Summary:
Andromeda: Perseus saw a young woman, Andromeda, chained to a rock, threatened by a sea monster. Cassiepea, Andromeda's mother, had boasted that she was more beautiful than the Nereids, and Poseidon punished her pride by flooding the kingdom of Cepheus and sending the sea monster to ravage it. The oracle of Zeus, Ammon, told Cepheus that he could appease the monster only by chaining his daughter to the rock. Perseus killed the monster with the scimitar of Hermes and was rewarded with Andromeda as his wife.
Bellerophon: Bellerophon wants to ride Pegasus, a winged horse, so he goes to Athena's temple to pray. Athena comes to him in a dream and gives him a golden bridle which, she says, will tame the horse. It does, and Pegasus becomes Bellerophon's loyal beast.
Gaius Mucius Scaevola: In about the 6th century B.C., the Etruscans, led by Lars Porsena, were trying to take Rome. Gaius Mucius was captured trying to assassinate Lars Porsena and brought before the king. He told the king that although he might be executed, there were plenty of other Romans who would try and eventually succeed in assassination. Lars Porsena was angry and threatened to burn Gaius Mucius alive. In response, the Roman stuck his hand in the fire to show he didn't fear it. This so impressed the king, that he sent Gaius Mucius back and made peace with Rome.
Laomedon et Hesiona: Apollo and Poseidon were angry at King Laomedon because he refused to pay the wage he promised them for building Troy's walls. Apollo sent a plague and Poseidon a sea monster to destroy Troy. Oracles promised deliverance if Laomedon would expose his daughter Hesione to be devoured by the sea monster (in other versions, the lot happened to fall on her) and he exposed her by fastening her naked to the rocks near the sea. Heracles promised to save her on condition that Laomedon would give him the wonderful horses he had received from Zeus as compensation for Zeus' kidnapping of Ganymedes. Laomedon agreed and Heracles slew the monster, in some accounts after being swallowed by it and hacking at its innards for three days before it died and he emerged having lost all his hair.
Adonis: Aphrodite left Adonis in the care of Persephone, who raised him and made him her lover. Aphrodite later demanded the youth for herself, but Persephone was unwilling to relinquish him. When Adonis was gored to death by a boar, both Persephone and Aphrodite claimed him. Zeus settled the dispute by arranging for Adonis to spend half the year (the summer months) above the ground with Aphrodite and the other half in the underworld with Persephone.
Grammar:
I found no new grammar concepts in these stories.
Vocabulary:
I found no new vocabulary in these stories.
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