The life and death of saint somebody
...ch was symbolic of the cleansing of his ears. This enabled him to be able to communicate with animals and understand their languages. Melampus had a brother named Bias, whom he cared a great deal for, enough to use his gift for him on several occasions. Neleus, the king of Pylos, had a lovely daughter, Pero, whom Bias wanted to wed. Neleus wanted cattle from the king of Phylace, Phylacus, in return for his daughter’s hand in marriage. Melampus attempted to speak with the king, but was captured and imprisoned instead. After more than a year in jail, Melampus noticed wood worms in his cell. He talked to them and discovered that they had eaten through the wooden rafter of his cell. Melampus asked the guard to be moved to a different cell, and as he did so, the roof of his cell collapsed, less than 10 seconds after he’d left his cell. Phylacus, upon learning of the remarkable luck and gift of Melampus, had Melampus brought to him. He had an ill son, Iphiclus. Iphiclus was one of the fastest mortals alive, but was suffering sexual impotence. Melampus agreed to help cure him for some of the cattle. As Melampus searches for an answer, he comes upon a vulture who knew how the boy had come to his condition. He tells Melampus how Iphiclus had seen his father walking toward him with a bloody knife, which had scared the boy. The king had buried the knife in a tree, and had then gone to comfort his son. Melampus tells the king to find the knife, scrape off the rust, and put it in a glass of wine, and have his son drink it. When he drinks the wine, he is cured and the king gives Melampus the cattle for Bias. Not long after, Bias weds Pero. The brothers remain in Pylos until Pero dies. They leave Pylos for Argos, where Melampus was asked to help the king of Argos, Proetus. He was the father of three d...