The founder of great Athens and its Acropolis was the earth-born Cecrops. The earth gave birth to him as a half-man, half-snake. His body ended in a huge snake tail. Cecrops founded Athens in Attica at a time when the shaker of the earth, the god of the sea Poseidon, and the warrior goddess Athena, the beloved daughter of Zeus, argued for power over the entire country. To resolve this dispute, all the gods gathered, led by the great thunderer Zeus himself, on the Athenian Acropolis. The ruler of gods and people also called Kekrops to the court so that he could decide who should have power in Attica. Snake-footed Kekrop appeared at the trial. The gods decided to give power over Attica to the one who brings the country the most valuable gift. Poseidon, the shaker of the earth, struck the rock with his trident, and a source of salty sea water gushed out from it, but Athena thrust her sparkling spear into the ground, and a fruitful olive grew from the ground. Then Kekrop said:
- Bright gods of Olympus, the salty waters of the boundless sea rustle everywhere, but nowhere is there an olive tree that bears rich fruits. Athena owns the olive tree, it will give wealth to the whole country and will encourage residents to work as farmers and cultivate fertile soil. Athena gave great benefit to Attica, let her have power over the entire country.
The Olympian gods awarded Pallas Athena power over the city founded by Kekropos and over all of Attica. Since then, the city of Kekropa began to be called Athens in honor of the beloved daughter of Zeus. Kekrop founded the first sanctuary in Athens to the goddess Athena, the protector of the city, and her father Zeus. The daughters of Cecrops were the first priestesses of Athena. Cecrops gave laws to the Athenians and organized the entire state. He was the first king of Attica.
Cecrops' successor was Erichthonius, son of the fire god Hephaestus. Like Cecrops, he was also born of the earth. His birth is full of mystery. When he was born, the goddess Athena took him under her protection and he grew up in her sanctuary. Athena placed the newborn Erichthonius in a wicker basket with a tightly closed lid. Two snakes were supposed to guard Erichthonius. Kekrop's daughters also guarded him. Athena strictly forbade them to lift the lid from the basket; they were not supposed to see the baby mysteriously born of the earth. Curiosity tormented the daughters of Cecrops; they wanted to look at Erichthonius at least once.
One day, Athena left her sanctuary on the Acropolis to bring a mountain from Pallena, which she decided to place at the Acropolis for its protection. When the goddess was carrying the mountain to Athens, a crow flew towards her and said that the daughters of Cecrops opened the basket with Erichthonius and saw a mysterious baby. Athena was terribly angry, she threw the mountain and in the blink of an eye appeared at her sanctuary on the Acropolis. Athena severely punished the daughters of Cecrops; They were seized by madness, they ran out of the sanctuary, in madness they threw themselves from the steep cliffs of the Acropolis and fell to their deaths. From then on, Athena herself guarded Erichthonius. The mountain that Athena threw remained in the place where the crow informed the goddess about the misdeed of the daughters of Kekrop; then this mountain began to be called Lycabettus. Erichthonius, having matured, became the king of Athens, where he ruled for many years. He established the most ancient festivals in honor of Athena Panathenaia.
Erichthonius was the first to harness horses to chariots and the first to introduce chariot driving in Athens.
A descendant of Erichthonius was the king of Athens, Erechtheus. He had to wage a difficult war with the city of Eleusis, to which the son of the Thracian king Eumolpus, Immarades, came to the aid.
This war was unhappy for Erechtheus. Immarad and the Thracians pressed him more and more. Finally, Erechtheus decided to turn to the oracle of Apollo at Delphi to find out at what cost he could achieve victory. The Pythia gave a terrible answer. She told Erechtheus that he would only defeat Immarad if he sacrificed one of his daughters to the gods. Erechtheus returned from Delphi with a terrible answer. The young daughter of King Chthonia, full of love for her homeland, having learned the Pythia’s answer, announced that she was ready to sacrifice her life for her native Athens. Deeply grieving over the fate of his daughter, Erechtheus sacrificed her to the gods; only the desire to save Athens made him decide to make such a sacrifice.
Soon after Cthonia was sacrificed, a battle took place. In the heat of battle, Erechtheus and Immarad met and entered into a duel. The heroes fought for a long time. They were not inferior to each other either in strength, or in the ability to wield weapons, or in courage. Finally, Erechtheus defeated and struck Immarad to death with his spear. The father of Immarad, Eumolpus, was saddened: he begged the god Poseidon to take revenge on Erechtheus for the death of his son. Poseidon quickly rushed in his chariot over the stormy waves of the sea to Attica. He waved his trident and killed Erechtheus. This is how Erechtheus died defending his homeland. All the children of Erechtheus also died. Only one of his daughters, Creusa, survived; she was the only one spared by evil fate.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru