Europa

EUROPA

To Europa once did Cypris send a sweet dream, when the third watch of night stands fixed, and dawn draws near, when sleep more sweet than honey, settling on the eyelids, loosens the limbs and binds the eyes in a soft fetter, the hour when the flock of truthful dreams is shepherded: then, slumbering within her chamber beneath the roof, the daughter of Phoenix, Europa, yet a maiden, dreamed that two continents were contending over her, the near land and the land beyond the sea; in form they were as women. Of these the one wore a stranger's shape, the other seemed a native, and the more clung close about her girl, declaring that she had borne her and herself had reared her. But that other, with mighty hands constraining her, kept drawing her, not unwilling, since she said it was decreed that Europa be her prize, granted by aegis-bearing Zeus. But she leapt up from the well-spread couch in dread, her heart pounding; for she had seen the dream as waking truth. And sitting long she held her peace, and still before her, with eyes still open, she held the two women in view. At last the maiden raised her trembling voice and spoke: "Who of the heavenly ones has sent me such phantoms? What manner of dreams, above the well-spread couch within my chamber, have startled me as I slumbered so sweetly? And who was that stranger whom I beheld in sleep? How desire for her seized my heart, how she herself welcomed me gladly and looked on me as her own child! But may the blessed gods bring this dream to a good end."

So speaking she sprang up, and sought her dear companions, girls of her own age and year, of like heart, of noble fathers, with whom she always played, whenever she made ready for the dance, or whenever she would brighten her skin in the streams of the torrents, or whenever she gathered fragrant lilies from the meadow. And straightway they appeared to her; and each held in her hands a flower-gathering basket; and they went toward the meadows near the sea, where ever in throngs they would assemble, delighting in the growth of roses and the sound of the waves. And she herself, Europa, bore a golden basket, a marvel to behold, a great wonder, a great labor of Hephaestus, which he gave as a gift to Libya, when to the bed of the Earth-shaker she went; and she gave it to lovely Telephaassa, who was of her own blood; and to unwed Europa her mother Telephaassa bestowed the glorious gift. On it many gleaming, intricate designs were wrought. On it was Inachus' daughter Io, fashioned of gold, still being a heifer, and she had not a woman's form. Roaming with her feet she trod the briny paths, like one swimming; and the sea was wrought of dark enamel. And two men stood aloft upon the brow of the shore gathered together, and they gazed at the sea-faring cow. And there was Zeus, son of Cronus, gently touching with his hands the Inachian heifer, and beside the seven-channeled Nile he changed her back again from a fair-horned cow to a woman. Silver was the stream of Nile, and the heifer was of bronze, and Zeus himself was fashioned of gold. And around, beneath the rim of the rounded basket, Hermes was wrought; and near him was stretched out Argus, adorned with sleepless eyes. And from his crimson blood there rose up a bird exulting in the many-flowered hue of its wings, spreading its plumes as some swift-sailing ship; its plumage sheltered round the rim of the golden basket. Such was the basket of lovely Europa.

Now when they came to the flowering meadows, each delighted her heart in different blossoms then. Of these one plucked the fragrant narcissus, another the hyacinth, another the violet, another the thyme; and many to the ground the leaves of the spring-fed meadows flourished and fell. And others again would cut the fragrant tresses of the yellow crocus, contending; but in their midst the queen, gathering with her hands the splendor of the flaming rose, shone forth as Aphrodite among the Graces. Yet not for long was she to warm her heart upon the flowers, nor to keep her maiden girdle undefiled. For truly the son of Cronus, when he marked her, was troubled in heart, subdued by the sudden arrows of Cypris, who alone has power even to master Zeus. For both shunning the wrath of jealous Hera, and wishing to deceive the tender mind of the maiden, he hid the god and changed his form and became a bull, not such as feeds in the stalls, nor such as cleaves the furrow dragging the well-bent plow, nor such as grazes among the flock, nor such as bows beneath the yoke and draws the heavy-laden wagon. For him the rest of his body was of yellow hue, but a silver circle gleamed in the midst of his forehead, and his eyes shone bright beneath and flashed with desire. And equal upon each other rose the horns from his head, like the rim of the half-cut crescent of the horned moon. He came to the meadow and, appearing, did not frighten the maidens, but in all arose desire to draw near and to touch the lovely bull, whose ambrosial scent even from afar surpassed the sweet breath of the meadow. He stood before the feet of blameless Europa, and licked her neck, and laid his spell upon the girl. And she kept stroking him, and gently with her hands the foam, abundant, she wiped from his mouth, and kissed the bull. But he lowed softly; you would say you heard the sweet sound of a Mygdonian flute breathing forth its strain. He crouched before her feet, and gazed at Europa turning back his neck, and showed her his broad back. And she spoke among the deep-tressed maidens: "Come hither, dear companions and age-mates, that upon this bull we may sit and take delight; for indeed he will receive us all, spreading wide his back, gentle and mild to look upon and meek, nor in any way does he resemble other bulls; a mind like a man's, righteous, plays about him, and he lacks only a voice."

So speaking, smiling, she sat upon his back, and the others were about to follow. But at once the bull leapt up, having seized her whom he desired; and swiftly he came to the sea. And she, turning back, called upon her dear companions, stretching out her hands, but they could not reach her. Mounting the shores he ran forward like a dolphin, treading the wide waves with hooves unwetted. And the sea then grew calm at his coming, and the sea-beasts gamboled around before the feet of Zeus, and joyously over the swell the dolphin tumbled up from the deep; and the Nereids rose from beneath the brine, and they all seated upon the backs of sea-monsters came in procession. And he himself, the deep-roaring Earth-shaker from beneath the sea, guiding the wave, led the way of the briny path for his own brother; and around him gathered the Tritons, the deep-voiced flute-players of the deep, sounding the marriage strain on their long conch-shells. And she, seated upon the bovine back of Zeus, with one hand held the bull's long horn, and with the other drew up the purple fold of her robe, that the boundless water of the grey sea might not wet it as she was borne along. And the deep robe of Europa swelled at her shoulders, like the sail of a ship, and bore the girl up lightly. And when she was far from her native land, and neither sea-washed shore appeared nor steep mountain, but air above and the boundless sea below, looking around her she raised up this great cry: "Where do you carry me, god-bull? Who are you? How do these paths, hard for the rolling-footed, do you traverse, nor the sea do you fear? For the sea is a runway for swift-sailing ships, but bulls dread the briny track. What sweet drink is there for you? What food shall there be from the sea? Surely you are some god; for you do deeds befitting gods. Neither do sea-dolphins go upon the land nor bulls travel upon the deep, but you over land and over sea dart fearless, and your hooves are oars. Soon perhaps too, lifted high above the grey air, you will fly like the swift birds. Alas for me, greatly ill-fated, who, leaving behind my father's house and following this bull, pursue a strange voyage and wander alone. But may you, Earth-shaker, ruler of the grey sea, meet me with favor, you whom I hope to behold guiding this passage that goes before my way. For not without a god do I traverse these watery paths."

So she spoke; and to her the fair-horned bull replied: "Take heart, maiden, fear not the swell of the deep. I am Zeus himself, even if from near I seem to be a bull; for I can appear as whatever I wish. Your longing has driven me to measure out so great a sea in the likeness of a bull; and Crete shall now receive you, which reared me too, where your bridal shall be; and from me you shall beget glorious sons, who shall be sceptered lords over the peoples of earth."

So he spoke; and what he spoke was accomplished. Then there appeared Crete, and Zeus took back again his own form, and loosed her girdle, and the Hours made ready her couch. And she who before was a maiden became at once the bride of Zeus, and bore children to the son of Cronus, and at once became a mother.