Throughout the fabled east there is no land more mighty or more magnificent than Phoenicia. Her ports of Tyre and Sidon are wonders praised by poets; their fame extends throughout the known world. The buildings of these cities are wonders laden with gold and marble. Her colonies girdle the seas from Asia to the distant corner of the world. They are the exotic ports of Panormus, Carthage, Metia, and many more. Each one of these colonies adds to Phoenicia's power and to her wealth. Her galleys and her biremes sail forth, not for sacking cities as in the age of Odysseus but instead laden with boards of cedar, blown glass and purple dye; all meant for trade. The treasures of Phoenicia adorn the palaces of kings and decorate the temples of gods. Her lands are rich in their own right as well, overflowing with an abundance of fields, vineyards and pastures.
The king of the Phoenicians is a man of taste and property, as befits such a mighty empire. His palaces are filled with brightly painted statues of gods and heroes. Mosaics adorn the floors in nature scenes done in brown and green tones. Frescoes decorate the walls done in shades of blue with scenes of the sea. Their ceilings are fringed with decorations of gold and lapis lazuli. His granaries are filled to the point of bursting. His wives and children are more numerous than the cedars in his vast forests. His cellars are stocked with choice ruby wine. His pastures are filled with cattle, the largest, strongest and most beautiful in the east.
The cattle are his pride and they are pride of the nation. They are all fine beasts, tall and muscular with fair hides. Visiting dignitaries always insist on viewing them, and express their admiration profusely. The herds are so abundant that they are readily shared with strangers who seek hospitality as readily as with as potentates from foreign lands. The immortal gods themselves relish the cattle offered in holy sacrifice. The cattle are of such importance that the king himself will tend to them as his time permits. His children do the same.
His eldest daughter, Princess Europa, was the one most dedicated to the cattle. She spent her days in the fields discussing cattle with hands and slaves. From these common laborers she learned the art of animal husbandry, which she practiced. She tended to the sick cattle, even on the coldest of nights. She carefully paired the best stock to mate in order to produce the strongest offspring. She performed the sacred rites to the gods to perpetuate her family's abundance. She was a dutiful daughter and obedient to her father. She learned the woman's tasks of spinning and weaving, but in the fields she was most at home.
She was also the loveliest of the king's daughters. Her face was smooth, set with high cheek bones and amber eyes. Her skin was rich and dusky, the color of olive wood. Her hair was dark and cascaded down her back in ringlets. Her womanly curves generously filled out her tunic. She had just passed the first blush of womanhood and was now the picture of loveliness herself.
Throughout the Phoenician cities poets stood on the steps of the temple of Aphrodite, whom the Phoenicians call Ishtar, to proclaim Europa's beauty as they accompanied themselves to the music of the lyre. Inside the temples the sacred prostitutes could only smile with chagrin as they heard these verses. They knew that they were just a substitute for Europa. Every kiss and every caress given to them was really meant for Europa. Even in the midst of the most intimate acts men's minds would be away, imagining it was Europa's thighs that held them or her lips upon their manhood. The sacred prostitutes were unable to compete, for all the paints, powders and witchcraft in Aphrodite's temples could not recreate the loveliness of Europa. Boys dreamt of her in dark, lurid fantasies and many a shameful morning could be attributed to Europa. Even dutiful wives in the darkness of their bedrooms were an imagined substitute for Europa.
The fame of her beauty spread to the colonies, to the cities beyond Phoenicia and even to the heavens. Zeus, the king of the gods, took notice and became infatuated. Like the men of Tyre and Sidon, he too could think of nothing else but her. He had bedded every sort of woman; goddess, nymph and mortal, yet even with his vast experience he became as befuddled over her. He also felt bashful as a schoolboy and dared not approach her. Something about her simple loveliness overwhelmed him. She had the radiant beauty of youth, yet she was filled filled with all the charms of a woman. She wasn't much more than a child, Zeus realized he should be ashamed of himself, yet he could think of nothing but her wonderful, erotic beauty. He feared her rejection, though he didn't know why. He formulated a thousand stratagems to woo her, but found a thousand problems with each one. Day and night he watched her, cursing his inability to approach her. One day as he saw her in the fields with the cattle he formulated a plan.
On a spring morning Europa went to a pasture to inspect the herd. She diligently studied each cow, carefully noting their physique and any changes in their appearance. Her ladies-in-waiting followed at first but, being young girls, they quickly grew bored with looking at cattle. As their mistress continued with her inspection, they began playing idle games. They gathered wildflowers and ran between the cattle. Europa paid them no mind and continued with her work. Near the end of her inspection she came to a magnificent white bull. She stopped and gave it a puzzled look.
Some of her ladies-in-waiting were nearby. As they looked up from their games they saw their mistress's expression and began to gather about her. "What is it, Princess?" asked Melita.
"This bull," said Europa, never taking her eyes off the animal. "I've never seen another like it. I am certain that my Father didn't have him before."
The ladies stood in silence for a moment looking at the bull. Ashtoreth suggested "Maybe he just received it. It could be a gift from Egypt."
"Maybe," said Europa with doubt in her voice. Such a magnificent tribute would have been the talk of the entire empire. She was certain she would have heard of such a gift; but if it wasn't a gift how did it come here?
By now all the ladies-in-waiting had gathered around the bull in a semi-circle. Each examined it critically, and each nodded sagely agreeing that this was a most magnificent bull. "Do you think your father plans to sacrifice it?" asked Melita.
The bull was noble in bearing and had remained unperturbed as the young ladies had gathered about him. Yet he seemed to become skittish at Melita's question. Europa moved forward and ran her hand along the bull's muscular thighs, gently caressing him. That calmed him.
