Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 2.djvu/409

Rh Serv. ad Aen. viii. 295.) Kurystheus ordered Heracles to bring him the skin of this monster. When Heracles arrived at Cleonae, he was hospi- tably received by a poor man called Molorchus. This man was on the point of offering up a sacri- fice, but Heracles persuaded him to delay it for thirty days until he should return from his fight with the lion, in order that then they might to- gether offer sacrifices to Zeus Soter; but Heracles added, that if he himself should not return, the man should offer a sacrifice to him as a hero. The thirty days passed away, and as Heracles did not return, Molorchus made preparations for the heroic sacrifice; but at that moment Heracles arrived in triumph over the monster, which was slain, and both sacrificed to Zeus Soter. Heracles, after hav- ing in vain used his club and arrows against the lion, had blocked up one of the entrances to the den, and entering by the other, he strangled the animal with his own hands. According to Theo- critus (xxv. 251, &c.), the contest did not take place in the den, but in the open air, and Heracles is said to have lost a finger in the struggle. (Pto- lem. Heph. 2.) He returned to Eurystheus car- rying the dead lion on his shoulders; and Eu- rystheus, frightened at the gigantic strength of the hero, took to flight, and ordered him in future to deliver the account of his exploits outside the gates of the town. (Diod. iv. 11; ApoUod., Theo- crit. IL cc.; comp. Molorchus.)

2. Fiffht ayainst the Lernean hydra. This mon- ster, like the lion, was the offspring of Typhon and Echidna, and was brought up by Hera. It ravaged the country of Lernae near Argos, and dwelt in a Bwamp near the well of Amymone: it was for- midable by its nine heads, the middle of which was immortal. Heracles, with burning arrows, hunted up the monster, and with his club or a sickle he cut off its heads; but in the place of the head he cut off, two new ones grew forth each time, and a gigantic crab came to the assist- ance of the hydra, and wounded Heracles. How- ever, with the assistance of his faithful servant lolaus, he burned away the heads of the hydra, and buried the ninth or immortal one under a huge rock. Having thus conquered the monster, he poisoned his arrows with its bile, whence the wounds inflicted by them became incurable. Eu- rystheus declared the victory unlawful, as Hera- cles had won it with the aid of lolaus. (Hes. Theog. 313, &c.; Apollod, ii. 5. § 2; Diod. iv. 11; Eurip. Here. Fur. 419, 1188, Ion, 192; Ov. Md. ix. 70; Virg. Aen. viii. 300; Pans. ii. 36. § 6, 37. § 4, V. 5. § 5; Plygin. Fah. 30.)

3. The stag ofCeryneia in Arcadia. This animal had golden antlers and brazen feet. It had been dedicated to Artemis by the nymph Taygete, be- cause the goddess had saved her from the pursuit of Zeus. "Heracles was ordered to bring the ani- mal alive to Mycenae. He pursued it in vain for a whole year: at length it fled from Oenoe to mount Artemisium in Argolis, and thence to the river Ladon in Arcadia. Heracles wounded it with an arrow, caught it, and carried it away on his shoulders. While yet in Arcadia, he was met by Apollo and Artemis, who were angry with him for having outraged the animal_ sacred to Artemis; but Heracles succeeded in soothing their anger, and carried his prey to Mycenae. According to some statements, he killed the stag. (Apollod. ii. 5. § 3; Diod iv. 13; Callim. Hymn.inDian. 100, &c.; Ov. Met. ix. 188; Yxg. Aen. vi. 803; Find. 01. iii. 24, 53; Eurip, Here. Fur. 378.)

4. The Eryinanthian hoar. This animal, which Heracles was ordered to bring alive, had descended from mount Erymanthus (according to others, from mount Lampe,) into Psophis. Heracles chased him through the deep snow, and having thus worn him out, he caught him in a net, and carried him to Mycenae. (Apollod. ii. 5. § 4; Diod. iv. 12.) Other traditions place the hunt of the Erymanthian boar in Thessaly, and some even in Phrygia. (Eurip. Here. Fur. 368; Hygin. Fab. 30.) It must be observed that this and subsequent la- bours of Heracles are connected with other subor- dinate ones, called Ilape/jya, and the first of these parerga is the fight of Heracles with the Centaurs; for it is said that in his pursuit of the boar he came to the centaur Pholus, who had received from Dio- nysus a cask of excellent wine. Heracles opened it, contrary to the wish of his host, and the de- licious fragrance attracted the other centaurs, who besieged the grotto of Pholus. Heracles drove them away: they fled to the house of Cheiron, and Heracles, eager in his pursuit, wounded Cheiron, his old friend. Heracles was deeply grieved, and tried to save Cheiron; but in vain, for the wound was fatal. As, however, Cheiron was immortal, and could not die, he prayed to Zeus to take away his immortality, and give it to Prometheus. Thus Cheiron was delivered of his burning pain, and died. Pholus, too, was wounded by one of the arrows, which by accident fell on his foot and killed him. This fight with the centaurs gave rise to the esta- blishment of mysteries, by which Demeter intended to purify the hero from the blood he had shed against his own will. (Apollod. ii. 5. § 4; Diod. iv. 14; Eurip. Here. Fur. 364, &c.; Theocrit. vii. 150; Apollon. Rhod. i. 127; Paus. viii. 24. § 2; Ov. JJe^. ix. 192.)

5. The stables of Augeas. Eurystheus imposed upon Heracles the task of cleaning the stables of Augeas in one day. Augeas was king of Elis, and extremely rich in cattle. Heracles, without men- tioning the command of Eurystheus, went to Au- geas, offering in one day to clean his stables, if he would give him the tenth part of the cattle for his trouble, or, according to Pausanias (v. i. § 7) a part of his territory. Augeas, believing that Hera- cles could not possibly accomplish what he pro- mised, agreed, and Heracles took Phyleus, the son of Augeas, as his witness, and then led the rivers Alpheius and Peneius through the stables, which were thus cleaned in the time fixed upon. But Augeas, who learned that Heracles had undertaken the work by the command of Eurystheus, refused the reward, denied his promise, and declared that he would have the matter decided by a judicial verdict. Phyleus then bore witness against his fa- ther, who exiled him from Elis. Eurj'^stheus de- clared the work thus performed to be unlawful, because Heracles had stipulated with Augeas a payment for it. (Apollod. ii. b. % b-^ Theocrit. xxv. 88, &c.; Ptolem. Heph. 5; Athen. x. p. 412; Schol. ad Find. 01. xi. 42.) At a subsequent time Heracles, to revenge the faithlessness of Augeas, marched with an army of Argives and Tirynthians against Augeas, but in a narrow defile in Elis he was taken by surprise by Cteatus and Eurytus, and lost a great number of his warriors. But after- wards Heracles slew Cteatus and Eurytus, invaded Elis, and killed Augeas and his sons. After this