Heroes: Volume II of Mythos

B EARING F ALSE W ITNESS It began as a day like any other. Two weeks before the wedding in Troezen, Glaucus, Deliades and Bellerophon went hunting for wild boar in a forest outside Corinth. It was a hunt on foot, so there had been no call for Pegasus. No one quite remembered how disaster struck. Without mentioning it to his brother or father, Deliades had slipped away to relieve himself behind some bushes. Bellerophon heard what sounded to him like the unmistakable sounds of a charging boar (his brother straining at stool, it is to be supposed) and hurled his spear in the direction of the bellowing and snorting noises. A terrible cry was heard and Deliades staggered out from the bushes, transfixed and mortally wounded by the spear. He died before they could get him home. We must not tire of reminding ourselves that to the Greeks blood crime, the killing of a relative, was the most serious of all transgressions. Purification could only be performed by oracles and the priestly caste, or by an anointed king. To go without such a purification was to invite pursuit by the Furies. The first consequence of the killing of Deliades was the immediate cancellation of Bellerophon’s engagement to Aethra. Next, he was sent from Corinth to Tiryns, in the neighbouring kingdom of Mycenae, to serve out his period of penitence and purification. The ruler PROETUS was a friend of the family and by virtue of his mystical kingly powers was able to cleanse Bellerophon of his crime. Proetus had a wife called Stheneboeafn5, who was so excited by the proximity of such a desirable young man that she knocked on his bedroom door one night. He opened the door and he saw her standing there, rushlight in hand, an alluring smile on her face. She was dressed in a sheer silk nightdress that revealed more than it hid. ‘Aren’t you going to invite me in?’ she cooed. ‘I … I … no! No. It would be most improper.’ ‘But impropriety is such fun, Bellerophon,’ she said, pushing him aside and making for the bed. ‘Narrow, but plenty of room if one of us is on top of the other, don’t you think?’ She laid herself down and traced coy little circles on the counterpane. Bellerophon was in agony. ‘No! No, no, no! Madam, I am a guest in this palace. Proetus has shown me nothing but kindness. To betray him would be the act of a swine.’ ‘Ride me like you ride that horse of yours. You want to, don’t you? I can sense that you do.’ Bellerophon now made a terrible mistake. Of course he would very much have liked to lie down and do lustful things with Stheneboea. She was immensely appealing and he was a young man filled with sap and juice, but to defy the laws of hospitality while still in the process of being cleansed for a blood crime would be unthinkable. He should have said so. Instead, believing that this would solve his predicament, he said, ‘No. As a matter of fact I wouldn’t like to. I’m not in the least attracted to you and I’ll thank you to leave.’ At this Stheneboea rose with a hiss and stalked from the room, her cheeks aflame. Never had she been so affronted. Well, she would show that pious little prick. Oh yes. All night she tossed and turned in an agony of mortification and wounded pride. Proetus was in the habit of snoring terribly and the royal couple had long enjoyed separate sleeping arrangements, but it was not uncommon for Stheneboea to visit her husband in the mornings and talk through their plans for the day. This morning she came in with a bowl of warm goat’s milk stirred with honey. ‘Ah, bless you, my dear,’ said Proetus, sitting up and taking a grateful sip. ‘Fine morning by the looks of it … I thought I might go hunting with young Bellerophon later on. He’s a … good heavens! How red your eyes are!’ As well they ought to have been after being rubbed vigorously with raw onion for a full quarter of an hour. ‘It’s nothing, nothing …’ sniffed Stheneboea. ‘Darling, tell me what it is.’ ‘Oh, it’s only … No, I can’t. I know how much you like him.’ ‘Like him? Who?’ ‘Bellerophon.’ ‘Has he done something to upset you?’ And so it all came tumbling out. Last night he had hammered on her bedroom door, barged his way in and tried to force himself upon her. It was all Stheneboea could do to keep the wild beast off and push him from the room. She was so scared. Felt so ashamed, so horribly polluted.fn6 Proetus leapt from his bed and paced the room. He was in a quandary. After blood murder, perhaps the second most serious sin in the Greek world was an infraction of xenia, those laws of hospitality or guest-friendship that were especially sacred to the King of the Gods himself, Zeus Xenios, protector of guests. Naturally, the young man’s repulsive attempt to ravish Stheneboea was itself a crime against xenia, but this did not give Proetus the right to transgress in return. No, he must find another way to avenge the family honour. A few more turns about the room and he had hit upon the answer. ‘Of course!’ he cried. ‘Darling, I shall send Bellerophon to your father, with a sealed letter. That will fit the case perfectly.’ ‘What will you say?’ Stheneboea’s eyes shone with malice. ‘I shall tell him the truth,’ said Proetus. ‘Now, let me sit down and write it.’ Bellerophon awoke later that morning from an uneasy sleep. He could not be sure if it was his duty to report Stheneboea’s appalling behaviour to her husband, or whether it was best to be tactful and spare their marriage the trouble such a revelation would be certain to stir up. He had settled on the latter course when a page arrived to tell him that the king awaited his pleasure. ‘Ah, Bellerophon, come in, come in, my boy …’ Proetus was later to congratulate himself on the warmth and friendliness with which he conducted this meeting. Inwardly he was seething with rage at the vile effrontery of the monster of debauchery who dared to stand gazing at him with such round and innocent eyes. ‘It’s been a delight having you here. That unfortunate accident in which your brother died … you are, you know, almost wholly cleansed of that now. Any other crimes for which you may feel a twinge of guilt are none of my business, of course.’ He fixed Bellerophon with a skewering glance and was not surprised to see the young man’s cheeks flush red. Bellerophon for his part was writhing inside. Perhaps not telling Proetus about his wife’s infidelity was a sin. Perhaps now was the time to speak up … He cleared his throat. ‘There’s something you should know …’ ‘Tush tush. Enough talk. I sent for you to say that I have a message I need delivered to my father-in-law in Lycia. Thing is, it’s rather urgent. Family matter. Needs to be settled.’ ‘Lycia?’ ‘Yes, my father-in-law IOBATES is King of Lycia.fn7 It’s a fair way, but with that flying horse of yours you can cover the distance in no time. Besides, you’ve completed your period of piacular penance, what? Young men of noble birth should visit Ionia and Asia Minor, don’t you think? Here’s the letter. It also introduces you to Iobates and begs him to treat you with all the hospitality that you deserve.’ Proetus was pleased with that last remark. It was exactly what the letter did require of Iobates. ‘Sir, you are more than kind …’ Bellerophon felt a great surge of relief. This was for the best. Any more nights under the same roof as Stheneboea would be awkward. He could leave by chariot at once for Pirene, bridle Pegasus and be in Lycia by tomorrow. Proetus and Stheneboea waved from the doorway as Bellerophon drove away. ‘Vile pervert,’ muttered Proetus. ‘Good riddance to him.’ What a pity, thought Stheneboea to herself. A slim, golden body with a sweet and lovely face to go with it. Such a lovely, firm round behind, too. Like a peach. Oh well, can’t be helped …