Page:History of Greece Vol I.djvu/427

 BELIEF OF HERODOTUS IN MYTHICAL PERSONS. 393 to Perseus (inasmuch as Perseus is the son of Zeus by Danae, without any reputed human father, such as Amphitryon was to Herakles), and then follow the higher members of the series through Danae alone. 1 He also pursues the same regal geneal- ogy, through the mother of Eurystbenes and Procles, up to Poly- nikes, CEdipus, Laius, Labdakus, Polydorus and Kadmus; and he assigns various ancient inscriptions which he saw in the temple of the Ismenian Apollo at Thebes, to the ages of Laius and CEdipus. 2 Moreover, the sieges of Thebes and Troy, the Ar- gonautic expedition, the invasion of Attica by the Amazons, the protection of the Herakleids, and the defeat and death of Eurystheus, by the Athenians, 3 the death of Mekisteus and Tydeus before Thebes by the hands of Melanippus, and the touching calamities of Adrastus and Amphiaraus connected with the same enterprise, the sailing of Kastor and Pollux in the Argo, 4 the abductions of 16, Europa, Medea and Helena, the emigration of Kadmus in quest of Europa, and his coming to Boeotia, as well as the attack of the Greeks upon Troy to re- cover Helen, 5 all these events seem to him portions of past history, not less unquestionably certain, though more clouded over by distance and misrepresentation, than the battles of Salamis and Mykale. But though Herodotus is thus easy of faith in regard both to the persons and to the general facts of Grecian mytbea, yet when he comes to discuss particular facts taken separately, we find him applying to them stricter tests of historical credibility, and often disposed to reject as well the miraculous as the extravagant. Thus even with respect to Herakles, he censures the levity of the Greeks in ascribing to him absurd and incredible exploits ; he tries their assertion by the philosophical standard of nature, or of determinate powers and conditions governing the course of events. " How is it consonant to nature (he asks), that Herakles, being, as he was, according to the statement of the Greeks, a man, should kill many thousand persons ? I pray that indulgence may be shown to me both by gods and heroes for saying so much 1 Herod, vi. 52-53. z Herod, iv. 147 ; v. 59-61. 3 Herod y. 61 ; ix. 27-28- 4 Herod, i. 52 ; iv. 145; v. 67 5 Herod, i. 1-4 ; ii. 49, 113 : iv. 147 ; v. 94.