Marpessa

Marpessa was the only daughter of King Evenus．She was noble and graceful．From her childhood she was trained by her father like a young hero and was not allowed tohave any thought of love and marriage．To deal with the crowdof men who now rushed into his palace，the king proposed that aman have to beat him in a carriage race to win his daughter. Death would be the penalty for the loser ． The king was sure of his victory，for his horses came from Ares' stables ． Manyyoung princes lost their lives．

Last came Idas，prince of Messenia. He was not discouragedby the fate of those men，because he had Poseidon on his side．Granting his prayers，the seagod had given him two fleet horses and advised him to take his reward as soon as he won therace and flee from the king's attack . He did as he had been told，and King Evenus，lost his own daughter，his only hope inlife，drowned himself in a river．

Idas and Marpessa presently arrived at a riverside，where ldas put d...