Cox, George - Aryan Mythology Vol 2.pdf

THE TRIBUTE CHILDREN OF ATHENS. 349
the hero Theseus, who by the aid of Ariadne slew the
human-headed bull, or the bull-headed man, for this being
is exhibited under both forms. To search this myth for a
residuum of fact, pointing to some early dependence of his-
torical Athens on the maritime supremacy of some Cretan
king, is, as we have seen, utterly useless. We know nothing
of Minos, Athens, or Crete at the alleged time to which
these myths relate except what we learn from the myths
themselves, and these utter no uncertain sounds. The Mino-
tauros is the offspring of the bull from the sea, which appears
again in the myth of Europe and is yoked to the chariot of
Indra, and of Pasiphae, who gives light to all. This incident
is but a translation of the fact that the night follows or is
born from the day. The same notion assigns Phoibos Chrysaor,
the lord of the golden sword, and the fair nymph
Kallirhoe, as the parents of the frightful Geryon. The mon-
ster so born must share the nature of Ahi, Vritra, the Panis,
Cacus, and the Sphinx. In other words, he must steal, kill,
and devour, and his victims must belong to the bright
beings from whom he is sprung. The Panis can steal only
the cows of Indra, and the Minotauros can consume only the
beautiful children of the dawn-goddess Athene; in other
words, the tribute can come only from Athens. But all
these fearful monsters lurk in secret places; each has his
cave or mountain fastness, where he gorges himself on his
prey. The road to it is gloomy and bewildering; and in
the expression put into the mouth of the Panis, who tell
Sarama that ' the way is far and leads tortuously away,' we
have something more than the germ of the twisting and
hazy labyrinth—we have the labyrinth itself. This intricate
abode is indeed the work of the magnificent Daidalos ; but
the walls of Ilion, to which Paris the seducer takes the
beautiful Helen, are built by Phoibos and Herakles them-
selves. In this dark retreat lurks the monster who can be
slain only by one invincible hero ; but although Indra is the
destined destroyer of Yritra, he cannot find out where his
enemy is hidden away except by the aid of Sarama. In
this lovely being, who, peering about through the sky in
search of the stolen cattle, guides Indra to the den of the