thirty days passed away, and as
Heracles
did not (Eurip.
William Smith - 1844 - Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities - b
iv.
9 ; Paus.
ix.
25.
& 2.
) Others said that 38 ; Schol.
ad Pind.
Isthm.
iii.
104.
) The gods, on
Hermes carried the newly-born child to Olympus, the other hand, made him presents of arms: Her-
and put him to the breast of Hera while she was mes gave him a sword, Apollo a bow and arrows,
asleep, but as she awoke, she pushed him away, Hephaestus a golden coat of mail, and Athena a
and the milk thus spilled produced the Milky peplus, and he cut for himself a club in the neigh-
Way. (Eratosth. Catast. 44 ; Hygin. Poet. Astr. bourhood of Nemea, while, according to others, the
ii. in fin. ) As the hero grew up, he was instructed club was of brass, and the gift of Hephaestus.
by Amphitryon in riding in a chariot, by Autolycus (Apollon. Rhod. i. 1196 ; Diod. iv. 14. ) After the
in wrestling, by Eurytus in archery, by Castor in battle with the Minyans, Hera visited Heracles
fighting with heavy armour, and by Linus in sing with madness, in which he killed his own children
ing and playing the lyre. (See the different state- by Megara and two of Iphicles. In his grief be
ments in Theocrit. ixiv. 114, 103, 108 ; Schol. sentenced himself to exile, and went to Thestius,
ad Theocrit. xiii. 9, 56 ; Tzetz. ad Lycuph. 49. ) who purified him. (Apollod. ii. 4. § 12. ) Other
Linus was killed by his pupil with the lyre, because traditions place this inadness at a later time, and
he had censured him. (Apollod. ii. 4. § 9; Diod. relate the circumstances differently. (Eurip. Here.
iii. 66 ; Aelian, V. H. ii. 32. ) Being charged Fur. 1000, &c. ; Paus, ix. 11. 1; Hygin. Fab.
with murder, lleracles exculpated himself by say- 32; Schol. ud Pind. Isthm. ii. 104. ) ^ He then
ing that the deed was done in self-defence; and consulted the oracle of Delphi as to where he
Amphitryon, in order to prevent similar occur should settle. The Pythia first called him by the
rences, sent him to attend to his cattle. In this name of Heracles -- for hitherto his name had
manner he spent his life till his eighteenth year. been Alcides or Alcaeus,—and ordered him to live
His height was four cubits, fire beamed from his at Tiryns, to serve Eurystheus for the space of
eyes, and he never wearied in practising shooting twelve years, after which he should become im-
and hurling his javelin. To this period of his life mortal. Heracles accordingly went to Tiryns, and
belongs the beautiful fable about Heracles before did as he was bid by Eurystheus.
two roads, invented by the sophist Prodicus, which The accounts of the twelve labours of Heracles
may be read in Xenoph. Mem. ii
. I, and Cic de Off. i. are found only in the later writers, for Homer and
32. Pindar (Isth. iv. 53) calls him small of stature, Hesiod do not mention them. Homer only knows
but of indomitable courage. His first great adven- that Heracles during his life on earth was exposed
ture, which happened while he was still watching to infinite dangers and sufferings through the hatred
the oxen of his father, is his fight against and of Hera, that he was subject to Eurystheus, who
victory over the lion of Cythaeron. This animal made imposed upon him many and difficult tasks, but
great havoc among the flocks of Amphitryon and Homer mentions only one, viz. that he was or-
Thespius (or Thestius), king of Thespiae, and He- dered to bring Cerberus from the lower world.
racles promised to deliver the country of the ( Il. viii. 363, &c. xv. 639, &c. , Od. xi. 617, &c. )
monster. Thespius, who had fifty daughters, re- The Iliad further alludes to bis fight with a sea-
warded Heracles by making him his guest so long monster, and his expedition to Troy, to fetch the
as the chase lasted, and gave up his daughters to horses which Laomedon had refused him. (v. 638,
him, each for one night. (Apollod. ii. 4. V 10; &c. , xx. 145, &c. ) On his return from Troy, he
comp. Hygin. Fub. 162 ; Diod. iv. 29; Athen. xiii. was cast, through the influence of Hera, on the
p. 556. ) Heracles slew the lion, and henceforth coast of Cos, but Zeus punished Hera, and carried
wore its skin as his ordinary garment, and its Heracles safely to Argos. (xiv. 249, &c. , xv. 18,
mouth and head as his helmet; others related that &c. ) Afterwards Heracles made war against
the lion's skin of Heracles was taken from the the Pylians, and destroyed the whole family of
Nemean lion. On his return to Thebes, he met their king Neleus, with the exception of Nestor.
the envoys of king Erginus of Orchomenos, who He destroyed many towns, and carried off Asty.
were going to fetch the annual tribute of one bun-oche from Ephyra, by whom he became the father
dred oxen, which they had compelled the Thebans of Tlepolemus. (v. 395, &c. , ii. 657, &c. ; comp.
to pay. Heracles, in his patriotic indignation, cut od xxi. 14, &c. ; Soph. Trach. 239, &c. ) Hesiod
off the noses and ears of the envoys, and thus sent mentions several of the feats of Heracles distinctly,
them back to Erginus. The latter thereupon but knows nothing of their number twelve. The
marched against Thebes ; but Heracles, who re- selection of these twelve from the great number of
ceived a suit of armour from Athena, defeated and feats ascribed to Heracles is probably the work of
killed the enemy, and compelled the Orchome the Alexandrines. They are enumerated in Euri-
nians to pay double the tribute which they had pides (Herc. Fur. ), Apollodorus, Diodorus Sicu-
formerly received from the Thebans. In this lus, and the Greek Anthology (ii. 651), though
battle against Erginus Heracles lost his father none of them can be considered to have arranged
Amphitryon, though the tmgedians make him sur-them in any thing like a chronological order.
vive the campaign. (Apollod. ii. 4. § 11; Diod. 1. The fight with the Nemean iron. The moun-
w. 10, &c. ; Paus. ix. 37. § 2; Theocrit. xvi. 105;tain valley of Nemea, between Cleonae and Phlius,
Eurip. Herc. Fur. 41. ) According to some ac- was inhabited by a lion, the offspring of Typhon
counts, Erginus did not fall in the battle, but con- (or Orthrus) and Echidna (Hes. Theog. 327 ;
cluded peace with Heracles. But the glorious | Apollod. ii. 5. § 1; comp. Aelian, H. A. xii 7,
## p. 395 (#411) ############################################
HERACLES.
395
HERACLES.
Serv. ad Aen. vii. 295. ) Eurystheus ordered | &c. ; Ov. Met. ix. 188 ; Virg. Aen. vi. 803; Pind.
Heracles to bring him the skin of this monster. Ol. iii. 24, 53 ; Eurip. Herc. Fur. 378. )
When Heracles arrived at Cleonae, he was hospi- 4. The Erymanthian boar. This animal, which
tably received by a poor man called Molorchus. Heracles was ordered to bring alive, had descended
This man was on the point of offering up a sacri- from mount Erymanthus (nccording to others, from
fice, but Heracles persuaded him to delay it for mount Lampe,) into Peophis. Heracles chased him
thirty days until he should return from his fight through the deep snow, and having thus worn him
with the lion, in order that then they might to- out, he caught him in a net, and carried him to
gether offer sacrifices to Zeus Soter ; but Heracles Mycenae. (Apollod. ii. 5. § 4; Diod. iv. 12. )
added, that if he himself should not return, the Other traditions place the hunt of the Erymanthian
man should offer a sacrifice to him as a hero. The boar in Thessaly, and some even in Phrygia.
thirty days passed away, and as Heracles did not (Eurip. Merc. Fur. 368 ; Hygin. Fab. 30. )"It
return, Molorchus made preparations for the heroic must be olcrved that this and subsequent la-
sacrifice ; but at that moment Heracles arrived in bours of Icracles are connected with other subor-
triumph over the monster, which was slain, and dinate ones, called Nápepya, and the first of these
both sacrificed to Zeus Soter. Heracles, after hav- parerga is the fight of Heracles with the Centaurs ;
ing in vain used his club and arrows against the for it is said that in his pursuit of the boar he came
lion, had blocked up one of the entrances to the to the centaur Pholus, who had received from Dio
den, and entering by the other, he strangled the nysus a cask of excellent wine. Heracles opened
animal with his own hands. According to Theo- it, contrary to the wish of his host, and the de-
critus (xxv. 251, &c. ), the contest did not take licious fragrance attracted the other centaurs, who
place in the den, but in the open air, and Heracles besieged the grotto of Pholus. Heracles drove
is said to have lost a finger in the struggle. (Pto them away: they fled to the house of Cheiron, and
lem. Heph. 2. ) He returned to Eurystheus car- Heracles, eager in his pursuit, wounded Cheiron,
rying the dead lion on his shoulders ; and Eu- his old friend. Heracles was deeply grieved, and
rystheus, frightened at the gigantic strength of tried to save Cheiron ; but in vain, for the wound
the hero, took to flight, and ordered him in future was fatal. As, however, Cheiron was immortal,
to deliver the account of his exploits outside the and could not die, he prayed to Zeus to take away
gates of the town. (Diod. iv. 11; Apollod. , Theo his immortality, and give it to Prometheus. Thus
crit. I. cc. ; comp. MOLORCH US. )
Cheiron was delivered of his burning pain, and died.
2. Fight ayainst the Lernean hydra. This mon- Pholus, too, was wounded by one of the arrows,
ster, like the lion, was the offspring of Typhon and which by accident fell on his foot and killed him.
Echidna, and was brought up by Hera. It ravaged This fight with the centaurs gave rise to the esta.
the country of Lernae near Argos, and dwelt in a blishment of mysteries, by which Demeter intended
swamp near the well of Amymone: it was for- to purify the hero from the blood he had shed
midable by its pine heads, the middle of which against his own will. (Apollod. ii. 5. § 4; Diod.
was immortal. Heracles, with burning arrows, iv. 14; Eurip. Herc. Fur. 364, &c. ; Theocrit.
hunted up the monster, and with his club or a vii. 150 ; Apollon. Rhod. i. 127 ; Paus. viii. 24.
sickle he cut off its heads; but in the place of $2; Ov. Met. ix. 192. )
the head he cut off, two new ones grew forth 5. The stables of Augeas. Eurystheus imposed
each time, and a gigantic crab came to the assist- upon Heracles the task of cleaning the stables of
ance of the hydra, and wounded Heracles How. Augeas in one day. Augeas was king of Elis, and
ever, with the assistance of his faithful servant extremely rich in cattle. Heracles, without men-
Iolaus, he burned away the heads of the hydra, and tioning the command of Eurystheus, went to Au-
buried the ninth or immortal one under a huge geas, offering in one day to clean his stables, if he
rock. Having thus conquered the monster, he would give him the tenth part of the cattle for his
poisoned his arrows with its bile, whence the trouble, or, according to Pausanias (v. i. $7) a
wounds inflicted by them became incurable. Eu- part of his territory. Augeas, believing that Hera-
rystheus declared the victory unlawful, as Hera- cles could not possibly accomplish what he pro-
cles had won it with the aid of Iolaus. (Hes. mised, agreed, and Heracles took Phyleus, the son
Theog. 313, &c. ; Apollod. ii. 5. & 2; Diod. iv. 11; of Augeas, as his witness, and then led the rivers
Eurip. Herc. Fur. 419, 1188, Ion, 192 ; Ov. Met. Alpheius and Peneius through the stables, which
ix. 70 ; Virg. Aen. viii. 300; Paus. ii. 36. § 6, were thus cleaned in the time fixed upon. But
37. 4, v. 5. & 5; Hygin. Fab. 30. )
Augeas, who learned that Heracles had undertaken
3. The slag of Ceryneia in Arcadia. This animal the work by the command of Eurystheus, refused
had golden antlers and brazen feet. It had been the reward, denied his promise, and declared that
dedicated to Artemis by the nymph Taygete, be he would have the matter decided by a judicial
cause the goddess had saved her from the pursuit verdict. Phyleus then bore witness against his fa-
of Zeus. Heracles was ordered to bring the ani- ther, who exiled him from Elis. Eurystheus de
mal alive to Mycenae. He pursued it in vain for clared the work thus performed to be unlawful,
a whole year: at length it fied from Oenoë to because Heracles had stipulated with Augeas a
mount Artemisium in Argolis, and thence to the payment for it. (Apollod. i. 5. § 5; Theocrit.
river Ladon in Arcadia. Heracles wounded it with xxv. 88, &c. ; Ptolem. Heph. 5; Atben. x. p. 412;
an arrow, caught it, and carried it away on his Schol. ad Pind. Ol. xi. 42. ) At a subsequent time
shoulders. While yet in Arcadia, he was met by Heracles, to revenge the faithlessness of Augeas,
Apollo and Artemis, who were angry with liim for marched with an army of Argives and Tirynthians
having outraged the animal sacred to Artemis ; against Augeas, but in a narrow defile in Elis he
but Heracles succeeded in soothing their anger, was taken by surprise by Cteatus and Eurytus, and
and carried his prey to Mycenae. According to lost a great number of his warriors. But after-
Boine statements, he killed the stag. (Apollod. ii. wards Heracles slew Cteatus and Eurytus, in raded
5. § 3; Diod iv. 13; Callim. Hymn. in Dian. 100, Elis, and killed Augeas and his sons. After this
## p. 396 (#412) ############################################
396
HERACLES.
HERACLES.
victory, Heracles marked out the sacred ground on the queen Melanippe, and her sister Hippolyte)
which the Olympian games were to be celebrated, possessed a girdle, which she had received from
built allars, and instituted the Olympian festival Ares, and Admete, the daughter of Eurystheus,
and games. (Apollod. ii. 7. & 2; Paus. v. 1. & 7. wished to have it. Heracles was therefore sent
3. § 1, &c. , 4. § 1; viii. 15. § 2 ; Pind. Ol. xi. to fetch it, and, accompanied by a number of ro
25, &c. , comp. v. 5, iii. 13, &c. )
lunteers, he sailed out in one vessel. He first
6. The Stymphalian birds. They were an innu- landed in Paros, where he became involved in a
merable swarm of voracious birds, the daughters of quarrel with the sons of Minos. Having killed
Stymphalus and Ornis. They had brazen claws, two of them, he sailed to Mysia, where his aid
wings, and beaks, used their feathers as arrows, was solicited by Lycus, king of the Mariandynians,
and ate human flesh. They had been brought up against the Bebryces. Heracles assisted Lycus,
by Ares, and were 80 numerous, that with their took a district of land from the enemy, which was
secretions and feathers they killed men and beasts, given to Lycus, who called it Heracleia. When
and covered whole fields and mendows. From fear Heracles ai length arrived in the port of Themis-
of the wolves, these birds had taken refuge in a cyra (Thermodon), after having given to the sea he
lake near Stymphalus, from which Heracles was had crossed the name of Euxeinus, he was at first
ordered by Eurystheus to expel them. When He kindly received by Hippolyte, who promised him
racles undertook the task, Athena provided him her girdle. But Hera, in the disguise of an Amazon,
with a brazen rattle, by the noise of which he spread the report that the queen of the Amazons
startled the birds, and, as they attempted to fly was robbed by a stranger. They immediately rose
away, he killed them with his arrows. According to her assistance, and Hemeles, believing that the
to some accounts, he did not kill the birds, but queen bad plotted against him, killed her, took her
only drove them away, and afterwards they appeared girdle, and carried it with him. This expedition,
again in the island of Aretias, whither they had which led the hero into distant countries, afforded
fied, and where they were found by the Argonauts. a favourable opportunity to poets and mytho-
(Apollod. ii. 5. § 6; Hygin. Fab. 30; Paus. viii. graphers for intruducing various embellishments and
22. § 4, &c. ; Serv. ad Aen. viii. 300; Apollon. minor adventures, such as the murder of the Bore-
Rhod. i. 1037, with the Schol. )
ades, Calais and Zetes, and his amour with Echidna,
7. The Crelan bull. According to Acusilaus, this in the country of the Hyperboreans, by whom he
bull was the same as the one which had carried became the father of three sons. On his return he
Europa across the sea ; according to others, he had landed in Troas, where he rescued Hesione from
been sent out of the sea by Poseidon, that Minos the monster sent against her by Poseidon, in return
might sacrifice him to the god of the sea But for which her father Laomedon promised him the
Minos was so charmed with the beauty of the horses he had received from Zeus as a compensation
animal, that he kept it, and sacrificed another in for Ganymedes. But, as Laomedon did not keep
its stead. Poseidon punished Minos, by making his word, Heracles on leaving threatened to make
the fine bull mad, and causing it to make great war against Troy. He therefore landed in Thrace,
havoc in the island. Heracles was ordered by where he slew Sarpedon, and at length he returned
Eurystheus to catch the bull, and Minos, of course, through Macedonia to Peloponnesus. (Apollod. ii.
willingly allowed him to do so. Heracles accom- 5. § 9; Diod.
Hermes carried the newly-born child to Olympus, the other hand, made him presents of arms: Her-
and put him to the breast of Hera while she was mes gave him a sword, Apollo a bow and arrows,
asleep, but as she awoke, she pushed him away, Hephaestus a golden coat of mail, and Athena a
and the milk thus spilled produced the Milky peplus, and he cut for himself a club in the neigh-
Way. (Eratosth. Catast. 44 ; Hygin. Poet. Astr. bourhood of Nemea, while, according to others, the
ii. in fin. ) As the hero grew up, he was instructed club was of brass, and the gift of Hephaestus.
by Amphitryon in riding in a chariot, by Autolycus (Apollon. Rhod. i. 1196 ; Diod. iv. 14. ) After the
in wrestling, by Eurytus in archery, by Castor in battle with the Minyans, Hera visited Heracles
fighting with heavy armour, and by Linus in sing with madness, in which he killed his own children
ing and playing the lyre. (See the different state- by Megara and two of Iphicles. In his grief be
ments in Theocrit. ixiv. 114, 103, 108 ; Schol. sentenced himself to exile, and went to Thestius,
ad Theocrit. xiii. 9, 56 ; Tzetz. ad Lycuph. 49. ) who purified him. (Apollod. ii. 4. § 12. ) Other
Linus was killed by his pupil with the lyre, because traditions place this inadness at a later time, and
he had censured him. (Apollod. ii. 4. § 9; Diod. relate the circumstances differently. (Eurip. Here.
iii. 66 ; Aelian, V. H. ii. 32. ) Being charged Fur. 1000, &c. ; Paus, ix. 11. 1; Hygin. Fab.
with murder, lleracles exculpated himself by say- 32; Schol. ud Pind. Isthm. ii. 104. ) ^ He then
ing that the deed was done in self-defence; and consulted the oracle of Delphi as to where he
Amphitryon, in order to prevent similar occur should settle. The Pythia first called him by the
rences, sent him to attend to his cattle. In this name of Heracles -- for hitherto his name had
manner he spent his life till his eighteenth year. been Alcides or Alcaeus,—and ordered him to live
His height was four cubits, fire beamed from his at Tiryns, to serve Eurystheus for the space of
eyes, and he never wearied in practising shooting twelve years, after which he should become im-
and hurling his javelin. To this period of his life mortal. Heracles accordingly went to Tiryns, and
belongs the beautiful fable about Heracles before did as he was bid by Eurystheus.
two roads, invented by the sophist Prodicus, which The accounts of the twelve labours of Heracles
may be read in Xenoph. Mem. ii
. I, and Cic de Off. i. are found only in the later writers, for Homer and
32. Pindar (Isth. iv. 53) calls him small of stature, Hesiod do not mention them. Homer only knows
but of indomitable courage. His first great adven- that Heracles during his life on earth was exposed
ture, which happened while he was still watching to infinite dangers and sufferings through the hatred
the oxen of his father, is his fight against and of Hera, that he was subject to Eurystheus, who
victory over the lion of Cythaeron. This animal made imposed upon him many and difficult tasks, but
great havoc among the flocks of Amphitryon and Homer mentions only one, viz. that he was or-
Thespius (or Thestius), king of Thespiae, and He- dered to bring Cerberus from the lower world.
racles promised to deliver the country of the ( Il. viii. 363, &c. xv. 639, &c. , Od. xi. 617, &c. )
monster. Thespius, who had fifty daughters, re- The Iliad further alludes to bis fight with a sea-
warded Heracles by making him his guest so long monster, and his expedition to Troy, to fetch the
as the chase lasted, and gave up his daughters to horses which Laomedon had refused him. (v. 638,
him, each for one night. (Apollod. ii. 4. V 10; &c. , xx. 145, &c. ) On his return from Troy, he
comp. Hygin. Fub. 162 ; Diod. iv. 29; Athen. xiii. was cast, through the influence of Hera, on the
p. 556. ) Heracles slew the lion, and henceforth coast of Cos, but Zeus punished Hera, and carried
wore its skin as his ordinary garment, and its Heracles safely to Argos. (xiv. 249, &c. , xv. 18,
mouth and head as his helmet; others related that &c. ) Afterwards Heracles made war against
the lion's skin of Heracles was taken from the the Pylians, and destroyed the whole family of
Nemean lion. On his return to Thebes, he met their king Neleus, with the exception of Nestor.
the envoys of king Erginus of Orchomenos, who He destroyed many towns, and carried off Asty.
were going to fetch the annual tribute of one bun-oche from Ephyra, by whom he became the father
dred oxen, which they had compelled the Thebans of Tlepolemus. (v. 395, &c. , ii. 657, &c. ; comp.
to pay. Heracles, in his patriotic indignation, cut od xxi. 14, &c. ; Soph. Trach. 239, &c. ) Hesiod
off the noses and ears of the envoys, and thus sent mentions several of the feats of Heracles distinctly,
them back to Erginus. The latter thereupon but knows nothing of their number twelve. The
marched against Thebes ; but Heracles, who re- selection of these twelve from the great number of
ceived a suit of armour from Athena, defeated and feats ascribed to Heracles is probably the work of
killed the enemy, and compelled the Orchome the Alexandrines. They are enumerated in Euri-
nians to pay double the tribute which they had pides (Herc. Fur. ), Apollodorus, Diodorus Sicu-
formerly received from the Thebans. In this lus, and the Greek Anthology (ii. 651), though
battle against Erginus Heracles lost his father none of them can be considered to have arranged
Amphitryon, though the tmgedians make him sur-them in any thing like a chronological order.
vive the campaign. (Apollod. ii. 4. § 11; Diod. 1. The fight with the Nemean iron. The moun-
w. 10, &c. ; Paus. ix. 37. § 2; Theocrit. xvi. 105;tain valley of Nemea, between Cleonae and Phlius,
Eurip. Herc. Fur. 41. ) According to some ac- was inhabited by a lion, the offspring of Typhon
counts, Erginus did not fall in the battle, but con- (or Orthrus) and Echidna (Hes. Theog. 327 ;
cluded peace with Heracles. But the glorious | Apollod. ii. 5. § 1; comp. Aelian, H. A. xii 7,
## p. 395 (#411) ############################################
HERACLES.
395
HERACLES.
Serv. ad Aen. vii. 295. ) Eurystheus ordered | &c. ; Ov. Met. ix. 188 ; Virg. Aen. vi. 803; Pind.
Heracles to bring him the skin of this monster. Ol. iii. 24, 53 ; Eurip. Herc. Fur. 378. )
When Heracles arrived at Cleonae, he was hospi- 4. The Erymanthian boar. This animal, which
tably received by a poor man called Molorchus. Heracles was ordered to bring alive, had descended
This man was on the point of offering up a sacri- from mount Erymanthus (nccording to others, from
fice, but Heracles persuaded him to delay it for mount Lampe,) into Peophis. Heracles chased him
thirty days until he should return from his fight through the deep snow, and having thus worn him
with the lion, in order that then they might to- out, he caught him in a net, and carried him to
gether offer sacrifices to Zeus Soter ; but Heracles Mycenae. (Apollod. ii. 5. § 4; Diod. iv. 12. )
added, that if he himself should not return, the Other traditions place the hunt of the Erymanthian
man should offer a sacrifice to him as a hero. The boar in Thessaly, and some even in Phrygia.
thirty days passed away, and as Heracles did not (Eurip. Merc. Fur. 368 ; Hygin. Fab. 30. )"It
return, Molorchus made preparations for the heroic must be olcrved that this and subsequent la-
sacrifice ; but at that moment Heracles arrived in bours of Icracles are connected with other subor-
triumph over the monster, which was slain, and dinate ones, called Nápepya, and the first of these
both sacrificed to Zeus Soter. Heracles, after hav- parerga is the fight of Heracles with the Centaurs ;
ing in vain used his club and arrows against the for it is said that in his pursuit of the boar he came
lion, had blocked up one of the entrances to the to the centaur Pholus, who had received from Dio
den, and entering by the other, he strangled the nysus a cask of excellent wine. Heracles opened
animal with his own hands. According to Theo- it, contrary to the wish of his host, and the de-
critus (xxv. 251, &c. ), the contest did not take licious fragrance attracted the other centaurs, who
place in the den, but in the open air, and Heracles besieged the grotto of Pholus. Heracles drove
is said to have lost a finger in the struggle. (Pto them away: they fled to the house of Cheiron, and
lem. Heph. 2. ) He returned to Eurystheus car- Heracles, eager in his pursuit, wounded Cheiron,
rying the dead lion on his shoulders ; and Eu- his old friend. Heracles was deeply grieved, and
rystheus, frightened at the gigantic strength of tried to save Cheiron ; but in vain, for the wound
the hero, took to flight, and ordered him in future was fatal. As, however, Cheiron was immortal,
to deliver the account of his exploits outside the and could not die, he prayed to Zeus to take away
gates of the town. (Diod. iv. 11; Apollod. , Theo his immortality, and give it to Prometheus. Thus
crit. I. cc. ; comp. MOLORCH US. )
Cheiron was delivered of his burning pain, and died.
2. Fight ayainst the Lernean hydra. This mon- Pholus, too, was wounded by one of the arrows,
ster, like the lion, was the offspring of Typhon and which by accident fell on his foot and killed him.
Echidna, and was brought up by Hera. It ravaged This fight with the centaurs gave rise to the esta.
the country of Lernae near Argos, and dwelt in a blishment of mysteries, by which Demeter intended
swamp near the well of Amymone: it was for- to purify the hero from the blood he had shed
midable by its pine heads, the middle of which against his own will. (Apollod. ii. 5. § 4; Diod.
was immortal. Heracles, with burning arrows, iv. 14; Eurip. Herc. Fur. 364, &c. ; Theocrit.
hunted up the monster, and with his club or a vii. 150 ; Apollon. Rhod. i. 127 ; Paus. viii. 24.
sickle he cut off its heads; but in the place of $2; Ov. Met. ix. 192. )
the head he cut off, two new ones grew forth 5. The stables of Augeas. Eurystheus imposed
each time, and a gigantic crab came to the assist- upon Heracles the task of cleaning the stables of
ance of the hydra, and wounded Heracles How. Augeas in one day. Augeas was king of Elis, and
ever, with the assistance of his faithful servant extremely rich in cattle. Heracles, without men-
Iolaus, he burned away the heads of the hydra, and tioning the command of Eurystheus, went to Au-
buried the ninth or immortal one under a huge geas, offering in one day to clean his stables, if he
rock. Having thus conquered the monster, he would give him the tenth part of the cattle for his
poisoned his arrows with its bile, whence the trouble, or, according to Pausanias (v. i. $7) a
wounds inflicted by them became incurable. Eu- part of his territory. Augeas, believing that Hera-
rystheus declared the victory unlawful, as Hera- cles could not possibly accomplish what he pro-
cles had won it with the aid of Iolaus. (Hes. mised, agreed, and Heracles took Phyleus, the son
Theog. 313, &c. ; Apollod. ii. 5. & 2; Diod. iv. 11; of Augeas, as his witness, and then led the rivers
Eurip. Herc. Fur. 419, 1188, Ion, 192 ; Ov. Met. Alpheius and Peneius through the stables, which
ix. 70 ; Virg. Aen. viii. 300; Paus. ii. 36. § 6, were thus cleaned in the time fixed upon. But
37. 4, v. 5. & 5; Hygin. Fab. 30. )
Augeas, who learned that Heracles had undertaken
3. The slag of Ceryneia in Arcadia. This animal the work by the command of Eurystheus, refused
had golden antlers and brazen feet. It had been the reward, denied his promise, and declared that
dedicated to Artemis by the nymph Taygete, be he would have the matter decided by a judicial
cause the goddess had saved her from the pursuit verdict. Phyleus then bore witness against his fa-
of Zeus. Heracles was ordered to bring the ani- ther, who exiled him from Elis. Eurystheus de
mal alive to Mycenae. He pursued it in vain for clared the work thus performed to be unlawful,
a whole year: at length it fied from Oenoë to because Heracles had stipulated with Augeas a
mount Artemisium in Argolis, and thence to the payment for it. (Apollod. i. 5. § 5; Theocrit.
river Ladon in Arcadia. Heracles wounded it with xxv. 88, &c. ; Ptolem. Heph. 5; Atben. x. p. 412;
an arrow, caught it, and carried it away on his Schol. ad Pind. Ol. xi. 42. ) At a subsequent time
shoulders. While yet in Arcadia, he was met by Heracles, to revenge the faithlessness of Augeas,
Apollo and Artemis, who were angry with liim for marched with an army of Argives and Tirynthians
having outraged the animal sacred to Artemis ; against Augeas, but in a narrow defile in Elis he
but Heracles succeeded in soothing their anger, was taken by surprise by Cteatus and Eurytus, and
and carried his prey to Mycenae. According to lost a great number of his warriors. But after-
Boine statements, he killed the stag. (Apollod. ii. wards Heracles slew Cteatus and Eurytus, in raded
5. § 3; Diod iv. 13; Callim. Hymn. in Dian. 100, Elis, and killed Augeas and his sons. After this
## p. 396 (#412) ############################################
396
HERACLES.
HERACLES.
victory, Heracles marked out the sacred ground on the queen Melanippe, and her sister Hippolyte)
which the Olympian games were to be celebrated, possessed a girdle, which she had received from
built allars, and instituted the Olympian festival Ares, and Admete, the daughter of Eurystheus,
and games. (Apollod. ii. 7. & 2; Paus. v. 1. & 7. wished to have it. Heracles was therefore sent
3. § 1, &c. , 4. § 1; viii. 15. § 2 ; Pind. Ol. xi. to fetch it, and, accompanied by a number of ro
25, &c. , comp. v. 5, iii. 13, &c. )
lunteers, he sailed out in one vessel. He first
6. The Stymphalian birds. They were an innu- landed in Paros, where he became involved in a
merable swarm of voracious birds, the daughters of quarrel with the sons of Minos. Having killed
Stymphalus and Ornis. They had brazen claws, two of them, he sailed to Mysia, where his aid
wings, and beaks, used their feathers as arrows, was solicited by Lycus, king of the Mariandynians,
and ate human flesh. They had been brought up against the Bebryces. Heracles assisted Lycus,
by Ares, and were 80 numerous, that with their took a district of land from the enemy, which was
secretions and feathers they killed men and beasts, given to Lycus, who called it Heracleia. When
and covered whole fields and mendows. From fear Heracles ai length arrived in the port of Themis-
of the wolves, these birds had taken refuge in a cyra (Thermodon), after having given to the sea he
lake near Stymphalus, from which Heracles was had crossed the name of Euxeinus, he was at first
ordered by Eurystheus to expel them. When He kindly received by Hippolyte, who promised him
racles undertook the task, Athena provided him her girdle. But Hera, in the disguise of an Amazon,
with a brazen rattle, by the noise of which he spread the report that the queen of the Amazons
startled the birds, and, as they attempted to fly was robbed by a stranger. They immediately rose
away, he killed them with his arrows. According to her assistance, and Hemeles, believing that the
to some accounts, he did not kill the birds, but queen bad plotted against him, killed her, took her
only drove them away, and afterwards they appeared girdle, and carried it with him. This expedition,
again in the island of Aretias, whither they had which led the hero into distant countries, afforded
fied, and where they were found by the Argonauts. a favourable opportunity to poets and mytho-
(Apollod. ii. 5. § 6; Hygin. Fab. 30; Paus. viii. graphers for intruducing various embellishments and
22. § 4, &c. ; Serv. ad Aen. viii. 300; Apollon. minor adventures, such as the murder of the Bore-
Rhod. i. 1037, with the Schol. )
ades, Calais and Zetes, and his amour with Echidna,
7. The Crelan bull. According to Acusilaus, this in the country of the Hyperboreans, by whom he
bull was the same as the one which had carried became the father of three sons. On his return he
Europa across the sea ; according to others, he had landed in Troas, where he rescued Hesione from
been sent out of the sea by Poseidon, that Minos the monster sent against her by Poseidon, in return
might sacrifice him to the god of the sea But for which her father Laomedon promised him the
Minos was so charmed with the beauty of the horses he had received from Zeus as a compensation
animal, that he kept it, and sacrificed another in for Ganymedes. But, as Laomedon did not keep
its stead. Poseidon punished Minos, by making his word, Heracles on leaving threatened to make
the fine bull mad, and causing it to make great war against Troy. He therefore landed in Thrace,
havoc in the island. Heracles was ordered by where he slew Sarpedon, and at length he returned
Eurystheus to catch the bull, and Minos, of course, through Macedonia to Peloponnesus. (Apollod. ii.
willingly allowed him to do so. Heracles accom- 5. § 9; Diod.
