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The　Heroes；　or　Greek　Fairy　Tales　For　My　Children

by　Charles　Kingsley





PREFACE



MY　DEAR　CHILDREN；

Some　of　you　have　heard　already　of　the　old　Greeks；　and　all　of　　you；　as　you　grow　up；　will　hear　more　and　more　of　them。　　Those　　of　you　who　are　boys　will；　perhaps；　spend　a　great　deal　of　time　　in　reading　Greek　books；　and　the　girls；　though　they　may　not　　learn　Greek；　will　be　sure　to　come　across　a　great　many　stories　　taken　from　Greek　history；　and　to　see；　I　may　say　every　day；　　things　which　we　should　not　have　had　if　it　had　not　been　for　　these　old　Greeks。　　You　can　hardly　find　a　well…written　book　　which　has　not　in　it　Greek　names；　and　words；　and　proverbs；　you　　cannot　walk　through　a　great　town　without　passing　Greek　　buildings；　you　cannot　go　into　a　well…furnished　room　without　　seeing　Greek　statues　and　ornaments；　even　Greek　patterns　of　　furniture　and　paper；　so　strangely　have　these　old　Greeks　left　　their　mark　behind　them　upon　this　modern　world　in　which　we　now　　live。　　And　as　you　grow　up；　and　read　more　and　more；　you　will　　find　that　we　owe　to　these　old　Greeks　the　beginners　of　all　our　　mathematics　and　geometry　…　that　is；　the　science　and　knowledge　　of　numbers；　and　of　the　shapes　of　things；　and　of　the　forces　　which　make　things　move　and　stand　at　rest；　and　the　beginnings　　of　our　geography　and　astronomy；　and　of　our　laws；　and　freedom；　　and　politics　…　that　is；　the　science　of　how　to　rule　a　country；　　and　make　it　peaceful　and　strong。　　And　we　owe　to　them；　too；　　the　beginning　of　our　logic　…　that　is；　the　study　of　words　and　　of　reasoning；　and　of　our　metaphysics　…　that　is；　the　study　of　　our　own　thoughts　and　souls。　　And　last　of　all；　they　made　their　　language　so　beautiful　that　foreigners　used　to　take　to　it　　instead　of　their　own；　and　at　last　Greek　became　the　common　　language　of　educated　people　all　over　the　old　world；　from　　Persia　and　Egypt　even　to　Spain　and　Britain。　　And　therefore　it　　was　that　the　New　Testament　was　written　in　Greek；　that　it　　might　be　read　and　understood　by　all　the　nations　of　the　Roman　　empire；　so　that；　next　to　the　Jews；　and　the　Bible　which　the　　Jews　handed　down　to　us；　we　owe　more　to　these　old　Greeks　than　　to　any　people　upon　earth。

Now　you　must　remember　one　thing　…　that　'Greeks'　was　not　their　　real　name。　　They　called　themselves　always　'Hellens；'　but　the　　Romans　miscalled　them　Greeks；　and　we　have　taken　that　wrong　　name　from　the　Romans　…　it　would　take　a　long　time　to　tell　you　　why。　　They　were　made　up　of　many　tribes　and　many　small　　separate　states；　and　when　you　hear　in　this　book　of　Minuai；　　and　Athenians；　and　other　such　names；　you　must　remember　that　　they　were　all　different　tribes　and　peoples　of　the　one　great　　Hellen　race；　who　lived　in　what　we　now　call　Greece；　in　the　　islands　of　the　Archipelago；　and　along　the　coast　of　Asia　Minor　　（Ionia；　as　they　call　it）；　from　the　Hellespont　to　Rhodes；　and　　had　afterwards　colonies　and　cities　in　Sicily；　and　South　Italy　　（which　was　called　Great　Greece）；　and　along　the　shores　of　the　　Black　Sea　at　Sinope；　and　Kertch；　and　at　Sevastopol。　　And　　after　that；　again；　they　spread　under　Alexander　the　Great；　and　　conquered　Egypt；　and　Syria；　and　Persia；　and　the　whole　East。　　　But　that　was　many　hundred　years　after　my　stories；　for　then　　there　were　no　Greeks　on　the　Black　Sea　shores；　nor　in　Sicily；　　or　Italy；　or　anywhere　but　in　Greece　and　in　Ionia。　　And　if　you　　are　puzzled　by　the　names　of　places　in　this　book；　you　must　　take　the　maps　and　find　them　out。　　It　will　be　a　pleasanter　way　　of　learning　geography　than　out　of　a　dull　lesson…book。

Now；　I　love　these　old　Hellens　heartily；　and　I　should　be　very　　ungrateful　to　them　if　I　did　not；　considering　all　that　they　　have　taught　me；　and　they　seem　to　me　like　brothers；　though　　they　have　all　been　dead　and　gone　many　hundred　years　ago。　　So　　as　you　must　learn　about　them；　whether　you　choose　or　not；　I　　wish　to　be　the　first　to　introduce　you　to　them；　and　to　say；　　'Come　hither；　children；　at　this　blessed　Christmas　time；　when　　all　God's　creatures　should　rejoice　together；　and　bless　Him　　who　redeemed　them　all。　　Come　and　see　old　friends　of　mine；　　whom　I　knew　long　ere　you　were　born。　　They　are　come　to　visit　　us　at　Christmas；　out　of　the　world　where　all　live　to　God；　and　　to　tell　you　some　of　their　old　fairy　tales；　which　they　loved　　when　they　were　young　like　you。'

For　nations　begin　at　first　by　being　children　like　you；　though　　they　are　made　up　of　grown　men。　　They　are　children　at　first　　like　you　…　men　and　women　with　children's　hearts；　frank；　and　　affectionate；　and　full　of　trust；　and　teachable；　and　loving　to　　see　and　learn　all　the　wonders　round　them；　and　greedy　also；　　too　often；　and　passionate　and　silly；　as　children　are。

Thus　these　old　Greeks　were　teachable；　and　learnt　from　all　the　　nations　round。　　From　the　Phoenicians　they　learnt　　shipbuilding；　and　some　say　letters　beside；　and　from　the　　Assyrians　they　learnt　painting；　and　carving；　and　building　in　　wood　and　stone；　and　from　the　Egyptians　they　learnt　astronomy；　　and　many　things　which　you　would　not　understand。　　In　this　they　　were　like　our　own　forefathers　the　Northmen；　of　whom　you　love　　to　hear；　who；　though　they　were　wild　and　rough　themselves；　　were　humble；　and　glad　to　learn　from　every　one。　　Therefore　God　　rewarded　these　Greeks；　as　He　rewarded　our　forefathers；　and　　made　them　wiser　than　the　people　who　taught　them　in　everything　　they　learnt；　for　He　loves　to　see　men　and　children　open…　hearted；　and　willing　to　be　taught；　and　to　him　who　uses　what　　he　has　got；　He　gives　more　and　more　day　by　day。　　So　these　　Greeks　grew　wise　and　powerful；　and　wrote　poems　which　will　　live　till　the　world's　end；　which　you　must　read　for　yourselves　　some　day；　in　English　at　least；　if　not　in　Greek。　　And　they　　learnt　to　carve　statues；　and　build　temples；　which　are　still　　among　the　wonders　of　the　world；　and　many　another　wondrous　　thing　God　taught　them；　for　which　we　are　the　wiser　this　day。

For　you　must　not　fancy；　children；　that　because　these　old　　Greeks　were　heathens；　therefore　God　did　not　care　for　them；　　and　taught　them　nothing。

The　Bible　tells　us　that　it　was　not　so；　but　that　God's　mercy　　is　over　all　His　works；　and　that　He　understands　the　hearts　of　　all　people；　and　fashions　all　their　works。　　And　St。　Paul　told　　these　old　Greeks　in　after　times；　when　they　had　grown　wicked　　and　fallen　low；　that　they　ought　to　have　known　better；　because　　they　were　God's　offspring；　as　their　own　poets　had　said；　and　　that　the　good　God　had　put　them　where　they　were；　to　seek　the　　Lord；　and　feel　after　Him；　and　find　Him；　though　He　was　not　far　　from　any　one　of　them。　　And　Clement　of　Alexandria；　a　great　　Father　of　the　Church；　who　was　as　wise　as　he　was　good；　said　　that　God　had　sent　down　Philosophy　to　the　Greeks　from　heaven；　　as　He　sent　down　the　Gospel　to　the　Jews。

For　Jesus　Christ；　remember；　is　the　Light　who　lights　every　man　　who　comes　into　the　world。　　And　no　one　can　think　a　right　　thought；　or　feel　a　right　feeling；　or　understand　the　real　　truth　of　anything　in　earth　and　heaven；　unless　the　good　Lord　　Jesus　teaches　him　by　His　Spirit；　which　gives　man　　understanding。

But　these　Greeks；　as　St。　Paul　told　them；　forgot　what　God　had　　taught　them；　and；　though　they　were　God's　offspring；　　worshipped　idols　of　wood　and　stone；　and　fell　at　last　into　sin　　and　shame；　and　then；　of　course；　into　cowardice　and　slavery；　　till　they　perished　out　of　that　beautiful　land　which　God　had　　given　them　for　so　many　years。

For；　like　all　nations　who　have　left　anything　behind　them；　　beside　mere　mounds　of　earth；　they　believed　at　first　in　the　　One　True　God　who　made　all　heaven　and　earth。　But　after　a　　while；　like　all　other　nations；　they　began　to　worship　other　　gods；　or　rather　angels　and　spirits；　who　（so　they　fancied）　　lived　about　their　land。　　Zeus；　the　Father　of　gods　and　men　　（who　was　some　dim　remembrance　of　the　blessed　true　God）；　and　　Hera　his　wife；　and　Phoebus　Apollo　the　Sun…god；　and　Pallas　　Athene　who　taught　men　wisdom　and　useful　arts；　and　Aphrodite　　the　Queen　of　Beauty；　and　Poseidon　the　Ruler　of　the　Sea；　and　　Hephaistos　the　King　of　the　Fire；　who　taught　men　to　work　in　　metals。　　And　they　honoured　the　Gods　of　the　Rivers；　and　the　　Nymph…maids；　who　they　fancied　lived　in　the　caves；　and　the　　fountains；　and　the　glens　of　the　forest；　and　all　beautiful　　wild　places。　　And　they　honoured　the　Erinnues；　the　dreadful　　sisters；　who；　they　thought；　haunted　guilty　men　until　their　　sins　were　purged　away。　　And　many　other　dreams　they　had；　which　　parted　the　One　God　into　many；　and　they　said；　too；　that　these　　gods　did　things　which　would　be　a　shame　and　sin　for　any　man　to　　do。　　And　when　their　philosophers　arose；　and　told　them　that　　God　was　One；　they　would　not　listen；　but　loved　their　idols；　　and　their　wicked　idol　feasts；　till　they　all　came　to　ruin。　　　But　we　will　talk　of　such　sad　things　no　more。

But；　at　the　time　of　which　this　little　book　speaks；　they　had　　not　fallen　as　low　as　that。　　They　worshipped　no　idols；　as　far　　as　I　can　find；　and　they　still　believed　in　the　last　six　of　the　　ten　commandments；　and　knew　well　what　was　right　and　what　was　　wrong。　　And　they　believed　（and　that　was　what　gave　them　　courage）　that　the　gods　loved　men；　and　taught　them；　and　that　　without　the　gods　men　were　sure　to　come　to　ruin。　　And　in　that　　they　were　right　enough；　as　we　know　…　more　right　even　than　　they　thought；　for　without　God　we　can　do　nothing；　and　all　　wisdom　comes　from　Him。

Now；　you　must　not　think　of　them　in　this　book　as　learned　men；　　living　in　great　cities；　such　as　they　were　afterwards；　when　　they　wrought　all　their　beautiful　works；　but　as　country　　people；　living　in　farms　and　walled　villages；　in　a　simple；　　hard…working　way；　so　that　the　greatest　kings　and　heroes　　cooked　their　own　meals；　and　thought　it　no　shame；　and　made　　their　own　ships　and　weapons；　and　fed　and　harnessed　their　own　　horses；　and　the　queens　worked　with　their　maid…servants；　and　　did　all　the　business　of　the　house；　and　spun；　and　wove；　and　　embroidered；　and　made　their　husbands'　clothes　and　their　own。　　　So　that　a　man　was　honoured　among　them；　not　because　he　　happened　to　be　rich；　but　according　to　his　skill；　and　his　　strength；　and　courage；　and　the　number　of　things　which　he　　could　do。　　For　they　were　but　grown…up　children；　though　they　　were　right　noble　children　too；　and　it　was　with　them　as　it　is　　now　at　school　…　the　strongest　and　cleverest　boy；　though　he　be　　poor；　leads　all　the　rest。

Now；　while　they　were　young　and　simple　they　loved　fairy　tales；　　as　you