himself, but that Idas and Lynceus brought her to him, and
committed her to his charge, and that, therefore, he refused to
restore her at the demand of Castor and Pollux; or, indeed, they
say her own father, Tyndarus, had sent her to be kept by him, for
fear of Enarophorus, the son of Hippocoon, who would have carried
her away by force when she was yet a child. But the most probable
account, and that which has witnesses on its side, is this:
Theseus and Pirithous went both together to Sparta, and, having
seized the young lady as she was dancing in the temple of Diana
Orthia, fled away with her. There were presently men in arms sent
to pursue, but they followed no farther than to Tegea; and Theseus
and Pirithous being now out of danger, having passed through
Peloponnesus, made an agreement between themselves, that he to
whom the lot should fall should have Helen to his wife, but should
be obliged to assist in procuring another for his friend. The lot
fell upon Theseus, who conveyed her to Aphidnae, not being yet
marriageable, and delivered her to one of his allies, called
Aphidnus, and having sent his mother, Aethra, after to take care
of her, desired him to keep them so secretly that none might know
where they were; which done, to return the same service to his
friend Pirithous, he accompanied him in his journey to Epirus, in
order to steal away the king of the Molossians' daughter. The
king, his own name being Aidoneus, or Pluto, called his wife
Proserpina, and his daughter Cora, and a great dog which he kept
Cerberus, with whom he ordered all that came as suitors to his
daughter to fight, and promised her to him that should overcome
the beast. But having been informed that the design of Pirithous
and his companion was not to court his daughter, but to force her
away, he caused them both to be seized, and threw Pirithous to be
torn to pieces by the dog, and put Theseus into prison, and kept