40 SEX-LORE 



bride, whose first duty after marriage it is to dress 

 the wounds she herself has inflicted." 



Among other races competitions in feats of skill 

 take the place of these barbarous customs. Perhaps 

 the best-known story of this kind is that to be found 

 in Homer, who describes the return of the hero 

 Ulysses to his faithful wife, Penelope, after twenty 

 years of wanderings. She had been importuned all 

 these long weary years by her suitors to choose one 

 of them, since, so they said, Ulysses was surely dead. 

 Just at the time of Ulysses' return she had so far 

 given in as to arrange for a competition between 

 them: the one who could send an arrow through a 

 line of double axeheads was to win her for his bride. 

 It is well known how Ulysses, who was the only 

 one capable of performing this feat, slew all the 

 suitors. 



Running races were also often held among various 

 people for the men, the winner gaining the bride. 

 We may cite here the Greek legend of Atalanta, a 

 king's daughter, who herself ran races with those who 

 aspired to her hand. She had vowed only to marry 

 the man that could outrun her. If she won, the poor 

 lover literally lost his head. She was so very beau- 

 tiful that, in spite of the danger, many noble youths 

 were tempted to enter the race, each in turn, however, 

 forfeiting his life, for she was so fleet of foot that 

 no one could overtake her. There came at last a 

 youth who, favoured by Venus, contrived to win the 

 race. He dropped in succession three golden apples 

 given him by the goddess, each time at a critical 

 moment. These tempted the maiden irresistibly, so 

 that she lost time by picking them up, thus enabling 



