When he grew up into a strong youth he was told of the secret of his birth．So he went to avenge his father's wrongs ．
On his way back to his native city he met a weak old woman waiting to be helped across a mountain stream．Kind and polite，Jason carried the old lady on his back and walked across the stream．Little had he thought that the old woman was just Hera herself．Thus he got the help and protection of a powerful friend at the beginning of his life．As he lost one shoe in the stream he had to enter Pelias' palace in only one shoe．Pelias was quite scared to see such a stranger because he had been warned by a prophet to be careful of a man wearing only one shoe．He was not surprised when
Jason told him who he was and what his business was about．The artful Pelias welcomed his nephew with false pride and joy；he promised to give up the kingdom to one who had proved himself worthy of it．And he urged the youth to bring the golden fleece back from Colchis．He felt quite certain that his nephew would never come back alive from the hopeless task．
8.2.3. quest of the Golden Fleece
Jason was pleased with the quest of the Golden Fleece and make preparations for the expedition. Jason employed Argus to build him a vessel capable of containing 50 men. The vessel named “Argo”. Hercules, Theseus, Odepus etc. were invited to the adventure. They are called the Argonauts. They passed the dangerous strait, and landed at the kingdom of Colchis科尔基斯. The king of Colchis asked him to yoke to the plough two fire-breathing bulls with brazen feet, and sow the teeth of the dragon,and a crop of armed men would spring up from the teeth of dragon. With the help of the daughter of king, Medea, a potent sorceress魔法师，Jason completed the task sucessfully. Then Jason killed the dragon that guarded the fleece and returned to Thessaly with Golden Fleece and Medea. Jason‟s father was old and weak, Medea restored his strength and youth with her magic power. (She boiled sth in cauldron大锅then she cut the throat of the old man and let out all his blood, and poured into his mouth and wound the juices of her cauldron.) Pelias‟ daughters also wanted their father to be young again, they asked Medea to help. They killed Pelia and placed him in the cauldron. In this way Medea helped Jason to take the kingdom back. Medea had done so much for Jason, but Jason loved and wanted to marry another woman, Medea was so angry, she sent a poisoned robe as a gift to the bride, and killed her own children
宙斯也被英雄们惊天动地的壮举感动了，他把金羊毛和阿尔戈号海船都提升到天界，这便是白羊座和南船座。

而金羊毛被伊阿宋取走以后，那条毒龙也无事可做了。

宙斯觉得它对自己的工作还是尽职尽责的，便把它也升到了天上，这就是天龙座。

珀利阿斯当然是罪有应得，只是美狄亚的手段也过于残忍了。

宙斯有些看不过去，他怕美狄亚再用这个魔钵去害人，便将它提升到天界，这就是巨爵座。

Golden Fleece: 历尽千辛万苦觅取的宝物
8.3. Achilles
Achilles was the son of Peleus, a brave warrior and Thetis, a beautiful sea-goddess. At the wedding of Peleus and the sea-goddess, to which most of the gods were invited, the goddess of discord, Eris, feeling angry at not being invited, threw among the guests a golden apple bearing the words “for the fairest” and stirred up a bitter quarrel which led in the end to the Trojan war.
Thetis loved her son very much. When Achilles was still a baby, Thetis was shocked by a prophecy that her son would die in war. To save her son, the sea-goddess dipped her baby in the waters of Styx which could protect the human body from the fire and sword. But as the heel by which she held him was dry it became the one mortal spot
in the whole body of Achilles. Thus the expression “the heel of Achilles” h as come to mean “a weak spot”. Achilles spent a great part of his boyhood in the woods with the wise old centaur, Chiron, who taught him the gentle arts as well as war affairs, and prepared him well for a short but brilliant career.
When fighters all over Greece flew to arms against Troy, a prophet foretold that Achilles was sure not to return from the war. Determined to keep her son from the disaster, Thetis sent young Achilles to the court of the king of Scyros, where he worked in disguise as one of the handmaids waiting on the princess of Scyros. For a time trick worked. Messenger after messenger came, but all left without him. One day, a peddlar appeared in the palace, bringing with him a wide variety of things. There was, however, also a sword among such goods. Whereas most of the ladies stared at the silks and veils, one of them eagerly grabbed the sword and joyfully played with it. At this the peddlar threw off his disguise and came out with his true identity. The artful Odysseus had come to fetch the hero to Aulis, where Greek ships had been waiting for both a fair wind and Achilles. Odysseus had not laboured in vain. During an attack on the walls of Troy, Achilles caught the sight of the beauty of Polyxena, daughter of Priam. He was so attracted by the grace of the princess that he asked Priam to give him the hand of Polyxena in marriage. He worked hard for the peace between the two sides. When his efforts proved useless, he obtained a promise from Priam that the marriage would be held after the war. Just as Achilles turned to leave, the faithless Paris took out a poisoned arrow and shot at his heel from behind. Before Achilles breathed his last, he left his armour in his will to the bravest of the Greek heroes. This gave rise to such a fierce contest between Ajax and Odysseus. When the armour was given to Odysseus by judge, Ajax took his own life for grief and shame. So sad and desperate was Polyxena at Achilles‟ death she committed suicide in front of his tomb.
The Heel of Achilles/The Achilles' Heel: a
weak point in something that is otherwise without
fault; the weakest spot唯一弱点；薄弱环节；要害
The shortage of fortitude is his heel of Achilles.
His Achilles' heel was his pride--he would get very angry if anyone criticized his wor k.
《伊利亚特》描绘阿喀琉斯与阿伽门农发生了争执，起因是阿伽门农抢夺了阿喀琉斯所掳回的女奴，阿喀琉斯愤而离营，从此不参加战斗。

希腊军的战况时好时差，到后来，希腊联军节节败退，一度被打回岸边。

即使阿伽门农派人请求阿喀琉斯的原谅，他仍然不为所动，最后阿喀琉斯的挚友帕特洛克罗斯(Patroclus) (历史学家普遍认为帕特罗克罗斯是阿喀琉斯的同性爱人)不忍见己方士兵死伤惨重，穿上阿喀琉斯的铠甲，假扮成他的模样出战，情势曾一度逆转，最后他却被赫克托尔所杀，这才激发了阿喀琉斯的战意。

参战后他作战勇猛无比，最后赫克托尔也死于阿喀琉斯枪下，赫克托的老父普里阿摩斯赎回了儿子的尸体，故事结束于赫克托尔的丧礼。

8.4.Heracles (GM)/Hercules
希腊神话中最伟大的英雄,宙斯与阿尔克墨涅之子。

他神勇无比，完成了十二项
英雄伟绩，被升为武仙座。

此外他还参加了阿尔果斯远征帮助伊阿宋觅取金羊毛，解救了普罗米修斯等。

有关他英勇无畏，敢于斗争的神话故事，历来都是文艺家们乐于表现的主题。

在现代语中赫拉克勒斯一词已经成为了大力士的同义词。

十二项英雄伟绩
1.杀掉尼米亚猛狮
2.杀掉勒尼安的海德拉
3.捕获Artemis的刻律涅牝鹿
4.活捉厄律曼托斯山上的野猪(Erymanthian Boar)
5.清洗奥吉亚斯的牛厩
6.杀掉斯廷法罗斯湖怪鸟
7.制服克里特岛上的公牛
8.制服狄俄墨得斯的食肉马(Mares of Diomedes)
9.夺取亚马孙女王希波吕忒的腰带(Girdle of Hippolyte)
10.牵回巨人革律翁的牛群(Cattle of Geryon)
11.摘取赫斯珀里得斯的金苹果(Apples of the Hesperides)
12.活捉哈得斯的三头犬刻耳柏洛斯
The Augean Stable(s)肮脏的地方;藏垢纳秽之所;积弊
奥吉亚斯（Augeas）是古希腊西部厄利斯(Elis)的国王。

他有个大牛圈，养了2000头牛（一说3000匹马），30年来未清扫过，粪秽堆积如山，十分肮脏
the Augean stable：very dirty place.
stable除了泛指地点外，还可代表某些不良的制度，下流的习俗和恶劣的作风等等。

常与to clean,to cleanse,to reform连用，表示to bring about a drastic reform in some public evil的意思
How to clean the Augean stables of this city remains a critical problem.
古希腊神话中的英雄赫拉克勒斯(Heracles),亦称(Hercules)，是宙斯同底比斯国王之女阿尔克墨涅所生的儿子，自幼在名师的传授下，学会了各种武艺和技能，神勇无敌，成为遐迩闻名的大力士。

他因受到心胸狭窄的天后赫拉的迫害，不得不替迈锡尼国王欧律斯透斯服役十几年。

赫拉克勒斯拒绝了“恶德”女神要他走享乐道路的诱惑，而听从了“美德”女神的忠告，决心在逆境中不畏艰险，为民除害造福。

他在十二年中完成了１２项英勇业绩，其中之一就是在一天之内将奥吉亚斯的牛圈打扫干净。

赫拉克勒斯先在牛圈的一端挖了深沟，引来附近的阿尔裴斯河和珀涅俄斯河的喝水灌入牛圈，而在另一端开一出口，使喝水流经牛圈，借用水利冲洗积粪。

这样，他在一夜之间将３０年没有打扫过的肮脏不堪的牛圈，打扫的干干净净。

奥吉亚斯曾许诺事成之后把牛群的十分之一给赫拉克勒斯，作为劳动报酬，后来当他获悉赫拉克勒斯是奉欧律斯透斯之命来完成这项任务的，竟自食其果，于是被赫拉克勒斯杀死
这个神话传说反映了古代人民苦干加巧干的精神，体现了人类征服自然的力量和智慧。

Herculean: adj. Requiring great strength or effort艰巨的；魁伟的，强壮的
8.5 Theseus忒修斯
Theseus was the most famous half-god of Attica. His father was king of Athens, and his mother a princess of Troezen. When he was still an infant his father left him in the care of his mother and went back to his own kingdom. Before he left, he buried his sword and sandals under a huge stone, and told his mother to direct him to Athens as soon as he was big enough to lift the rock and take the hidden gifts with him. At the age of sixteen he became a strong young man. Taking the sword from under the rock, he joyfully set out to look for his father. It was a journey of adventures. But he cleared the roads of various monsters he met and appeared harmless in his father‟s palace at Athens.
When the Cretan bull escaped into the area of Marathon he set out alone to fight with the beast and offered it up as a sacrifice to the gods.
At this time, the city of Athens had to send 7 boys and 7 girls to Crete every year to feed the half-man, half-bull Minotaur. Determined to kill the Minotaur and save his people from further grief, Theseus decided to go as one of the 14 chosen victims. Before he left hi promised his father that if he succeeded in his work he would change the black sails of his ships to white ones. He succeeded, but he forgot to put up the promised white sails, and his anxious father, standing on a hill-top, saw the black sails, threw himself down into the sea in despair. So stricken with grief was Theseus that he never recovered from regret. He succeeded his father as king, and introduced many good measures to improve the life of his people.
To rid his kingdom of the threat by the Amazons, he led an expedition into the woman country and took its queen prisoner. The queen loved him and they got married, but the Amazons came to attack Athens on the excuse of recovering their queen. In the battle, the queen was wounded and died, leaving Theseus a sad widower.
Theseus was full of the ambition of marrying a lady of holy birth. At one time he got Helen by force, but later she was rescued by her brothers. He also planned to invade the lower world and carry Persephone(wife of Hades) up by force, but he did not succeed and was chained to a rock. If it had not been for Heracles, Theseus would never have been able to return to the upper air again.
是传说中的雅典国王。

他的事迹主要有：剪除过很多著名的强盗；解开米诺斯的迷宫，并战胜了米诺陶诺斯；和希波吕忒结婚；劫持海伦，试图劫持冥王普鲁托的妻子珀耳塞福涅——因此被扣留在冥界，后来被赫拉克勒斯救出。

纪德的长篇小说《忒修斯》即以其为主人公。

A Procrustean Bed/the Procrustes' bed:
an arrangement or plan that produces uniformity by
violent and arbitrary measures “削足适履”、“截趾穿鞋”、“使穿小鞋”、“强求一律”
I didn't put forth the plan as a Procrustean bed,to which exact conformity is to be indis pensable.
Don't stretch the facts to fit the Procrustean bed.
据公元前1世纪古希腊历史学家狄奥多Diodoros在《历史丛书》记述：从墨加拉到雅典途中有个非常残暴的强盗Procrustes （“拉长者”、“暴虐者”）他开设黑店，拦截过路行人并特意设置了2张铁床，一长一短，强迫旅店躺在铁床上，身矮者睡长床，强拉其躯体使与床齐；身高者睡短床，他用利斧把旅客伸出来的腿
脚截短，人称“铁床匪”。

后来Theseus在前往雅典寻父途中，遇上了“铁床匪”，Theseus以其人之道还治其人之身，强令身体魁梧的Procrustes躺在短床上，一刀砍掉“铁床匪”伸出床外的下半肢，除了这一祸害。

8.6. Perseus珀耳修斯
king of Arogs had one beautiful daughter, Danae by name. One day an oracle from Delphi prophesies that he would be killed by the son of Danae. To avoid the disaster he built a tall bronze tower, wherein he shut Danae up. One bright sunny morning Zeus changed himself into a golden shower of sunlight and spread all over her. Later, Danae had given birth to a son, Perseus. The king knew it and had a great chest built, where he put Danae and her son, and set it adrift on the sea. Zeus had the chest swept onto the kingdom of Polydestes, they were treated at first kindly, but afterwards curedly. When Perseus was grown up, Polydectes sent him to kill Medusa.
Medusa had been a beautiful maiden, but as she once violated Athena‟s temple in Lybia the goddess changed her beautiful hair into snakes and her body into that of a monster. So ugly and terrible was she that anyone looking on her face was immediately turned to stone. Athena lent him polished shield and warned him to look at the reflection of Medusa only; Hades gave him his helmet which made its wearer invisible; Hermes offered him his winged shoes so that he could travel fast over long distances. From the gods he also took a sword and a magic wallet.
Acting on the advice of Athena, Perseus travelled west and first sought out the three grey women, who knew the whereabouts of Medusa. These women had one tooth and one eye between them, so Perseus grabbed the tooth and the eye from them and forced them to tell him the truth. This the grey women did, and he found Medusa and cut off her head.
After the killing of Medusa, Perseus, carrying her head with him, flew over land and sea. As night came on, he reached the western limit of the earth, it was the kingdom of King Atlas, who was bigger than all other men. He had a golden tree, and an ancient prophecy had warned him that a son of Zeus should rob him of his golden apples. So he attempted to drive him out. Perseus, finding the giant too strong for him, said, “since you value my friendship so little, please accept a gift”; and turning his face away, he held up Medusa‟s head. A tlas was changed into stone. His beard and hair became forests, his arms and shoulders cliffs, his head a summit, and his bones rocks. Each part increased till he became a mountain with all stars resting upon his shoulders.
在归程上珀耳修斯在埃塞俄比亚的海岸边上看到一个被拴在一块礁石上的美人。

这个美人叫安德洛米达（安德洛墨达），她是埃塞俄比亚国王西佛士（刻甫斯）的女儿，她的母亲曾骄傲地说，她比所有的海仙女都漂亮，为此触怒了海神波塞冬，因此被拴在这里做给海兽刻托的牺牲品。

安德洛米达的父母求珀耳修斯与刻托战斗营救他们的女儿。

作为条件他可以娶安德洛米达为妻和成为埃塞俄比亚的国王。

一说珀耳修斯用美杜莎的头将刻托变成一块石头，另一说他用剑与刻托作战战胜了海兽。

在喜筵上安德洛米达的叔叔菲纽斯突然带兵到来。

菲纽斯过去曾向安德洛米达求婚，这次他来劫新娘。

由于敌人众多，珀耳修斯虽然英雄终于不敌，于是拿出美杜莎的头使所有他的敌人变成石头。