[希腊神话]泰瑞西斯 TiresiasTiresiaswasablind,darkseeingprophetofThebes.Hewasstruckwithblindnessinhisyouth,becausehehadspiedunwittinglyonthegoddessAthena.Hewaswanderinginthewoodsonedaywhenquiteunexpectedlyhesawanakedmaidenbathinginaplacidlake.Littledidheknowthathehadoffendedthevirgingoddess.Takenunawareandscarletwithwrath,thegoddessexclaimedthatwhoeverhadtheboldnesstostealaglanceathernakedbodywasdoomedtoperpetualblindness.Butwhenshelearnedlaterthattheoffencewasunintentional,itwastoolateforhertotakebackwhatshehadsaid.Takingpityonthepooryouthforthelossofhissight,sheobtainedfromZeusanexceptionallonglifeforhim,andfromApolloadivinepowerofprophecy.Besides,sheprovidedhimwithamarvelloussharpnessofear,sothathecouldunderstandthevoicesofallbirds.Andshefilledhismindwithmysticknowledgeofthingspastandofthingstoe.Inshortshegavehimquiteanamountofherownwisdom.HewasthefirsttorecogniseandweleDionysus,godoffeastandwine,ontheThebanland.WhentheinfantHeraclescaughtHera'stwoserpentsinitshands,itwasTiresiaswhocastthechild'sfortuneandrevealedthedivineoriginanddestinyoftheboy.WhenOedipusabusedTiresiasashavinghadahandinthemurderofLaius,TiresiashadthefearlesscouragetotellthetruththatOedipuswasthemurderer.Eveninthelowerworldhecontinuedtoprophesy.TherehehelpedOdysseuswhentheherocametohimforadvice.Alive,hewashighlyrespectedbyall;dead,heenjoyedthegenerousairandrosylightinthelandoftheBlest.泰瑞西斯是位只能看见黑暗的底比斯先知。
由于他年轻时不小心窥见了女神雅典娜,他的双目失明一天,他在森林里漫步时,意外地看见一位全身裸露的仙女正在平静的湖水中沐浴他不知道他已经冒犯了这位贞洁的女神因莫名其妙地被人看了个一清二楚,女神勃然大怒她诅咒道:谁胆敢偷看她的玉体,谁就必将永远变瞎但当后来她得知泰瑞西斯并非有意冒犯她时,再想收回她的咒语已经不可能了出于怜悯,她从宙斯那里替这位贫穷的,丧失了视力的年轻人争取到了长寿;又从阿波罗那里要来了神圣的预言本领;并且,她赋予他神奇敏锐的双耳,这样他就可以明白各种鸟语此外,雅典娜给了他魔术般的本领,使他既知过去,也能预测将来总而言之,她使他拥有了她自身智慧中的很大一部分在底比斯,是泰瑞西斯第一个认出了宴会神、也是酒神的狄俄尼索斯,并向他表示欢迎当海格克斯还是个婴儿,用手抓起赫拉的两条毒蛇时,也正是泰瑞西斯卜算出了这个孩子的将来并预示出他的出身及其命运当奥狄浦斯指责泰瑞西斯参与谋杀了拉伊俄斯时,泰瑞西斯英勇地讲出了事实真相:奥狄浦斯才是凶手即使到了地狱,他仍然预测将来在那儿,当奥德修斯前去征求他的意见时,泰瑞西斯帮助了他活着的时候,他受到人们的普遍敬重;死后,在不莱斯特这块土地上,他享受着无比清新的空气和玫瑰般绚丽多彩的阳光。