GUSTAV SCHWAB (1792–1850) was a German writer, educator, pastor, and publisher. Born in Stuttgart, he studied philology, philosophy, and theology at the University of Tübingen. Schwab’s collection of myths and legends of classical antiquity was published in 1838 and was widely used in German schools.

INTRODUCTION BY WERNER JAEGER 15

PART I

PROMETHEUS 31
THE AGES OF MAN 36
PYRRHA AND DEUCALION 39
ZEUS AND IO 42
PHAETHON 47
EUROPA 52
CADMUS 57
PENTHEUS 60
PERSEUS 66
CREUSA AND ION 72
DAEDALUS AND ICARUS 82
THE STORY OF THE ARGONAUTS 86
Jason and Pelias 86
The Cause and the Outset of the Voyage of the Argonauts 88
The Argonauts at Lemnos 89
The Argonauts in the Land of the Doliones 92
Heracles Left Behind 94
Polydeuces and the King of the Bebrycians 96
Phineus and the Harpies 97
The Symplegades 100
Further Adventures 101
Jason in the Palace of Aeetes 105
Medea and Aeetes 107
The Counsel of Argus 109
Medea Promises to Help the Argonauts 112
Jason and Medea 113
Jason Does the Bidding of Aeetes 117
Medea Takes the Golden Fleece 121
The Argonauts are Pursued and Escape with Medea 124
The Argonauts on their Homeward Journey 128
The Colchians Continue their Pursuit 132
The Last Adventures of the Argonauts 133
Jason’s End 138
MELEAGER AND THE BOAR 143
TANTALUS 147
PELOPS 148
NIOBE 150
SALMONEUS 155
HERACLES 156
The Infant Heracles 156
The Rearing of Heracles 157
Heracles at the Crossroads 158
The First Adventures of Heracles 160
Heracles Fights the Giants 162
Heracles and Eurystheus 165
The First Three Labors of Heracles 166
The Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Labors of Heracles 169
The Seventh, Eighth and Ninth Labors of Heracles 172
The Last Three Labors of Heracles 175
Heracles and Eurytus 182
Heracles and Admetus 183
Heracles in the Service of Omphale 188
Subsequent Exploits of Heracles 191
Heracles and Deianira 193
Heracles and Nessus 195
Heracles, Iole, and Deianira. His End 196
BELLEROPHON 202
THESEUS 206
His Birth and his Youth 206
His Journey to his Father 208
Theseus in Athens 210
Theseus in Minos 211
King Theseus 215
The War with the Amazons 217
Theseus and Pirithous 218
Theseus and Phaedra 222
Theseus and Helen 226
The End of Theseus 228
THE STORY OF KING OEDIPUS 230
The Birth of Oedipus, his Youth, his Flight, and the Murder of his Father 230
Oedipus in Thebes 234
The Discovery 235
Jocasta and Oedipus Inflict Punishment on Themselves 239
Oedipus and Antigone 240
Oedipus at Colonus 241
Oedipus and Theseus 245
Oedipus and Creon 246
Oedipus and Polynices 247
THE SEVEN AGAINST THEBES 251
Polynices and Tydeus as the Guests of Adrastus 251
The Heroes Set Out. Hypsipyle and Opheltes 253
The Heroes Arrives in Thebes 256
Menoeceus 258
The Attack upon Thebes 260
Brothers in Single Combat 262
Creon’s Resolve 266
Antigone and Creon 268
Haemon and Antigone 269
Creon’s Punishment 270
The Burial of the Heroes of Thebes 271
THE EPIGONI 272
ALCMAEON AND THE NECKLACE 275
THE HERACLIDAE 277
The Heraclidae Come to Athens 277
Demophoon 279
Macaria 282
The Battle 283
Eurystheus and Alemene 286
Hyllus and His Descendants 287
The Heraclidae Divide Up the Peloponneus 292
Merope and Aepytus 296

PART II

TALES OF TROY 299
The Building of Troy 299
Priam, Hecuba, and Paris 302
The Rape of Helen 305
The Argives 310
The Argives Send Priam a Message 315
Agamemnon and Iphigenia 317
The Argives Set Out. Philoctetes is Abandoned 328
The Argives in Mysia. Telephus 329
Paris Returns 333
The Argives before Troy 334
Fighting Begins. Protesilaus. Cycnus 338
The Death of Palamedes 342
Achilles and Ajax 343
Polydoras 346
Chryses, Apollo, and the Wrath of Achilles 350
Agamemnon Tries the Argives 356
Paris and Menelaus 361
Pandarus 367
The Battle. Diomedes 371
Glaucus and Diomedes 382
Hector in Troy 383
Hector and Ajax in Single Combat 388
The Truce 392
A Trojan Victory 394
The Argives Send a Message to Achilles 399
Dolon and Rhesus 402
Another Argive Defeat 407
The Fight at the Wall 414
The Struggle for the Ships 417
Poseidon Strengthens the Achaeans 423
Apollo Revives Hector 428
The Death of Patroclus 435
The Grief of Achilles 449
Achilles Newly Armed 452
Achilles and Agamemnon Reconciled 457
The Battle of Gods and Men 462
Achilles Fights the River-God Scamander 467
The Battle if the Gods 471
Achilles and Hector Before the Gates 474
The Death of Hector 476
The Funeral of Patroclus 481
Priam Visits Achilles 488
Hector’s Body in Troy 496
Penthesilea 498
Memnon 508
The Death of Achilles 515
Funeral Games for Achilles 519
The Death of Ajax the Great 523
Machaon and Podalirius 529
Neoptolemus 533
Philoctetes on Lemnos 539
The Death of Paris 544
The Storming of Troy 547
The Wooden Horse 549
The Destruction of Troy 559
Menelaus and Helen. Polyxena 563
Departure from Troy. Ajax of Locris Dies 567
THE LAST TANTALIDES 572
Agamemnon’s Line and House 572
Agamemnon’s End 575
Agamemnon is Avenged 579
Orestes and the Furies 589
Iphigenia in the Land of the Tauri 597
ODYSSEUS 609
Telemachus and the Suitors 609
Telemachus and Nestor 616
Telemachus in Sparta 620
The Suitor’s Plot 623
Odysseus Leaves Calypso and is Shipwrecked 625
Nausicaa 629
Odysseus and the Phaeacians 633
Odysseus Tells the Tales of his Wanderings to the Phaeacians. The Cicones. The Lotus-Eaters. The Cyclopes. Polyphemus 642
Odysseus Continues his Tale. The Leather Bag of Aeolus. The Laestrygonians. Circe 651
Odysseus Continues his Tale. The Realm of Shades 661
Odysseus Continues his Tale. The Sirens. Scylla and Charybdis. Thrinacia and the Hers of the Sun-God. Shipwreck. Odysseus and Calypso 665
Odysseus Bids the Phaeacians Farewell 671
Odysseus Reaches Ithaca 673
Odysseus Visits the Swineherd 677
Telmachus Leaves Sparta 682
With the Swineherd 686
Telemaches Returns 688
Odysseus Reveals Himself to his Son 691
The City and the Palace 693
Telemachus, Odysseus, and Eumaeus Reach the City 696
Odysseus, the Beggar, in the Hall 700
Odysseus and the Beggar Irus 703
Penelope and the Suitors 705
Odysseus Mocked Again 708
Odysseus Alone with Telmachus and Penelope 709
Night and Morning in the Palace 715
The Feast 717
The Contest with the Bow 719
Odysseus Reveals Himself to the Good Herdsmen 721
Vengeance 725
The Servants are Punished 730
Odysseus and Penelope 732
Odysseus and Laertes 735
Athene Calms Rebellion in the City 739
Odysseus the Victor 741

INDEX 745