ote 103: _Thou seest._--Ver. 587. As AEacus says this, he
must be supposed to point with his finger towards the temple.]

[Footnote 104: _More odious._--Ver. 603. Dead bodies were supposed
to be particularly offensive to the Gods.]

EXPLANATION.

Minos (most probably the second prince that bore that name), upon his
accession to the throne, after the death of his father, Lycastus, made
several conquests in the islands adjoining Crete, where he reigned,
and, at last, became master of those seas. The strength of his fleet
is particularly remarked by Thucydides, Apollodorus, and Diodorus
Siculus.

The Feast of the Panathenaea being celebrated at Athens, Minos sent his
son Androgeus to it, who joined as a combatant in the games, and was
sufficiently skilful to win all the prizes. The glory which he thereby
acquired, combined with his polished manners, obtained him the
friendship of the sons of Pallas, the brother of AEgeus. This
circumstance caused AEgeus to entertain jealous feelings, the more
especially as he knew that his nephews were conspiring against him.
Being informed that Androgeus was about to take a journey to Thebes,
he caused him to be assassinated near Oenoe, a town on the confines of
Attica. Apollodorus, indeed, says that he was killed by the Bull of
Marathon, which was then making great ravages in Greece; but it is
very possible that the Athenians encouraged this belief, with the view
of screening their king from the infamy of an action so inhuman and
unjust. Diodorus Siculus and Plutarch agree in stating that AEgeus
himself caused Androgeus to be murdered.

On hearing the news of his son's death, Minos resolved on revenge. He
ordered a strong fleet to be fitted out, and went in person to several
courts, to contract alliances, and engage other powers to assist him;
and this, with the history of the plague at AEgina, forms the subject
of the present narrative.

FABLE VI. [VII.614-660]

Jupiter, at the prayer of his son AEacus, transforms the ants that are
in the hollow of an old oak into men; these, from the Greek name of
those insects, are called Myrmidons.

"Stupefied by so great an outburst of misery, I said, 'O Jupiter! if
stories do not falsely say that thou didst come into the embraces of
AEgina, the daughter of Asopus, and thou art not ashamed, great Father,
to be the parent of myself; either restore my people to me, or e