Rather than return to Phthia and live the life of a prince and heir, Peleus accepted an offer from Chiron to spend time with him in his mountain cave in order to learn at the feet of that renowned centaur.fn18 There was much wisdom and knowledge that Chiron could impart, and life on Mount Pelion proceeded for a year or so in a quiet rhythm. But Chiron began to detect in Peleus a new restlessness that amounted to something like sorrow.
‘Something disturbs you,’ he said one evening. ‘Tell me what it is. You are not attending to your studies with the joy and zeal that you once did. You gaze down onto the sea and there is a lost look in your eyes. Do you still grieve for your Antigone?’
Peleus turned to face him. ‘I have to confess that I do not,’ he said. ‘It is another love.’
‘But you have hardly seen anyone for a year.’
‘I saw her a long time ago. When I was sailing with Jason. But I have never forgotten her.’
‘Tell me.’
‘Oh, it is so foolish. I was leaning on the stern of the Argo one night. Have you ever seen how a green light shines from the sea sometimes?’
‘I am not a practised sailor,’ said Chiron.
‘No, of course.’ Peleus smiled at the thought of Chiron’s hoofs clattering and skidding on a slippery deck. ‘Well, take it from me, sometimes you see at night an enchanted light glow in the water.’
‘Sea nymphs, no doubt.’
‘No doubt. I think perhaps that particular night we were sailing over the sea palace of Poseidon himself. The lights were especially bright. I leaned out further and a creature rose up from the water. I have never seen anything or anyone so beautiful.’
‘Ah.’
‘She stared at me and I stared back. It seemed like an age. And then a dolphin broke the surface. The spell was gone and she dropped back down into the deep. I was in a dream …’ Peleus stopped, reliving the moment.
Chiron waited. He was sure there must be more to come.
‘You may know,’ Peleus said at last, ‘that the figurehead on the prow-beak of the Argo was carved out of timber that was taken from the sacred oak grove of Dodona and was endowed with the gift of prophecy?’
Chiron bowed his head to show that he was familiar with this well-known truth.
‘I consulted it. “Who was that creature?” I asked. “Who was she?” The figurehead replied, “Why, who else but THETIS, your future bride?” That was all the answer I could get. Thetis. I have asked around. Priests and wise men are agreed that there is a sea nymph of that name. But who is she, Chiron? Every night when I sleep, the image of her rises up before me just as she did from the waves.’
‘Thetis, you say?’
‘Well? Have you heard of her?’
‘Heard of her? We are family. Cousins, I suppose you would call it. We have in common TETHYS as a grandmother.’fn19
‘Is she … ?’
‘Thetis is as beautiful and desirable as you remember. All the gods have at one time or another fallen for her matchless graces –’
‘I knew it,’ groaned Peleus.
‘Let me finish,’ said Chiron. ‘All the gods have at one time fallen under the spell of her beauty, Zeus in particular. But many years ago, mankind’s champion, the Titan PROMETHEUS, revealed a prophecy about Thetis that has stopped all gods and demigods from daring to approach her.’
‘There is a curse?’
‘For the gods it would be a heavy curse indeed, but not perhaps for you, a mortal. Prometheus foretold that any son born of Thetis would grow up to be greater than his father. You can imagine, I am sure, that no Olympian wishes to father a son who might eclipse, or perhaps depose, them. Ouranos, the first Lord of the Sky, was overthrown by his son Kronos, who was in turn overthrown by his son Zeus,fn20 who entertains, you may be certain, no desire for the cycle to be repeated. Despite Thetis’s beauty and his own lustful nature, all these years the King of Heaven has let her be. Nor has any other Olympian dared to consort with her.’
Peleus clapped his hands in delight. ‘That is all? A fear that their son could rise to be greater than them? Why should I worry about such a thing? I would be proud to father a boy who might outshine me in fame and glory, why should I not?’
Chiron smiled. ‘Not all gods, nor indeed all men, are like you, Peleus.’
Peleus waved the compliment, if compliment it was, aside. ‘It is all very well,’ he said with a touch of moodiness now, as the cold reality dawned on him, ‘but the seas are vast and wide. How could I ever find her?’
‘Oh, as to that … Did your friend Heracles never tell you the story of his encounter with her father?’
‘Oceanus?’
‘No, Thetis is a Nereid.fn21 It all happened when Heracles was sent to fetch the Golden Apples of the Hesperides, the Eleventh of his Labours. He had no idea where to find them. The nymphs of the River Eridanus told him that he should seek out Nereus, son of Pontus and Gaia. But like Proteus – like most deities of water, in fact – Nereus can change his shape at will. Heracles had to hold the old sea god tight while he turned himself into all manner of creatures. At last his energy was drained. He submitted and told Heracles everything he wanted to know. Nereus’s daughter Thetis is the same. She will only yield to one who can hold her fast no matter how many alterations to her form she makes.’
‘I don’t have Heracles’ strength,’ said Peleus.
‘But you have passion, you have purpose!’ said Chiron, stamping a hoof in impatience. ‘What you felt when you looked down at the Argo’s wake and saw Thetis rise up – is that feeling strong enough to hold her?’
‘Strong enough?’ said Peleus, and then again with rising conviction, ‘Certainly it is strong enough!’
‘Then go down to the shore and call to her.’
THE WEDDING AND THE APPLE
Peleus stood on the shore of the Aegean and called for Thetis until his throat was raw. From the cliffs and mountains shadows slowly flowed onto the beach like a dark tide as HELIOS and his sun-chariot dipped down into the west behind him. Soon SELENE rode across the sky overhead throwing silver-blue light from her moon-chariot onto the wet sand at Peleus’s feet. Still he stared into the black waters and hoarsely cried out Thetis’s name. At last …
Was he dreaming, or was that a pale form far out rising from the waves? It seemed to be growing in size.
‘Thetis?’
She was close enough to land to be able to stand. Only ribbons of seaweed covered her sleek nakedness as she trod the sand towards him.
‘What mortal presumes to summon me? Oh!’ She came towards him so quickly that he cringed back in fear. ‘I know that face. You dared one night to fix me with a stare. What was in that look? It disturbed me.’
‘It … it was love.’
‘Oh, love. Is that all? I thought I saw something else, something I cannot name. I see it still.’
‘Destiny?’
Thetis threw back her head to laugh. Her wet throat, necklaced by a thin trail of seaweed, was more beautiful than anything Peleus had seen in the whole world. Now was his chance. He lunged forward and grasped her around the waist. Instantly he felt his arms widen and his hands slip. Thetis had disappeared and he was holding a twisting dolphin in his arms. He hugged so hard the blood sang in his ears and he almost fell as the dolphin suddenly became an octopus. Then it was an eel, a sea-eagle, a jellyfish, a seal … more different forms than he could count. Not wanting to be put off by the terrifying oddness of what he was seeing and doing, Peleus closed his eyes, braced his legs, strengthened his grip and held fast, feeling the different textures of spikiness, slipperiness, silkiness and softness until there came a gasp and a cry. Drained by the enormous expenditure of energy that it took to change shape so many times and with such rapidity, Thetis had yielded. When Peleus opened his eyes, she was draped in his arms, flushed and finished.