Page:History of Greece Vol I.djvu/489

 VARIETY OF MYTHICAL RELICS. 457 ujuld not be satisfied without a knowledge of the story which explained the origin of such prohibition, 1 and which conducted him back to the originally hostile relations between Amphiaraus and Thebes. Nor can we suppose among the citizens of Sikyon anything less than a perfect and reverential conception of the legend of Thebes, when we read the account given by Herodotus of the conduct of the despot Kleisthenes in regard to Adrastus and Melanippus. 2 The Troezenian youths and maidens, 3 who universally, when on the eve of marriage, consecrated an offering of their hair at the Heroon of Hippolytus, maintained a lively recollection of the legend of that unhappy recusant whom Aphro- dite had so cruelly punished. Abundant relics preserved in many Grecian cities and temples, served both as mementos and attes- tations of other legendary events ; and the tombs of the heroes counted among the most powerful stimulants of mythical remin- iscence. The sceptre of Pelops and Agamemnon, still preserved in the days of Pausanias at Choeroneia in Boeotia, was the work of the god Hephasstos. While many other alleged productions of the same divine hand were preserved in different cities of Greece, this is the only one which Pausanias himself believed to be genuine : it had been carried by Elektra, daughter of Aga- memnon to Phokis, and received divine honors from the citizens of Chaeroneia. 4 The spears of Meriones and Odysseus were treas- ured up at Engyium in Sicily, that of Achilles at Phaselis ; the sword of Memnon adorned the temple of Asklepius at Nicome- dia ; and Pausanias, with unsuspecting confidence, adduces the two latter as proofs that the arms of the heroes were made of brass. 5 The hide of the Kalydonian boar was guarded and shown by the Tegeates as a precious possession ; the shield of Euphor- bus was in like manner suspended in the temple of Branchidas near Miletus, as well as in the temple of Here in Argos. Visible 1 Herodot. viii. 134. 2 Hcrodot. v. 67. > Euripid. Hippolyt. 1424 ; Pausan. ii. 32, 1 ; Lucian, De De& Syria, c. 60. vol. iv. p. 287, Tauch. It is curious to see in the account of Pausanias how all the petty peculiar- ities of the objects around became connected with explanatory details grow ing out of this affecting legend. Compare Pansan. i. 22, 2. 4 Pausan. ix. 40, G. TOL. I. 20
 * Plutarch, Marcell. c. 20 ; Pausan. ia. 3, 6.