22 HISTORY OF GREECE. But a revolution so extensive was not consummated without creating much discontent ; and Menestheus, the rival of Theseus, the first specimen, as we are told, of an artful demagogue, took advantage of this feeling to assail and undermine him. The- seus had quitted Attica, to accompany and assist his friend Peiri- thous, in his journey down to the under-world, in order to carry off the goddess Persephone", or (as those who were critical in legendary story preferred recounting) in a journey to the resi- dence of Aidoneus, king of the Molossians in Epirus, to carry off his daughter. In this enterprise, Peirithous perished, while The- seus was cast into prison, from whence he was only liberated by the intercession of Herakles. It was during his temporary ab- sence, that the Tyndarids Castor and Pollux invaded Attica for the purpose of recovering their sister Helen, whom Theseus had at a former period taken away from Sparta and deposited at Aphidna3 ; and the partisans of Menestheus took advantage both of the absence of Theseus and of the calamity which his licen- tiousness had brought upon the country, to ruin his popularity with the people. When lie returned, he found them no longer disposed to endure his dominion, or to continue to him the honors which their previous feelings of gratitude had conferred. Hav- ing, therefore, placed his sons under the protection of Elephenor, in Eubosa, he sought an asylum with Lykomedes, prince of Scy- ros, from whom, however, he received nothing but an insidious welcome and a traitorous death. 1 Menestheus, succeeding to the honors of the expatriated hero, commanded the Athenian troops at the Siege of Troy. But though he survived the capture, he never returned to Athens, different stories being related of the place where he and his com- panions settled. During this interval, the feelings of the Athe- nians having changed, they restored the sons of Theseus, who had served at Troy under Elephenor, and had returned unhurt, to the station and functions of their father. The Theseids Demo- phoon, Oxyntas, Apheidas, and Thymoetes had successively filled this post for the space of about sixty years, 2 when the Dorian in- vaders of Peloponnesus Cas has been before related) compelled Melanthus and the Neleid family to abandon their kingdom of 1 Plutarch, Theseus, c. 34-35.
- EuseBius, Chronic. Can. pp. 228-229, ed. Scaliger ; Pausan. ii. 18, 7.
