as much as
the gods, and they called the time when they lived the Heroic Age.

Not satisfied with freeing their own country from wild men and beasts,
the heroes wandered far away from home in search of further adventures.
These have also been told over and over again to children of all
countries and ages, until every one is expected to know something about
them. Fifty of these heroes, for instance, went on board of a small
vessel called the "Argo," sailed across the well-known waters, and
ventured boldly into unknown seas. They were in search of a Golden
Fleece, which they were told they would find in Col'chis, where it was
said to be guarded by a great dragon.

The leader of these fifty adventurers was Ja'son, an AEolian prince, who
brought them safely to Colchis, whence, as the old stories relate, they
brought back the Golden Fleece. They also brought home the king's
daughter, who married Jason, and ruled his kingdom with him. Of course,
as there was no such thing as a Golden Fleece, the Greeks merely used
this expression to tell about the wealth which they got in the East, and
carried home with them; for the voyage of the "Argo" was in reality the
first distant commercial journey undertaken by the Greeks.

VII. THESEUS VISITS THE LABYRINTH.

On coming back from the quest for the Golden Fleece, the heroes returned
to their own homes, where they continued their efforts to make their
people happy.

The'seus, one of the heroes, returned to Athens, and founded a yearly
festival in honor of the goddess Athene. This festival was called
Pan-ath-e-nae'a, which means "all the worshipers of Athene." It proved a
great success, and was a bond of union among the people, who thus
learned each other's customs and manners, and grew more friendly than if
they had always staid at home. Theseus is one of the best-known among
all the Greek heroes. Besides going with Jason in the "Argo," he rid his
country of many robbers, and sailed to Crete. There he visited Minos,
the king, who, having some time before conquered the Athenians, forced
them to send him every year a shipload of youths and maidens, to feed
to a monster which he kept in the Labyrinth.

To free his country from this tribute, Theseus, of his own free will,
went on board the ship. When he reached Crete, he went first into the
Labyrinth, and killed the monster with his sword. Then he found his way
out of the maze by means of a long thread which the king's daughte