The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1897-05-08
A War on Classic Ground.


The ground on which the Greeks and
the Turks have been fighting these last
two or three days is every rood of it
| associated with miths and legends that
have been the theme of poets for ages.
across the range of Mount Olympus.
The pass Of Milouna whose possession
was so stoutly contested lies 200 feet
up the range, few miles to the west
ward Of the great peak itself. Between
this mountain barrier and Larissa,
whence came the dispatches OF the cor
respondents on the Greek side, flows
the river Peneus, opening under Olym-
pus in the Vale of Tempe. The vale
| contracts to a 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.
sea now as they did when Jason, Aescu-
lapius, and the other Argonauts sailed
away from the shore to seek the Golden
Fleece. AS the soldiers of either army
the shadows of these mountains fell
upon them, and in the evening the sun
CLEANS on their snowcrOwned SUBMITS.
1t is country in which many a hero of
fable was nursed-a country in which
the gods used to love to mingle in the
affairs Of mortals.
The name of Olympus is given to
many a mountain in Greece, but this
mountain which marks the boundary
between Thessaly and Macedonia was
the home Of the gods. 1t is a mountain
of COLOSSAL magnicence. and seems,
looking at it from a vessel off the coast,
to rise at once from the sea to hide Its
snowy head among tile clouds. Often
as one looks one sees the clouds and
mists rolling down the side of the noun
tain, casting their dark shades on It's
forests and clefts, while far above III
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 clam
bering 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 Gaping Pelion now.
Somewhere near the foot of Olympus
was the little kingdom over W hich Pele-
, us reigned-he who married Thetis, the
sea nymph. To their wedding the gods
came down from olympus, and ChlrOn
most famous of the 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 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
may have taken place on the very spot
where the present strife is most furious.
tina. at that wedding the Apple of Dis
! cord was thrown among the guests from
| Olvmpus-a bit of fooling W hich brought
on the Trojan war.
The Vale of Tempe was in those days
a favorlte resort of Apollo, and those
who have travelled to it in our time
agree that Apollo had ar eye for the
beautiful. 1t is described as most de.
light III, with cool shades and verdant
walks, which the warbling of birds
makes more pleasant and attractive
Chiron, who was something of must
clan himself, used to come down from
PeliOn to hear Apollo's improvisatiens
in the Groves of Tempe. Returnin.
then to his cave on Pelion, he would
take up the instruction of the youth.
committed to his care, among whom
were Herculese, Achilles, Aesculapius
and Jason-four young fellows who
turned out & credit to their tutor, ever
If little wild, harum -scarumy and vii
full at times. From timber growing OF
the slopes of Pelion Jason afterward,
bull; the Arso, and on the shore of tn,
Gu-f of Salonica she must have beer
launched for her famous voyage
How those ancients-gods, mortals
and half Gods-wouid stare could the,
now revisit their old home and Sc,
these moderns doing battle-each
Zeus with his thusderbolts N his hand
striking down the adversary witheu
sword or spear. The gods would rul
their EYES. Zeus would probably com
plain that thunder and lightning wer,
getting too common, and would advis
forming an Olympian trust to contro
) their production. Chiron would observ,
the performances of tie cavalry with
critical eye, and admit that perhap
there were advantages in being able t.
get down off ones self now and then
: and looking altogether like the god
rather than forever like seven-eightL
: horse. Achilles weald probably decar
that the Trojan war would not hav
lasted ten months if the ancient Greek
had had artillery like the moderns, an,
: would volunteer his services in the new
tangled warfare on the condition tina
any Turkish Brisois that fell into hi
: hands should not be taken from him b.
any superior in command Ii is JUS
possible that they could point on: som
things in which the moderns have no
. advanced, but, as they will probabl
keep quite aloof from the war. havin
had sufficient experience at Ilium, i
is unlikely that these failinss of on
civilization will ever be known.-Buffal
Courier.