Greek Myth---Jupiter`s Love Europa(朱庇特对欧罗巴的爱慕)



Europa was the daughter of Agenor, king of Phoenicia, son of the god Neptune. A sweet dream was once sent to Europa by Cypris. In the dream Europa beheld two continents at strife for her sake, Asia and the further shore, both in the shape of women. Of these one had the guise of a stranger, the other of a lady of that land, and closer still she clung about her maiden, and kept saying how she was her mother, and herself had nursed Europa. But that other with mighty hands, and forcefully, kept haling the maiden, nothing loth; declaring that, by the will of aegis-bearing Jupiter, Europa was destined to be her prize.



Europa arose, and began to seek the dear maidens of her company. And the girls, so soon as they were come to the flowering meadows, took great delight in various sorts of flowers.



Europa, however, was not for long to set her heart`s delight upon the flowers. There in the meadow, Jupiter beheld her, and was troubled. Both to avoid the wrath of jealous Juno, and being eager to beguile the maiden`s tender heart, he concealed his godhead, and changed his shape, and became a bull.



The bull stood before the feet of fair Europa, and kept licking her neck, and cast his spell over the maiden. And she still caressed him, and gently with her hands she wiped away the deep foam from his lips, and kissed the bull. Then he bowed himself before her feet, and bending back his neck, he gazed on Europa, and showed her his broad back. Then she spake among her deeptressed maidens, saying,--



"Come, dear playmates, maidens of like age with me, let us mount the bull here and take our pastime, for, truly, he will bear us on his back, and carry all of us! And how mild he is, and dear, and gentle to behold, and no whit like other bulls! A mind as honest as a man`s possesses him, and he lacks nothing but speech. "



So she spake, and smiling, she sat down on the back of the bull, and the others were about to follow her. But the bull leaped up immediately, now he had gotten her that he desired, and swiftly he sped to the deep. The maiden turned, and called again and again to her dear playmates, stretching out her hands, but they could not reach her. The strand he gained, and forward he sped like a dolphin, faring with unwetted hooves over the wide waves. Timidly Europa looked around, and uttered her voice, saying,--



"Whither bearest thou me, bull god? What art thou? How dost thou fare on thy feet through the path of the sea beasts, nor fearest the sea? The sea is a path meet for swift ships that traverse the brine, but bulls dread the salt sea ways. What drink is sweet to thee, what food shalt thou find from the deep? Nay, art thou then some god, for god-like are these deeds of thine."



So spake she, and the horned bull made answer to her again: "Take courage, maiden, and dread not the swell of the deep. Behold, I am Jupiter, even I, though, closely beheld, I wear the form of a bull, for I can put on the semblance of what thing I will. But `t is love of thee that has compelled me to measure out so great a space of the salt sea, in a bull`s shape. So Crete shall presently receive thee, Crete that was mine own foster-mother, where thy bridalchamber shall be."



According to tradition, from this princess the continent of Europe acquired its name. Her three sons are famous in Greek myth: Minos, who became king of Crete, and after his death a judge in the lower word; Rhadamanthus, who also was regarded as king and judge in the world of ghosts; and Sarpedon, who was ancestor of the Lycians.



source: http://www.cycnet.com/englishcorner/myth/006.htm


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