L'IDOMENEO DI SERVIO: IDOMENEVS QVVM POST EVERSAM TROIAM REVERTERTVR IN TEMPESTATE DEVOVIT DIIS SACRIFCATVRVM SE DAVI QVAE EI PRIMO OCCURRISSET CONTIGIT AVTEM VT FILIVS EIVS PRIMUS OCCVRRERET QVERN QVVM VT ALII DICVNT IMMOLASSET VT ALII IMMOLARE VOLUISSET A CIVIBVS PVLSVS REGNO SALENTINVM CALABRA PROMONTORIVM TEVIT IVXTA QVOD CONDIDIT CIVITATEM.

Speranza

In the "History of Telemachus", Idomeneus—the son of Deucalion, and grandson to Minos, who went with the rest of the Grecian kings to the siege of Troy, was, on his return to Crete, surprised by so violent a storm, that the pilot and most experienced mariners in the ship thought they would inevitably be cast away—is made to invoke Neptune in these words.

" O powerful God! who commandest the empire of the sea, vouchsafe to hear the prayers of the distressed. If thou deliverest me from the fury of the winds, and bringest me again safe to Crete, the first head I see shall fall by my own hands, a sacrifice to thy deity!"

In the meantime the son of Idomeneus, impatient to see his father again, made hasLe to meet and embrace him at his landing.

The father, who had escaped the storm, arrived safe at the wished-for haven; but a black presage of his misfortune now made him bitterly repent his rash vow: he dreaded his coming among his own people; he turned his eyes to the ground, and trembled for fear of seeing whatever was dearest to him in the world. He sees his son—he starts back with horror—his eyes in vain look about for some other head, less dear to him, to serve for his intended sacrifice.

 

Grown mad, and pushed on by the infernal furies, he thrust his sword into the heart of the youth, and drew it out again, all reeking and drenched in blood, to plunge it into his own bowels; but he was prevented by those that were present.

 

This account of Idomeneus is not exactly fabulous, for we find it narrated by several authors.

 

Servio, in his Commentary on Virgil, relates it as follows.

 

Idomeneus quum post eversam Trojam reverteretur in tempestate devovit diis sacrificaturum se daw quae ei primo occurrisset contigit autem ut filius ejus primus occurreret quern quum ut alii dicunt immolasset ut alii immoiare voluisset a civibus pulsus regno Salentinum Calabra promontorium tenuit juxta quod condidit civitatem

"Idomeneus, when he was returning from Crete, after the destruction of Troy, was caught in a storm; and in that extremity he vowed that he would sacrifice to the gods the first being that should meet him on his landing. It happened that his son was the first person that presented himself to his view. And when he had sacrificed him, as some say, or attempted it, as others report, he was driven from his kingdom by his subjects; and having taken possession of the Promontory of Salentinum, in Calabria, he built a city in that neighbourhood."—Serv. M. III. 121. XI. 264.