Latest / Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome / 027 - Legends Pelops and Heracles - part 2

Transcript

027 - Legends Pelops and Heracles - part 2 · Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome

• 0:03
  Speaker 1: Section twenty five, Part two of Myths and Legends. This
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: LibriVox dot org. Recording by Graham Redman. Myths and Legends
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: of Ancient Greece and Rome by E. M. Barons, Section
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: twenty five, Part two, The Labors of Heracles continued nine.
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: The Girdle of Hippolity. The Amazons, who dwelt on the
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: shores of the Black Sea near the River Thermodon, were
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: a nation of warlike women, renowned for their strength, courage,
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: and great skill in horsemanship. Their queen, Hippolity, had received
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: from her father Aris a beautiful girl girdle, which she
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: always wore as a sign of her royal power and authority.
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: And it was this girdle which Heracles was required to
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: place in the hands of Eurystheus, who designed it as
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: a gift for his daughter Admeti. For Seeing that this
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: would be a task of no ordinary difficulty, the hero
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: called to his aid a select band of brave companions,
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: with whom he embarked for the Amazonian town Themisirah. Here
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: they were met by Queen Hippolyty, who was so impressed
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: by the extraordinary stature and noble bearing of Heracles, that,
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: on learning his errand she at once consented to present
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: him with the coveted girdle. But hearer, his implacable enemy,
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: assuming the form of an Amazon, spread the report in
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: the town that a stranger was about to carry off
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: their queen. The Amazons at once flew to arms and
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: mounted their horses, whereupon a battle ensued, in which many
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: of their bravest warriors were killed or wounded. Among the
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: latter was their most skillful leader, Melanippi, whom Heracles afterwards
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: restored to Hippolyty, receiving the girdle in exchange. On his
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: voyage home, the hero stopped at Troy, where a new
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: adventure awaited him. During the time that Apollo and Poseidon
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: were condemned by Zeus to a temporary servitude on Earth,
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: they built for King Laomid on the famous walls of Troy,
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: afterwards so renowned in history. But when their work was completed,
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: the king treacherously refused to give them the reward due
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: to them. The incensed deities now combined to punish the offender,
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: Apollo sent a pestilence which decimated the people, and Poseidon
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: a flood, which bore with it a marine monster, who
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: swallowed in his huge jaws all that came within his reach.
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: In his distress, Laomidon consulted an oracle and was informed
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: that only by the sacrifice of his own daughter, Hesione
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: could the anger of the gods be appeased. Yielding at
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: length to the urgent appeals of his people, he consented
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: to make the sacrifice, and on the arrival of Heracles,
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: the maiden was already chained to a rock in readiness
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: to be devoured by the monster. When Laomidon beheld the
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: renowned hero, whose marvelous feats of strength and courage had
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: become the wonder and admiration of all mankind, he earnestly
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: implored him to save his daughter from her impending fate
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: and to rid the country of the monster, holding out
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: to him as a reward the horses which Zeus had
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: presented to his grandfather Tros in compensation for robbing him
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: of his Ganymede. Heracles unhesitatingly accepted the offer, and when
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: the monster appeared, opening his terrible jaws to receive his prey.
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: The hero, sword in hand, attacked and slew him, but
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: the perfidious monarch once more broke faith, and Heracles, vowing
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: future vengeance, departed from Myceni, where he presented the girdle
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: to Eurystheus. Ten. The Oxen of Geriones, the tenth labor
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: of Heracles, was the capture of the magnificent oxen belonging
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: to the giant Gerion or Geriones, who dwelt on the
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: island of Erythia in the Bay of Gadria Cadiz. This giant,
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: who was the son of Chrysao, had three bodies, with
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: three heads, six hands, and six feet. He possessed a
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: herd of splendid cattle, which were famous for their size, beauty,
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: and rich red color. They were guarded by another giant
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: named Eurytean and a two headed dog called Uthris, the
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: offspring of Typhon and Echidna. In choosing for him a
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: task so replete with danger, Eurystheus was in hopes that
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: he might rid himself forever of his hated cousin. But
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: the indomitable courage of the hero rose with the prospect
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: of this difficult and dangerous undertaking. After a long and
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: wearisome journey, he at last arrived at the western coast
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: of Africa, where as a monument of his perilous expedition,
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: he erected the famous pillars of Hercules, one of which
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: he placed on each side of the Straits of Gibraltar.
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: Here he found the intense heat so insufferable that he
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: angrily raised his bow towards heaven and threatened to shoot
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: the sun god. But Helios, far from being in sensed
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: at his audacity, was so struck with admiration at his daring,
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: that he lent to him the golden boat with which
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: he accomplished his nocturnal transit from west to east, and
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: thus Heracles crossed over safely to the island of Erythia.
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: No sooner had he landed than Eurytian, accompanied by his
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: savage dog Orthras, fiercely attacked him, but Heracles, with a
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: superhuman effort, slew the dog and then his master. Hereupon
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: he collected the herd and was proceeding to the sea
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: shore when Geriones himself met him, and a desperate encounter
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: took place in which the giant perished. Heracles then drove
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: the cattle into the sea, and seizing one of the
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: oxen by the horns, swam with them over to the
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: opposite coast of Iberia Spain. Then driving his magnificent prize
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: before him through God all Italy, Illyria, and Thrace. He
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: at length arrived, after many perilous adventures and hair breadth escapes,
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: at Mycenae, where he delivered them up to Eurystheus, who
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: sacrificed them to Hera. Heracles had now executed his ten tasks,
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: which had been accomplished in the space of eight years,
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: but Eurystheus refused to include the slaying of the Hydra
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: and the cleansing of the stables of Orgias among the number,
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: alleging as a reason that the one had been performed
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: by the assistance of Iolaus and that the other had
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: been executed for hire. He therefore insisted on Heracles substituting
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: two more labours in their place, eleven the apples of
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: the Hesperides. The eleventh task imposed by Eurystheus was to
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: bring him the golden apples of the Hesperides, which grew
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: on a tree presented by Gia to Hera on the
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: occasion of her marriage with Zeus. This sacred tree was
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: guarded by four maidens, daughters of knight, called the Hesperides,
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: who were assisted in their task by a terrible hundred
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: headed dragon. This dragon never slept, and out of its
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: hundred throats came a constant hissing sound, which effectually warmed
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: off all intruders. But what rendered the undertaking still more
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: difficult was the complete ignorance of the hero as to
• 8:33
  Speaker 1: the locality of the garden, and he was forced, in consequence,
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: to make many fruitless journeys and to undergo many trials
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: before he could find it. He first traveled through Thessaly
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: and arrived at the river Ecidorus, where he met the
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: giant Cycnus, the son of Aires and Pyne, who challenged
• 8:56
  Speaker 1: him to single combat. In this encounter, Heracles completely vanquished
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: his opponent, who was killed in the contest. But now
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: a mightier adversary appeared on the scene. For the war
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: god himself came to avenge his son. A terrible struggle ensued,
• 9:15
  Speaker 1: which had lasted some time when Zeus interfered between the
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: brothers and put an end to the strife by hurling
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: a thunderbolt between them. Heracles proceeded on his journey and
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: reached the banks of the river Eridanus, who had dwelt
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: the nymphs, daughters of Zeus and themis on seeking advice
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: from them as to his route. They directed him to
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: the old sea god Nereus, who alone knew the way
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: to the garden of the Hesperides. Heracles found him asleep, and,
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: seizing the opportunity, held him so firmly in his powerful
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: grasp that he could not possibly escape, so that, notwithstanding
• 9:58
  Speaker 1: his various metamorphosies, he was at last compelled to give
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: the information required. The hero then crossed over to Libya,
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: where he engaged in a wrestling match with King Anteus,
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: son of Poseidon and Ghea, which terminated fatally for his antagonist.
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: From thence he proceeded to Egypt, where reigned Beusyris, another
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: son of Poseidon, who, acting on the advice given by
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: an oracle during a time of great scarcity, sacrificed all
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: strangers to Zeus. When Heracles arrived, he was seized and
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: dragged to the altar, but the powerful demigod burst asunder
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: his bonds and then slew Beusiris and his son, resuming
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: his journey He now wandered on through Arabia until he
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: arrived at Mount Caucasus, where Prometheus groaned in unceasing agony.
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: It was at this time that Heracles, as already related,
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: shot the eagle, which had so long tortured the noble
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: and devoted friend of mankind. Full of gratitude for his deliverance,
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: Prometheus instructed him how to find his way to that
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: remote region in the far west where Atlas supported the
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: heavens on his shoulders, near which lay the garden of
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: the Hesperides. He also warned Heracles not to attempt to
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: secure the precious fruit himself, but to assume for a
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: time the duties of Atlas, and to despatch him for
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: the apples. On arriving at his destination, Heracles followed the
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: advice of Prometheus. Atlas, who willingly entered into the arrangement,
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: contrived to put the dragon to sleep, and, then, having
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: cunningly outwitted the Hesperides, carried off three of the golden apples,
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: which he now brought to Heracles. But when the latter
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: was prepared to relinquish his burden, Atlas, having once tasted
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: the delights of freedom, declined to resume his post and
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: announced his intention of being himself the bearer of the
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: apples to Eurystheus, leaving Heracles to fill his place. To
• 12:18
  Speaker 1: this proposal, the hero feigned assent, merely begging that Atlas
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: would be kind enough to support the heavens for a
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: few moments whilst he contrived a pad for his head.
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: Atlas good naturedly threw down the apples and once more
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: resumed his load, upon which Heracles bade him adieu and departed.
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: When Heracles conveyed the golden apples to Eurysthus, the latter
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: presented them to the Hero, whereupon Heracles placed the sacred
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: fruit on the altar of Pallas Athene, who restored them
• 12:54
  Speaker 1: to the garden of the Hesperides. Twelve Cerberus. The twelfth
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: and last labor which Urysthus imposed on Heracles was to
• 13:06
  Speaker 1: bring up Cerberus from the lower world, believing that all
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: his heroic powers would be unavailing in the realm of Shades,
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: and that in this his last and most perilous undertaking,
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: the hero must at length succum and perish. Cerberus was
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: a monster dog with three heads, out of whose awful
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: jaws dripped poison. The hair of his head and back
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: was formed of venomous snakes, and his body terminated in
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: the tail of a dragon. After being initiated into the
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: Eleusinian mysteries and obtaining from the priest's certain information necessary
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: for the accomplishment of his task, Heracles set out for
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: Tinorum in Lacolia, where there was an opening which led
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: to the underworld. Conducted by Hermes, he immenced his descent
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: into the awful gulf, where myriads of shades soon began
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: to appear, all of whom fled in terror at his approach.
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: Meliaga and Medusa alone excepted about to strike the latter
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: with his sword. Hermes interfered and stayed his hand, reminding
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: him that she was but a shadow, and that consequently
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: no weapon could avail against her. Arrived before the gates
• 14:29
  Speaker 1: of Hades, he found Theseus and Pirithous, who had been
• 14:33
  Speaker 1: fixed to an enchanted rock by aides for their presumption
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: in endeavoring to carry off Pasephone. When they saw Heracles,
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: they implored him to set them free. The hero succeeded
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: in delivering Theseus, but when he endeavored to liberate Pirithous,
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: the earth shook so violently beneath him that he was
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: compelled to relinquish his task. Proceeding further, Heracles recognized Ascalaphus, who,
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: as we have seen in the history of Demeter, had
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: revealed the fact that Persephone had swallowed the seeds of
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: a pomegranate offered to her by her husband, which bound
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: her to Aides forever. Ascalaphus was groaning beneath a huge
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: rock which Demeter in her anger, had hurled upon him,
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: and which Heracles now removed, releasing the sufferer. Before the
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: gates of his palace, stood Aides, the mighty ruler of
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: the lower world, and barred his entrance. But Heracles, aiming
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: at him with one of his unerring darts, shot him
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: in the shoulder, so that for the first time the
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: god experienced the agony of mortal suffering. Heracles then demanded
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: of him permission to take Cerberus to the upper world,
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: and to this Aides consented, on condition that he should
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: secure him unarmed, pratt acted by his breastplate and lion's skin.
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: Heracles went in search of the monster, whom he found
• 16:07
  Speaker 1: at the mouth of the river Acheron, undismayed by the
• 16:11
  Speaker 1: hideous barking which proceeded from his three heads. He seized
• 16:15
  Speaker 1: the throat with one hand and the legs with the other,
• 16:19
  Speaker 1: and although the dragon, which served him as a tail,
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: bit him severely, he did not relinquish his grasp. In
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: this manner, he conducted him to the upper world through
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: an opening near Treason in Argolia. When Eurystheus beheld Cerberus,
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: he stood aghast and despairing of ever getting rid of
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: his hated rival, he returned the hell hound to the hero,
• 16:45
  Speaker 1: who restored him to Aides. And with this last task,
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: the subjection of Heracles to Eurystheus terminated murder of Iphetus.
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: Pre at Las asked Heracles now returned to Thebes, and
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: it being impossible for him to live happily with Megera
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: in consequence of his having murdered her children, he with
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: her own consent, gave her in marriage to his nephew Iolaus.
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: Heracles himself sought the hand of Iolie, daughter of Eurytus,
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: king of Ecalia, who had instructed him when a boy
• 17:24
  Speaker 1: in the use of the beau. Hearing that this king
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: had promised to give his daughter to him, who could
• 17:31
  Speaker 1: surpass himself and his three sons, in shooting with the beaux,
• 17:35
  Speaker 1: Heracles lost no time in presenting himself as a competitor.
• 17:40
  Speaker 1: He soon proved that he was no unworthy pupil of Eurytus,
• 17:45
  Speaker 1: for he signally defeated all his opponents. But although the
• 17:49
  Speaker 1: king treated him with marked respect and honor, he refused
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: nevertheless to give him the hand of his daughter, fearing
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: for her a similar fate to that which had been
• 18:00
  Speaker 1: fallen Megera. Iphytus, the eldest son of Eurytus, alone espoused
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: the cause of Heracles and essayed to induce his father
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: to give his consent to the marriage, but all to
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: no purpose, and at length stung to the quick at
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: his rejection, the hero angrily took his departure. Soon afterwards,
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: the oxen of the king was stolen by the notorious
• 18:27
  Speaker 1: thief Ortolicus, and Heracles was suspected by Eurytus of having
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: committed the theft. But Ephatus loyally defended his absent friend
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: and proposed to seek out Heracles, and with his assistance,
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: to go in search of the missing cattle. The hero
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: warmly welcomed his staunch young friend and entered cordially into
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: his plan, they at once set out on their expedition,
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: but their search proved altogether unsuccessful. When they approached the
• 19:00
  Speaker 1: city of Tyryns, they mounted a tower in hopes of
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: discovering the missing herd in the surrounding country. But as
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: they stood on the topmost summit of the building, Heracles
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: became suddenly seized with one of his former attacks of madness,
• 19:15
  Speaker 1: and mistaking his friend Iphytus for an enemy, hurled him
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: down into the plain below, and he was killed on
• 19:23
  Speaker 1: the spot. Heracles now set forth on a weary pilgrimage,
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: begging in vain that someone would purify him from the
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: murder of Ifetus. It was during these wanderings that he
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: arrived at the palace of his friend Admetus, whose beautiful
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: and heroic wife Alcestes, he restored to her husband after
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: a terrible struggle with death. As already related, soon after
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: this event, Heracles was struck with a fearful disease and
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: betook himself to the temple of Delphi, hoping to obtain
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: from the oracle the means of relief. The priestess, however,
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: refused him a response on the ground of his having
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: murdered Eyfetus, whereupon the angry hero seized upon the tripod,
• 20:12
  Speaker 1: which he carried off, declaring that he would construct an
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: oracle for himself. Apollo, who witnessed the sacrilege, came down
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: to defend his sanctuary, and a violent struggle ensued. Zeus
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: once more interfered, and flashing his lightnings between his two
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: favorite sons, ended the combat. The Pythea now vouchsafed an
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: answer to the prayer of the hero, and commanded him,
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: in expiation of his crime, to allow himself to be
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: sold by Hermes for three years as a slave. The
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: purchase money to be given to Eurytus in compensation for
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: the loss of his son. Heracles becomes the slave of Omphali.
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: Heracles bowed in submission to the divine will and was
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: conducted by Hermes to Omphali, Queen of Lydia. The three
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: talents which she paid for him were given to Eurytus,
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: who however, declined to accept the money, which was handed
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: over to the children of Efeus. Heracles now regained his
• 21:20
  Speaker 1: former vigor. He rid the territory of Omphali of the
• 21:24
  Speaker 1: robbers which infested it, and performed for her various other
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: services requiring strength and courage. It was about this time
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: that he took part in the Caledonian boar hunt, details
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: of which have already been given. When Omphali learned that
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: her slave was none other than the renowned Heracles himself,
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: she at once gave him his liberty and offered him
• 21:49
  Speaker 1: her hand and kingdom in her palace. Heracles abandoned himself
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: to all the enervating luxuries of an oriental life, and
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: so completely were the great hero enthralled by the fascination
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: which his mistress exercised over him, that, whilst she playfully
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: donned his lion's skin and helmet, he attired in female garments,
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: sat at her feet, spinning wool, and beguiling the time
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: by the relation of his past adventures. But when at
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: length his term of bondage having expired, he became master
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: of his own actions. The manly and energetic spirit of
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: the hero reasserted itself, and, tearing himself away from the
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: palace of the Meonian queen, he determined to carry out
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: the revenge he had so long meditated against the treacherous
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: Laomidon and the faithless Orgias. Heracles executes vengeance on Laomedon
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: and Orgias, gathering round him some of his old brave
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: companions in arms. Heracles collected a fleet of vessels and
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: set sail for Troy, where he landed, took the city
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: by storm, and killed Laomidon, who thus met at length
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: the retribution he had so richly deserved. To telemon one
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: of his bravest followers, he gave Hesione, the daughter of
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: the king, in marriage. When Heracles gave her permission to
• 23:21
  Speaker 1: release one of the prisoners of war, she chose her
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: own brother, Podarces, whereupon she was informed that, as he
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: was already a prisoner of war, she would be compelled
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: to ransom him. On hearing this, Hesione took off her
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: golden diadem, which she joyfully handed to the hero. Owing
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: to this circumstance, Podarces henceforth bore the name of Priamus
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: or Priam, which signifies the ransomed One. Heracles now marched
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: against Orgias to execute his vengeance on him also for
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: his perfidious conduct. He stormed the city of Elis and
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: put to death Orgias and his sons, sparing only his
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: brave advocate and staunch defender, Phylius, on whom he bestowed
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: the vacant throne of his father, Heracles and Dionyra. Heracles
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: now proceeded to Caledon, where he wooed the beautiful Dionyra,
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: daughter of Enius, King of Etolia. But he encountered a
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: formidable rival in a Chelous, the river god, and it
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: was agreed that their claims should be decided by single combat.
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: Trusting to his power of assuming various forms at will,
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: Achelous felt confident of success, but this availed him nothing, for,
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: having at last transformed himself into a bull, his mighty
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: adversary broke off one of his horns and compelled him
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: to acknowledge himself defeated. After passing three happy years with Dionyra,
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: an unfortunate accident occurred, which for a time marred their felicity.
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: Heracles was one day present at a banquet given by Enius, when,
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: by a sudden swing of his hand, he had the
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: misfortune to strike on the head a youth of noble birth, who,
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: according to the custom of the ancients, was serving the
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: guests at table, and so violent was the blow that
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: it caused his death. The father of the unfortunate youth,
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: who had witnessed the occurrence, saw that it was the
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: result of accident, and therefore absolved the hero from blame.
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: But Heracles resolved to act according to the law of
• 25:42
  Speaker 1: the land, banished himself from the country, and, bidding farewell
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: to his father in law, set out for Trachin to
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: visit his friend, King Says, taking with him his wife Dianyra,
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: and his young son Hylas. In the course of that journey,
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: they arrived at the river Ivenus, over which the centaur
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: Nessus was in the habit of carrying travelers for hire. Heracles,
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: with his little son in his arms, forded the stream unaided,
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: intrusting his wife to the care of the centaur, who
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: charmed with the beauty of his fair burden, attempted to
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: carry her off, but her cries were heard by her husband, who,
• 26:24
  Speaker 1: without hesitation, shot Nessus through the heart with one of
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: his poisoned arrows. Now the dying centaur was thirsting for revenge.
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: He called Dionyra to his side and directed her to
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: secure some of the blood which flowed from his wound,
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: assuring her that if when in danger of losing her
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: husband's affection, she used it in the manner indicated by him.
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: It would act as a charm and prevent her from
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: being supplanted by a rival. Heracles and Dionyra now pursued
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: their journey, and after several adventures, at length arrived at
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: their destination death of Heracles. The last expedition undertaken by
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: the great hero was against Eurytus, King of Ecalia, to
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: revenge himself upon this king and his sons for having
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: refused to bestow upon him the hand of Iolee. After
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: having fairly won the maiden, having collected a large army,
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: Heracles set out for Eubea in order to besiege Echalia,
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: its capital. Success crowned his arms. He stormed the citadel,
• 27:39
  Speaker 1: slew the king and his three sons, reduced the town
• 27:43
  Speaker 1: to ashes, and carried away captive the young and beautiful Iolee.
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: Returning from his victorious expedition, Heracles halted at Sineus in
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: order to offer a sacrifice to Zeus, and sent to
• 27:59
  Speaker 1: Dionyri to Trakehm for a sacrificial robe. Dianira, having been
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: informed that the fair Ione was in the train of Heracles,
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: was fearful lest her youthful charms might supplant her in
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: the affection of her husband, and calling to mind the
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: advice of the dying centaur, she determined to test the
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: efficacy of the love charm which he had given to her.
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: Taking out the file which she had carefully preserved, she
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: imbued the robe with a portion of the liquid which
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: it contained, and then sent it to heracles. The victorious
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: hero clothed himself with the garment and was about to
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: perform the sacrifice when the hot flames rising from the
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: altar heated the poison with which it was imbued, and
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: soon every fiber of his body was penetrated by the
• 28:52
  Speaker 1: deadly venom. The unfortunate hero, suffering the most fearful tortures,
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: endeavored to tear off the robe, but it adhered so
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: closely to the skin that all his efforts to remove
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: it only increased his agonies. In this pitiable condition, he
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: was conveyed to trake in where Dionyra On, beholding the
• 29:16
  Speaker 1: terrible suffering of which she was the innocent cause, was
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: overcome with grief and remorse and hanged herself in despair.
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: The dying hero called his son Hylas to his side
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: and desired him to make Iolie his wife, and then
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: ordering his followers to erect a funeral pyre. He mounted
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: it and implored the bystanders to set fire to it,
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: and thus, in mercy, to terminate his insufferable torments. But
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: no one had the courage to obey him, until at
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: last his friend and companion Philoctetes, yielding to his piteous appeal,
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: lighted the pile and received in return the bow and
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: arrows of the hero. Soon, flames on flames ascended, and
• 30:06
  Speaker 1: amidst vivid flashes of lightning, accompanied by awful peals of thunder,
• 30:12
  Speaker 1: pellaes Athene descended in a cloud and bore her favorite
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: hero in a chariot to Olympus. Heracles became admitted among
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: the immortals, and hearer, in token of her reconciliation, bestowed
• 30:28
  Speaker 1: upon him the hand of her beautiful daughter. He be
• 30:32
  Speaker 1: the Goddess of eternal youth. End of Section twenty five,
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: Part two, recording by Graham Redmaan