Book 3

Summary

Cadmus

[miniature, fol. 72v: cadmus, wearing his lion pelt, plowing the field, with the earthborn knights fighting behind him]

{N}ow Jupiter held his beloved under his power in Crete. He had cast aside the form of the bull and resumed his divine appearance, and revealed himself to the beauty. When Agenor heard the news, he became very angry and afraid about it, for he loved her passionately. He sent his son Cadmus to look for her and banished him from his land if he did not bring back the beautiful Europa. Cadmus incurred incredible hardship before he could find his sister and prove what Jupiter had done. With many men and much equipment, he parted from his father the king and left his homeland of Sidon, very sad and troubled as to where he might find a place to reside, should his search prove fruitless and he dare not return home. [1–21]

He came straight to the temple of Apollo to ask which way he should go. The god said: “In a certain field, you will come upon an ox that no one is watching or driving. Follow it and build your house where you see it stop.” Cadmus had not wandered far when he saw along the cobbled road an ox wandering alone. He gave thanks to the god for it, and traveled and went along after the ox while the ox maintained its course ahead of him. Beyond the fords of Cephisus, the ox turned around and caught sight of the group that was following it. When the ox saw the group, it stopped and lay down on the grass. Cadmus was overjoyed about this. He wished to make a sacrifice to Jupiter so he would allow him to build there. He sent his men for running water. In a great, tall forest was a very beautiful spring. There, to their great misfortune, the envoys went in search of fresh water – for which they later paid most dearly. [22–48]

There was a huge dragon in the spring. The marvelous dragon, which was exceedingly fierce and prideful, had three heads and three rows of teeth. It was lying in the spring, and when the men dipped their pails in, it reverberated through the water of the spring.