The Curse of Beauty 9/21/10 A-3
Zeus half-heartedly sat in his magnificent heavenly throne longing and wishing for something, anything to happen. For the world was at peace and after many years of working to make sure the world below is all right, one gets very board and lonesome. Zeus was sick of it. He wanted something more. In his determination to seek out adventure, he found himself rejecting his many servants desperate plea to serve him in any way possible. Zeus, finding his servants as somewhat of an annoyance, sent them off to give one of the other Gods grapes all day. Zeus, now pacing the beautiful grounds of the heavens out of pure boredom, leaned over all the many clouds to take another glance at the never changing world below. Suddenly he viewed something new for the first time. In the land below lived a fair maiden. She was so fair in fact that her beauty exceeded all others that lived or had lived in all the land.
“Wow, I’ve never beheld a creature with such enormous beauty in all my life. I need to somehow meet that girl and make her my queen. Oh, but what should I do about Hera?” Zeus whispered with lust.
Meanwhile in the world below lived the most beautiful maiden, her name was Oceana and the most handsome wealthy men in the entire valley sought after her. From near and far they would travel just to be in her presence. Many times she got asked for her hand in marriage, but she would always decline, feeling that there was someone extra ordinary waiting for her somewhere.
One beautiful summer’s day Oceana went to visit her favorite location on the river, not far from where she lived. As she took her bucket down to the water’s edge to recover some water suddenly Zeus appeared to her saying, “Will you please do me the honor of becoming my queen?”
Just as Oceana was about to say yes, Hades suddenly appeared and took her captive.
“I’ve got your sweet heart for myself now brother! Ha!” Hades said with confidence.
With that he dragged Oceana down to the depths of the underworld where he hid his newly stolen lover.
“You’ll stay here until I find it safe for you and me to be together at last,” Hades said with a chuckle.
Oceana stood there in a hot, black, and darkly abysmal room that mysteriously was still in some way elegant. With wide-eyed wonder, and a little terror, she marveled at the events which had just so drastically changed her life. Confused, hot and afraid she sat there crying for what seemed a life time. From a little above Persephone (Hade’s captive wife) heard her bellows and with the least bit of allowance went down to Oceana to make her stop.
“Who are you and why are you crying, and still alive,” Persephone yelled.
“I’m Oceana and I don’t know exactly why I’m here,” Oceana said.
“Well I’ll go find out and come back and tell you,” replied Persephone.
What seemed to be hours passed and there was still no sign of Persephone. Finally she came running to share the news she had received from her hell hounds.
“I might have a chance to escape this awful place! It seems my husband has taken a liking to you, but the problem is that Zeus has too. I feel bad for you sister, one god is bad enough. There are ever rumors of war over your affections circulating around up there. How do you feel now that you’re causing a war because of your beauty? All I know is if there is a war we are all in big trouble!” Persephone lamented.
Persephone left quickly and never returned. There Oceana sat with all her worries, not knowing what was going to happen to her, or what was taking place in the world above.
Mean while a war between Hades and Zeus over Oceana was raging in the world above. The world was in ruins and chaos was beheld everywhere the eye could see. This war gave many people despair. They knew not the reason of which their world was being destroyed. Even the other gods didn’t know why this war was being fought. Every single person on the whole face of the earth wept for days, and their tears are what caused the Nile River to form.
When Hera (Zeus’s wife) had found out the real reason for this terrible war she decided that she would put an end to the war and this mortal hussy.
“Hermes, I have a very crucial job for you, can you go to the underworld and retrieve this Oceana girl from her prison. We’re going to make an end to this war and the girl. Be very careful, I want her alive!” whispered Hera.
“I’ll do it for you and to end the war,” Hermes replied.
Hermes snuck past Persephone and stole Oceana and flew her back up to Hera. After Hera had received Oceana, she locked her at the bottom of the Nile where she still remains in her prison banging on the doors. Her bangings are what cause the Nile River to flow north to south, instead of south to north like most rivers. When the Nile over flows is when Zeus or Hades try to see their long lost lover once more, by trying to break into Oceana’s prison cell. Although it won’t work because Hera made sure that Oceana would be locked up for eternity with all her pity and beauty.
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