Evening journal., 1897-06-02
A MAR ON oLAssac oRouNp.
uounts Oily mpus. Pel,oa, Ossa and the
Nnlc of TcEApe.

Two or three days is every rood of it
associated with myths and legends that
rave been the theme of poets for ages.
Backward and forward the battle
moves across the range of Mount Olym-
pus. The pass of Milouna, whose pos
session was so stoutly contested, lies
e,7OO feet up the range, few miles TO
the westward of the great peak itself.
Between this mountain barrier and
Larissa, whence came the dispatches
Of the correspondents on the Greek
side, flows the River Peneus,
opening under Olympus into the
Vale of Tempe. The vale contracts
to gorge just before the stream pours
into the Aegean, and on the south side
Of the ravine looms Ossa, connected by
lower heights with Pelion. Pelion,
Ossa and Olympus look out on the sea
now as they did when Jason, Aescu-
lcpius and the other Argonauts sailed
away from the shore to seek the Golden
Fleece. As the soldiers of either army
reused to the reveille in the morning
the shadows Of these mountains fell
upon them, and in the evening the sun
CLEANS on their snow-crowned sum-
mits. 1t is a country in which many
hero of fable was nursed-a country in
which the gods used TO love to mingle
in the affairs of mortals.
The name Olympus is given to many
n mountain of Greece, but this noun
tain which marks the boundary be-
tween Thessaly and Macedonia was the
home of the gods. 1t is a mountain of
colossal magnifcence, and seems, look
ing at it from a vessel off the coast,
to rise at once from the sea to hide its
snowy head among the clouds. Often
as one looks one sees the clouds and
mists rolling down the sides of the
mountain, casting their dark shadows
on it's forests and clefts, while far
above in the blue Grecian sky the
snowy peak glitters in the sunshine.
The Titans, jealous of that serene
abode, piled Ossa on Pelion once in
the vain hope of clambering that way
to Heaven, but they Jared i'll in the
experiment, and besides must have
been compelled TO put Ossa back in its
original situation, for it is certainly not
capping Pelion now.
Somewhere near the foot of Olympus
was the little kingdom over which
Peleus reigned-be who married Thetis,
the sea nymph. To their wedding the
gods came down from Olympus, and
Chiron, most famous Of Centaurs. from
his cave on the summit of Pelion. He
brought huge spear cut from one of
the mightiest ash trees on the noun
tain, and gave it for n wedding gift
TO Peleus, who, in after years, gave it
to his son Achilles, who carried it to the
war against the Trojans. The wedding
NAV have taken place on the very spot
where the present strife is most furi-
Gus. There is this reason for supposing
so, that at that wedding the Apple of
Discord was thrown among the guests
from Olympus bit of fooling which
brought on the Trojan war.
The Vale of Tempe was in those days
n favorite resort of Apollo, and those
who have travelled to it in our time
agree that Apollo had an eye for the
beautiful. 1t is described as most de-
lightful. with cool shades and verdani
walks. which the warbling of bird.
makes more pleasant and attractive
Chiron, who was something of mu
sician himself, used to come down from
Pelion to hear Apollo's improvisation'
in the groves of Tempe. Returning
then to his cave on Pelion, he would
take up the instruction Of the youths
committed TO his care, among whom
were Hercules. Achilles, Aesculapiu.
and Jason-four young fellows whit
turned out a credit to their tutor, ever
If a little wild, harun-scarum and will
full at times. From timber growing OF
the slopes of Pelion Jason afterwar'
built the Argo. and on the shore of tn
Gulf of Salonica she must have beei
launched for her famous voyage.
How those ancients-gods, mortal
and half gods-woNld stare could the.
now revisit their old home and Sc
these moderns doing battle-each
Zeus with his thunderbolts in his hand
striking down the adversary withou
sword or spear. The gods would ru
their ewes. Zeus would probably com
) lain that thunder and lightning wer
| getting too common, and would advis
forming an Olympian trust to contrc
their production. Chiron would ot
serve the performances of the cavalr
with u critical eye and admit that PEI
haps there were advantages in bein
A nble to get down off ones self nov
and then, and looking altogether lik
the gods rather than forever like sever
d eighths horse. Achilles would prol
n ably declare that the Trojan war woul
d not have lasted ten months if the al
K eient Greeks had had artillery like tn
e moderns. and would volunteer hi
! services in the new-fangled warfare o
= the condition that any Turkish Brisei
d that fell into his hands should not b
taken from him by any supScior
= command. 1t is just possible that the
I could point out some things in whic
the moderns have not advanced, but, I
Is they win probably keep quite alos
from this war. having had a sufhcieI
experience at Ilium. it is unlikely thu
/ these failings of our civilization wi
ever be known Buffalo Courier.