Those of you who know the story of Bellerophon and Stheneboea, or of THESEUS’s son Hippolytus and Phaedra,fn15 or indeed that of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife in the book of Genesis, will be familiar with the mytheme or recurrent trope of the ‘woman scorned’ and how it inevitably unwinds.
Hot with mortification, Astydameia sent a message to Peleus’s wife Antigone, who was home in Phthia raising their daughter Polydora.
‘Antigone, this is to advise you that your husband Peleus, whom you thought so faithful, is now betrothed to my stepdaughter Sterope. I can imagine how painful for you this news must be. Peleus has made no secret of his distaste for you. Your figure since giving birth, he tells the court, is now as plump and squashy as an overripe fig and he cannot bear the sight of you. It is as well you hear this from me and not from one who wishes you ill. Your friend, Astydameia.’
After Antigone heard this message she went out and hanged herself.
Even such a terrible outcome was not enough for the vengeful Astydameia, who now approached her husband with bowed head and choked sobs.
‘Oh, my husband …’ she began.
‘Whatever is the matter?’ said Acastus.
‘No, I cannot say. No, I cannot …’
‘I command you to tell me what is troubling you.’
The terrible story came tumbling out. How the lustful Peleus had come to her bedchamber and tried to force himself upon her. How she had repulsed the rape and written to advise Antigone of her husband’s faithlessness. How Antigone in her humiliation and grief had taken her own life. How Astydameia had wanted to keep all this from Acastus, who seemed so fond of Peleus … But now he had prised it from her … Oh dear, she hoped she had not done wrong in telling him … ?
Even as Acastus comforted his wife, his mind set itself on an implacable course. He knew he had to be careful, however. It would be an infraction of the sacred laws of hospitality to kill his guest. Not only that, Peleus was a grandson of Zeus. To lay hands upon him would be foolhardy. Nonetheless, Acastus was determined to ensure the death of the wanton and depraved villain who had dared lay hands on his wife.
The next day he and his courtiers took their young guest out on a hunting expedition. In the late afternoon, Peleus, exhausted from the chase, found a grassy bank at the edge of a dark wood and sank into a deep sleep. Signalling for silence from his men, Acastus stole up to him and took his sword, a powerful weapon forged by HEPHAESTUS and given to Peleus’s father by Zeus himself. Acastus hid it in a nearby dungheap and, grinning with delight, he and his men tiptoed away, leaving Peleus locked in sleep. Acastus knew that at night the region was made lethally dangerous by marauding centaurs, half horse, half human, who would surely find Peleus and kill him.
Sure enough, not two hours later a herd of wild centaurs on the fringe of the wood sniffed the air and detected the scent of a human.
Now, everyone has two grandfathers.fn16 On his father’s side Peleus had Zeus and on his mother’s side the wise, learned and noble Chiron, the immortal centaur who had been tutor to ASCLEPIUS and Jason.fn17 It happened, that evening, that Chiron was amongst the band of centaurs that emerged from the woods and cantered towards the sleeping Peleus. Chiron overtook the others at a gallop, awoke Peleus and recovered his sword. After they had seen off the other centaurs, they embraced. Peleus was quite Chiron’s favourite grandson.
‘I have watched over you,’ said the centaur. ‘You have been the victim of a great wrong.’
Peleus learned from Chiron what Astydameia had done and wept with sorrow for the loss of Antigone and with rage at the injustice that had been practised on him. He went back to Phthia, erected a tomb for his dead wife and returned to Iolcos with an army of his best Phthian soldiers – the elite Myrmidons. Acastus was killed, the wicked Astydameia cut into pieces, and Thessalus – the son of Peleus’s old friend Jason – installed on the throne. From that point on, Aeolia became known as Thessaly, as it is to this day.
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.’