But Theseus was quick and wary, and clasped Kerkuon round the
waist, and slipped his loin quickly underneath him, while he caught
him by the wrist; and then he hove a mighty heave, a heave which
would have stirred an oak, and lifted Kerkuon, and pitched him,
right over his shoulder on the ground.
Then he leapt on him, and called, "Yield, or I kill thee!" but
Kerkuon said no word, for his heart was burst within him, with the
fall, and the meat, and the wine.
Then Theseus opened the gates, and called in all the people; and
they cried, "You have slain our evil king; be you now our king, and
rule us well."
"I will be your king in Eleusis, and I will rule you right and
well; for this cause I have slain all evil-doers, Sinis, and Sciron,
and this man last of all."
Then an aged man stepped forth, and said, "Young hero, hast
thou slain Sinis? Beware then of AEgeus, king of Athens, to whom
thou goest, for he is near of kin to Sinis."
"Then I have slain my own kinsman," said Theseus, "though well
he deserved to die. Who will purge me from his death, for rightfully
I slew him, unrighteous and accursed as he was?"
And the old man answered--
"That will the heroes do, the sons of Phytalus, who dwell beneath
the elm tree in Aphidnai, by the bank of silver Cephisus; for they
know the mysteries of the Gods.
Pages:
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534