The Olympin Gods
Between Macedon and Thessaly of eastern Greece there stood a high mountain.Its cloudy top rushed into the very heavens.On the top of the mountain, the home of the gods was bathed in brightness. At Olympus Zeus ruled as the father of gods and men. Zeus was not a crude ruler by any standards.All the gods listened to his final words,it was true.But Zeus made them all sit on a committee of twelve members,including six gods and six goddesses. The first in the Olympian crowd sat Zeus himself. He was the overlord of gods and men and the operator of the thunderbolt .Next to him was Hera,his proud and greeneyed queen.Poseidon was ruler of the sea,And Hades,king of the lower world,had no seat in the committee.Apollo was the god of the sun,music and poetry,while his twinsister Artemis was the goddess of the moon and the chase. Athena was the goddess of wisdom and patroness of house holdarts.Hestin,the goddess of the family,represented home life and family happiness.The frightening Ares was the god of war,and the charming Aphrodite the goddess of love and beauty.The god of fire,Hephaestus,was the forger of the thunderbolts of Zeus.The wing footed messenger Hermes was the god of invention and commerce;and the goddess of grains and harvests,Demeter,looked after agriculture and stood for mother ofcivilization.
All the chief gods mentioned above took human forms of incomparable beauty and grace. Often moved by human feelings and desires,they frequently gave way to anger and jealousy.They became involved in ceaseless battles with the world of man. Among themselves at Olympus they plotted and struggled for power.In the human world they experienced competitions and difficulties.They enjoyed earthly friendships and loves.Acrowd of everlasting gods looked and acted in a perfectly human fashion that is what all gods at Olympus actually were.
奥林波斯山神
在马其顿和希腊东部的色萨利之间矗立着一座高山。大雾弥漫的山顶直插云霄。山顶上,众神们的家园沐浴在阳光之中。宙斯作为山神和人类之父主宰着那里的一切。总的说来,宙斯并不是一个独裁统治者。但毫无疑问,凡事山神们都要听从他的命令。宙斯将男女山神12人组成一个委员会,宙斯本人则坐第一把交椅,是众神与人类的'太上皇,也是雷电的操纵者。他旁边是他那傲慢且嫉妒的皇后赫拉。波塞冬是大海的统治者。哈得斯是主宰阴间的冥王,他在委员会中没有席位。阿波罗是太阳神、音乐和诗神。他的孪生姐妹阿耳特弥斯是月亮和狩猎女神。雅典娜是智慧女神和家居艺术品的守护女神。赫提斯是家室之神,象征着家庭中的生命与幸福。气势汹汹的阿瑞斯是战神。媚人的阿芙罗狄蒂是爱与美神。火神赫菲斯托斯是宙斯雷电的创造者。以翅代步的信使海尔墨斯掌管商业与发明事务。谷物与丰收女神得墨特尔负责管理农业,她是文明之母。
以上所提到的主要天神们都假装成凡人的样子,他们的美丽与魅力无可匹敌。因常受到凡人情感与愿望的感染,他们不时地勃然大怒,妒嫉别人。他们卷入与人类世界无休止的争斗中。在奥林波斯,他们之间也充满了阴谋与权力之争。在凡人的世界里,他们经历了敌对与挫折。他们珍惜人间的爱与友善。这群长生不老的天神们的外表与行为完全符合人间的方式。这就是奥林波斯山神们的本来面目。
1、凡在小事上对真理持轻率态度的人
2、战场上识勇敢，激怒中识智慧，穷困中识朋友
3、最大的仇敌，莫过于自己的情欲
4、一块面包可以填饱饥饿，天下的财富满足不了贪欲
5、乌鸦爱自称是山鹰
6、性急的苍蝇会掉进滚牛奶里
7、果实与种子是生命的终结，也是生命的开始
8、哪里没有相互间的和睦，哪里就没有生活的富裕
9、如果空喊能造出房子，那么驴子就能够一条街
10、谁把一生的光阴虚度，便是抛下黄金未买一物
11、是所有人的朋友，对谁也不是朋友
12、蛇会脱皮，但决不会改变它的本质
13、不要说世界的一切犹如一场梦，须知世界始终在严峻地行动
14、狼披羊皮总是狼
15、蛇并不令怜悯熟睡的人
16、驴子虽然驮着无数经卷，也并不因此而成博学的圣贤
17、引诱肉体的是金钱和奢望，吸引灵魂的是知识和理智
18、运用一分知识，需要十分积累。
19、工夫和坚韧使桑叶变成绸缎
20、知识是头上的花环，而财产是颈上的'枷锁
21、正义之剑不是为了强而锻造；葡萄放在榨场可不是为了制醋
22、事情一开始，就要想到它的结果
23、想挤狮子的奶水，就得有非凡的勇气
24、毕生结交的朋友，不应一旦疏远
25、提灯的人，一定要走在前面
26、蚊子如果一齐冲锋，大像也会被征服
27、暴君的寿命虽然有限，他的恶名却永远流传
28、不是每一根弯曲的树枝都能做弓
29、闹市上起哄，正好让小偷大显身手
30、心中所爱的人，总是美貌的
31、疾驰的快马，往往只跑两个驿亭；从容的驴子，才能日夜兼程
32、聪明才智是拨动社会的杠杆
33、大块的石头，是忠诚的标记，因为它不会使人跌倒
34、一个没有知识的旅行者等于一只没翅膀的鸟儿
