Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 2.djvu/412

398 lower world with a contest with Hades, as we see even in the Iliad (v. 397), and more particularly in the Alcestis of Euripides (24, 846, &c. See A pol- led, ii. 5. § 12 ; Diod. iv. 25, &c. ; Plut. Tlies. 30; Paus. ii. 31. § 2, ix. 34. § 4, iii. 25. § 4, ii. 35. § 7; Ov. Met. vii. 415, Serv.aoJ Virg. Georg. ii. 152, Aen. vi. 617).

Such is the p/;count of the twelve labours of He- racles. According to Apollodorus, Eurystheus ori- ginally required only ten, and commanded him to perfonn two more, because he was dissatisfied with two of them ; but Diodorus represents twelve as the original number required. Along with these labours {a.QKoi the ancients relate a considerable number of other feats (Trapepya) which he performed without being commanded by Eurystheus ; some of them are interwoven with the twelve adXoi, and others belong to a later period. Those of the former kind have already been noticed above ; and we now proceed to mention the principal irdpepya of the second class. After the accomplishment of the twelve labours, and being released from the ser- vitude of Eurystheus, he returned to Thebes. He there gave Megara in marriage to lolaus ; for, as he had lost the children whom he had by her, he looked upon his connection with her as displeasing to the gods (Paus. x. 29), and went to Oechalia. According to some traditions, Heracles, after his return from Hades, was seized with madness, in which he killed both Megara and her children. This madness was a calamity sent to him by Hera, because he had slain Lycus, king of Thebes, who, in the belief that Heracles would not return from Hades, had attempted to murder Megara and her children. (Ujgin. Fab. 32; Tzetz. ad Lyccvph. 38.) Eurytus, king of Oechalia, an excellent archer, and the teacher of Heracles in his art, had promised his daughter lole to the man who should excel him and his sons in using the bow. Heracles engaged in the contest with them, and succeeded, but Eurytus re- fused abiding by his promise, saying, that he would not give his daughter to a man who had murdered his own children. Iphitus, the son of Eurytus, en- deavoured to persuade his father, but in vain. Soon after this the oxen of Eurytus were carried off, and it was suspected that Heracles was the offender. Iphitus again defended Heracles, went to him and requested his assistance in searching after the oxen. Heracles agreed ; but when the two had arrived at Tiryns, Heracles, in a fit of madness, threw his friend down from the wall, and killed him. Deiphobus of Amyclae, indeed, puri- fied Heracles from this murder, but he was, never- theless, attacked by a severe illness. Heracles then repaired to Delphi to obtain a remedy, but the Py- thia refused to answer his questions. A struggle between Heracles and Apollo ensued, and the com- batants were not separated till Zeus sent a flash of lightning between them. Heracles now obtained the oracle that he should be restored to health, if he would sell himself, would serve three years for wages, and surrender his wages to Eurytus, as an atonement for the murder of Iphitus. (Apollod. ii. 6. § 1, 2 ; Diod. iv. 31, &c. ; Hom. II. ii. 730, Od. xxi. 22, &c. ; Soph. Track. 273, &c.) Heracles was sold to Omphale, queen of Lydia, and widow of Traolus. Late writers, especially the Roman poets, describe Heracles, during his stay with Om- phale, as indulging at times in an effeminate life : he span wool, it is said, and sometimes he put on tij« garments of a woman, while Omphale wore his Hon''s skin ; but, according to Apollodonis and Dio- dorus, he nevertheless performed several great feats. (Ov. Fast. ii. 305, Ileroid. ix. 53 ; Senec. Hippol. 317, Here. Fur. 464 ; Lucian, Dial. Deor. xiii. 2; Apollod. ii. 6. § 3 ; Diod. iv. 31, &c.) Among these, we mention his chaining the Cer- copes [Cercopes], his killing Syleus and his daughter in Aulis, his defeat of the plundering Tdones, his killing a serpent on the river Sygaris, and his throwing the blood-thirsty Lytierses into the Maeander. (Comp. Hygin. Poet. A sir. ii. 14; Schol. ad Theocrit. x. 41 ; Athen. x. p. 415.) He further gave to the island of Doliche the name of Icaria, as he buried in it the body of Icarus, which had been washed on shore by the waves. He also undertook an expedition to Colchis, which brought him in connection with the Argonauts (Apollod. i. 9. § 16; Herod, vii. 193; Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. i. 1289 ; Anton. Lib. 26) ; he took part in the Calydonian hunt, and met Theseus on his landing from Troezene on the Corinthian isthmus. An ex- pedition to India, which was mentioned in some traditions, may likewise be inserted in this place. (Philostr. Vit. Apoll. iii. 4, 6 ; Arrian, Ind. 8,^9.)

When the period of his servitude and his* ill- ness had passed away, he undertook an expe- dition against Troj', with 1 8 ships and a band of heroes. On his landing, he entrusted the fleet to Oicles, and Avith his other companions made an attack upon the city. Laomedon in the mean time made an attack upon the ships, and slew Oicles, but was * compelled to retreat into the city, where he was besieged. Telamon was the first who forced his way into the city, which roused the jealousy of Heracles to such a degree that he determined to kill him ; but Telamon quickly collected a heap of stones, and pretended that he was building an altar to Heracles KaKKlviKos or dAe|tK-a/coy. This soothed the anger of the hero ; and after the sons of Lao- medon had fallen, Heracles gave to Telamon He- sione, as a reward for his bravery. (Hom. //. v. 641, &c., xiv. 251, XX. 145, &c. ; Apollod. ii. 6. § 4; Diod. iv. 32, 49 ; Eurip. Troad. 802, &c.) On his return from Troy, Hera sent a storm to impede his voyage, which compelled him to land in the island of Cos. The Mcropes, the inhabit- ants of the island, took him for a pirate, and re- ceived him with a shower of stones ; but during the night he took possession of the island, and killed the king, Eurypylus. Heracles himself was wounded by Chalcodon, but was saved by Zeus. After he had ravaged Cos, he went, by the com- mand of Athena, to Phlegra, and fought against the Gigantes. (Apollod. ii. 7. <$ 1 ; Hom. //. xiv. 250, &c. ; Pind. Nem. iv. 40.) Respecting his fight against the giants, who were, according to an oracle, to be conquered by a mortal, see especially Eurip. Here. Fur. 177, &c., 852, 1190, &c., 1272. Among the giants defeated by him we find men- tion of Alcyoneus, a name borne by two among them. (Pind. Nem. iv. 4.3, Mm. vi. 47.)

Soon after his return to Argos, Heracles marched against Augeas to chastise him for his breach of promise (see above), and then proceeded to Pylos, which he took, and killed Periclymenus, a son of Neleus. He then advanced against J*a/!edaemon, to punish the sons of Hippocoon, f^r having assisted Neleus and slain Oeonus, the son of Licymniue. (Paus. iii. 15. § 2, ii. 18. § 6 ; Apollod. ii. 7. § 3 ; Diod. iv. 33.) Heracles took Lacedaemon, and assigned the government of it to Tyndareus. On