(^616) THE GREEK SAGAS: GREEK LOCAL LEGENDS
IAMUS
A daughter of Poseidon, Evadne, left her newborn son Iamus, whose father was
Apollo, on the banks of the Alpheus. Evadne's foster father Aepytus, aware of
her condition, inquired about the child at Delphi and learned that he would be
the greatest of human seers. He returned, found the child (who had been mirac-
ulously fed on honey by two serpents), and brought him up. When he grew up,
Poseidon and Apollo brought Iamus to Olympia, where he received the gift of
prophecy. His oracle, says Pindar, was established by Heracles upon the altar
of Zeus at Olympia.^10THE ISLANDS
The Aegean islands with the most important religious cults were Delos and Samo-
thrace. At Delos Apollo was honored (see Chapter 11), and in the mysteries on Sam-
othrace the Cabiri were worshiped as "the great gods" (theoi megaloi: see p. 365).DELOS
Delos was the home of Anius, son of Apollo, who was both his father's priest
and king of the island at the time of the Trojan War. He had three daughters,
Elaïs (Olive Girl), Spermo (Seed Girl), and Oeno (Wine Girl), who received from
Dionysus the power of producing, respectively, oil, grain, and wine. Agamem-
non attempted to compel them to go to Troy with the Greeks to supply the army
with these provisions. As they resisted and tried to escape, Dionysus turned
them into white doves; ever after, doves were sacrosanct at Delos.CEOS
Ceos was the home of Cyparissus, a boy loved by Apollo. His sad story is told by
Ovid (Metamorphoses 10. 106-142). On the island was a beautiful stag, a favorite of
Cyparissus, which he accidentally killed with his javelin. As he grieved he became
a tree, the cypress, ever after called by his name and associated with mourning.
Ovid (Heroides 20 and 21) also relates how a Cean girl, Cydippe, was loved
by Acontius, a youth who was not her social equal. He left in her path an apple
on which were inscribed the words, "I swear before Artemis to marry only Acon-
tius." She picked it up and read the words out loud, thus binding herself by the
vow. Each time her parents found a suitable husband for her, she fell so ill that
she could not be married; eventually the truth was revealed, and she and Acon-
tius were united.RHODES
The island of Rhodes was sacred to Helius, the Sun. When Zeus was dividing
up the lands of the world among the gods, Rhodes had not yet appeared above