LP0055 - The Fables of Hercules - The life & death of a hero, from The Fables of Hyginus

Legendary Passages #0055 - The Fables of Hercules -
The life & death of a hero, from The Fables of Hyginus.

Last time we reviewed the Stymphalian Birds and the Erymanthian Boar. This passage covers the whole story of Hercules, from his conception and birth to his apotheosis.

But first, the myth of the Aloadae, twin giants named Otos and Ephialtes. Sons or grandsons of Neptune, they dared challenge the gods, and planned to marry Juno and Diana. They were either killed by Apollo, or by each other.

Anyway, Alcimena welcomed home her dear husband Amphitryon from his conquest of Oechalia. But it was in fact Jupiter, king of the gods, who extended the night and together they conceived Hercules.

Next, a quick overview of the serpents in his crib and his twelve labors. Then a list of his other adventures: Antaeus, Busiris, Cygnus, Hesion, Prometheus, Lycus, Achelous, Neleus, Eurytus, Nessus, and the centaur Eurytion.

Euyrtion desired to marry Dejanira, daughter of King Dexamenus, but Hercules killed him and married Dejanira himself.

Then the centaur Nessus carried off Dejanira, but Hercules shot him with his hydra arrows. Dying, Nessus gave her a robe soaked in the hydra blood, and said the robe would keep her husband faithful.

Finally, the beautiful princess Iole was captured by Hercules. Jealous, Dejanira gave the robe to her husband, discovering too late that it was poisoned, and Hercules began to burn.

Water gave no relief, so a wooden pyre was built. In exchange for his hydra arrows, Philoctetes set the wood aflame. The mortal form of Hercules was burned away. And his wife Dejanira, succumbed to grief.

Next time, the stories of Thebes and Thespius.

http://www.theoi.com/Text/HyginusFabulae1.html#28

The Fables of Hercules,
a Legendary Passage,
from The Fables of Hyginus,
translated by Mary Grant.

Fables [28] - [36]

XXVIII. OTOS AND EPHIALTES

Otos and Ephialtes, sons of Aloeus and Iphimede, . . . daughter [of Neptune], are said to have been of extraordinary size. They each grew nine inches every month, and so when they were nine years old, they tried to climb into heaven. They began this way: they placed Mount Ossa on Pelion (from this Mount Ossa is also called Pelion), and were piling up other mountains. But they were discovered by Apollo and killed.

Other writers, however, say that they were invulnerable sons of Neptunus and Iphimede. When they wished to assault Diana, she could not resist their strength, and Apollo sent a deer between them. Driven mad by anger in trying to kill it with javelins, they killed each other.

In the Land of the Dead they are said to suffer this punishment: they are bound by serpents to a column, back to back. Between them is a screech-owl, sitting on the column to which they are bound.

XXIX. ALCIMENA

When Amphitryon was away subduing Oechalia, Alcimena, thinking Jove was her husband, received him in her chamber. When he had entered her room, and told her what he had done in Oechalia, she lay with him, thinking he was her husband. He lay with her with so much pleasure that he spent one day and doubled two nights, so that Alcimena wondered at such a long night.

Later when the word came to her that her husband was at hand, a victor, she showed no concern, because she thought she had already seen her husband. When Amphitryon came into the palace, and saw her carelessly unconcerned, he began to wonder and to complain that she did not welcome him when he appeared. Alcimena replied: You already came and lay with me, and told me what you had done in Oechalia.

When she had given him all the evidence, Amphitryon realized that some divinity had assumed his form, and from that day did not lie with her. But she, from the embrace of Jove, bore Hercules.

XXX. TWELVE LABORS OF HERCULES ORDERED BY EURYSTHEUS

When he was an infant, he strangled with his two hands the two snakes which Juno had sent – whence his name, Primigenius.

The Nemean Lion, an invulnerable monster, which Luna had nourished in a two-mouthed cave, he slew and took the pelt for defensive covering.

He killed at the spring of Lerna the nine-headed Lernaean Hydra, offspring of Typhon. This monster was so poisonous that she killed men with her breath, and if anyone passed by when she was sleeping, he breathed her tracks and died in the greatest torment. Under Minerva’s instructions he killed her, disembowelled her, and dipped his arrows in her gall; and so whatever later he hit with his arrows did not escape death, and later he himself perished in Phrygia from the same cause.

He killed the Erymanthian Boar.

The wild stag with golden horns in Arcadia he brought alive to show Eurystheus.

He killed with his arrows on the island of Mars the Stymphalian Birds which shoot their feathers out as arrows.

He cleaned in one day the ox dung of King Augeas, Jove helping him for the most part. By letting in a river he washed away all the dung.

The bull with which Pasiphaë lay he brought alive from the island of Crete to Mycenae.

Diomede, King of Thrace, and his four horses which fed on human flesh he killed along with the slave Abderus. The horses’ names were Podargus, Lampon, Xanthus, and Dinus.

[He slew] Hippolyte, daughter of Mars and Queen Otrera, and took from her the belt of the Amazon Queen; then he presented Antiopa as captive to Theseus.

The triple-bodied Geryon, son of Chrysaor, he killed with a single weapon.

The huge dragon, Typhon’s son, which used to guard the golden apples of the Hesperides, he killed near Mount Atlas, and brought the apples to King Eurystheus.

He brought from the Lower World for the king to see, the dog Cerberus, offspring of Typhon.

XXXI. INCIDENTAL LABORS OF THE SAME HERCULES

He slew Antaeus, son of Earth, in Libya. This man would compel visitors to wrestle with him, and when they were exhausted would kill them. He slew them in wrestling.

[He slew] in Egypt, Busiris, whose custom it was to sacrifice visitors. When Hercules heard of his customary practice, he allowed himself to be led to the altar with the fillet of sacrifice, but when Busiris was about to invoke the gods, Hercules with his club killed him and the attendants at the sacrifice as well.

He killed Cygnus, son of Mars, conquering him by force of arms. When Mars came there, and wanted to contend with him in arms because of his son, Jove hurled a thunderbolt between them.

He killed at Troy the sea-monster to whom Hesione was offered. Laomedon, Hesione’s father, he killed with arrows because he did not give her back.

The shining eagle which was eating out the heart of Prometheus he killed with arrows.

He killed Lycus, son of Neptune, because he was planning to kill his wife Megara, daughter of Creon, and their sons Therimachus and Ophites.

The River Achelous used to change himself into all sorts of shapes. When he fought with Hercules to win Dejanira in marriage, he changed himself into a bull. Hercules tore of his horn, presenting it to the Hesperides or the Nymphs, and the goddesses filled it with fruits and called it Cornucopia.

He killed Neleus and his ten sons for refusing to cleanse him or purify him at the time when he had killed his wife Megara, daughter of Creon, and his sons Therimachus and Ophites.

He killed Eurytus because he refused him when he sought his daughter Iole in marriage.

He killed the centaur Nessus because he tried to violate Dejanira.

He killed Eurytion the Centaur because he wooed Dejanira, daughter of Dexamenus, his hoped-for bride.

XXXII. MEGARA

When Hercules had been sent for the three-headed dog by King Eurystheus, and Lycus, son of Neptune, thought he had perished, he planned to kill his wife Megara, daughter of Creon, and his sons, Therimachus and Ophites, and seize the kingdom. Hercules prevented him and killed Lycus.

Later, when madness was sent upon him by Juno, he killed Megara and his sons Therimachus and Ophites. When he came to his right mind, he begged Apollo to give him an oracular reply on how to expiate his crime. Because Apollo was unwilling, Hercules wrathfully carried off the tripod from his shrine.

Later, at the command of Jove, he returned it, and bade him give the reply, though unwilling. Hercules because of this offence was given in servitude to Queen Omphale by Mercury.

XXXIII. CENTAURS

When Hercules had come to the court of King Dexamenus and had violated his daughter Dejanira, promising he would marry her, Eurytion a centaur, son of Ixion and Nubes, after his departure sought Dejanira as a wife. Her father, fearing violence, promised her to him. On the appointed day he came with his brothers to the wedding. Hercules intervened, and killed the Centaur, and led home his betrothed.

Likewise at another marriage, when Pirithous was taking Hippodamia, daughter of Adrastus, Centaurs, full of wine, attempted to carry off the wives of the Lapithae. The Centaurs killed many of them, but by them perished.

XXXIV. NESSUS

Nessus, son of Ixion and Nubes, a centaur, was asked by Dejanira to carry her across the river Evenus, but as he was carrying her, in the very river he tried to ravish her. When Hercules came there, and Dejanira implored his aid, he pierced Nessus with his arrows.

As he died, Nessus, knowing how poisonous the arrows were, since they had been dipped in the gall of the Lernaean Hydra, drew out some of his blood and gave it to Dejanira, telling her it was a love-charm. If she wanted her husband not to desert her, she should have his garments smeared with this blood. Dejanira, believing him, kept it carefully preserved.

XXXV. IOLE

Hercules, when he had sought in marriage Iole, daughter of Eurytus, and had been refused, attacked Oechalia. In order to bend the girl to his will[?], he threatened to kill her relatives in her presence. She, with resolute mind, suffered them to be slain before her eyes. When he had killed them all, he sent Iole as captive before him to Dejanira.

XXXVI. DEJANIRA

When Dejanira, daughter of Oeneus and wife of Hercules, saw the captive Iole, a maiden of remarkable beauty, arrive, she feared that she would steal her marriage. So mindful of the instructions of Nessus, she sent a servant named Lichas to take to Hercules a robe dipped in the blood of the centaur. A little of it fell to the earth, and when the sun touched it, it began to burn. When Dejanira saw this, she knew that Nessus had spoken falsely, and sent a man to recall the one to whom she had given the garment.

Hercules had already put it on, and it started at once to blaze; when he leaped into a stream to put out the blaze, still greater flames burst forth; when he tried to take off the garment the flesh came with it. Then Hercules, whirling Lichas, who had brought the garment, round and round, threw him into the sea, and at the place where he fell a rock appeared which is called Lichas.

Then Philoctetes, son of Poeas, is said to have built a pyre for Hercules on Mount Oeta, and he mounted it . . . [and cast off his] mortality. For this service he gave Philoctetes his bow and arrows.

But Dejanira, because of what had happened to Hercules, killed herself.

http://www.theoi.com/Text/HyginusFabulae1.html#28