ancient writers as the
founder of the Attic commonwealth, and even of its democratic
institutions. It would be waste of time to inquire whether there was an
historical personage of this name who actually introduced the political
changes ascribed to him; it will be convenient to adhere to the ancient
account in describing them as the work of Theseus.

[Illustration: Tribute to the Minotaur.]

Before this time Attica contained many independent townships, which were
only nominally united. Theseus incorporated the people into one state,
removed the principal courts for the administration of justice to
Athens, and greatly enlarged the city, which had hitherto covered little
more than the rock which afterward formed the citadel. To cement their
union he instituted several festivals, and especially changed the
Athenaea into the Panathenaea, or the festivals of all the Atticans. He
encouraged the nobles to reside at Athens, and surrendered a part of his
kingly prerogatives to them; for which reason he is perhaps represented
as the founder of the Athenian democracy, although the government which
he established was, and continued to be long after him, strictly
aristocratic.

ULYSSES[1]

[Footnote 1: Copyright, 1894, by Selmar Hess.]

By CHARLES F. HORNE

[Illustration: Ulysses.]

While courage and strength seemed to the ancient Greeks the noblest of
virtues, they ranked wisdom and ready wit almost as high. Achilles was
the strongest of the Grecian warriors at the siege of Troy, but there
was another almost as strong, equally brave, and far shrewder of wit.
This was Ulysses. It was he who ultimately brought about the capture of
the city. Homer speaks often of him in his "Iliad;" and the bard's
second great work, the "Odyssey," is devoted entirely to the wanderings
of Odysseus, or, as we have learned from the Romans to call him,
Ulysses. Whether he was a real person or only a creation of the poet's
fancy, it is impossible to say. But as it is now generally agreed that
there was a siege of Troy, it follows that there was probably a Ulysses,
and his adventures, while in the main mythical, are of value as having
perhaps some foundation in truth, and giving, at all events, a picture
of what the old Greeks thought a hero should be and do.

Ulysses was King of Ithaca when he was summoned to join the rest of the
Grecian princes for the war with Troy. He had no wish to go, for he had
lately married a beautiful g