More Greyhound stories from the Romans
Diana and Actaeon
This story mentions Lelaps again, although not his owner. We must assume that Cephalus was among Actaeon’s hunting companions, and too, that this must have occurred prior to the famous hunt of the fox when Lelaps was turned to stone. However, this is one of the best known, most oft repeated myths involving hounds.
Actaeon and his companions had spent the morning hunting with their hounds. As the sun rose in the sky they decided they had enjoyed enough sport and took a break to rest. As his companions lay about relaxing and discussing the mornings hunt, Actaeon wandered away into the woods.
There was a beautiful valley there, and in that valley a cave of wonderous appearance, a work of art to rival the finest cathedral built by man created by the Goddess’s own forces of wind and water. From the side of this cave a fountain sprang, and a bathing pool, cool and clear, formed at the entrance.
The virgin Goddess Diana was in the habit of bathing there with her nymphs after a long morning spent hunting. So it happened that the virgin huntress and her nymphs were relaxing naked in the pool, even as Actaeon and his party were relaxing under the shady trees of her valley.
Actaeon’s wandering feet led him to the pool where Diana and her nymphs were bathing. Shocked to see a man in their forest, her nymphs surrounded her, trying to shield her nakedness, but Diana was by far the tallest of them. She turned away reaching for her arrows, but could not reach them.
Turning, Diana splashed water over Actaeon and taunted him, saying “Go then, and tell your friends that you have seen the Virgin Huntress naked.”
A stags branching horns grew from Actaeons forehead. He fell to his hands and knees and to his frightened astonishment his reflection in the clear pool become the reflection of a magnificent stag! He sprang away in fear, trying to call to his friends, but the voice that burst from him was neither his own, nor that of a deer.
First Melampus, a Spartan dog, saw the great stag and took chase, followed by the other hounds of the pack; Pamphagus, Dorceus, Lelaps, Theron, Nape, Tigris and all the rest. They leapt to the pursuit. Actaeon fled, longing to cry out to his men that it was he, their friend, but he could make no sound but the cries of a stag pursued.
His men took up the chase. Actaeon could hear them calling him to join, and wondering where he was as he fled from his own hounds. The dogs tore at him. One leapt to his back, another ripped his shoulder, while others nipped at his hamstrings until at last they brought him down. His own friends cheered the dogs on as they tore the life from their leader. Actaeons' last thoughts were the knowledge that if he were a man, he would have been among them, cheering the dogs on as the stag fell under their ripping fangs. At the end he realized that to see his dogs exploits was one thing, but to experience them quite another.
Diana had her revenge.
Posted: Thursday 22nd June 2006, 3:47 PM
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