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PAGE TWO - MORE FROM THOMAS BULLFINCH
The poets, led by the analogy of
the lovely appearance of the western sky at sunset, viewed the
west as a region of brightness and glory. Hence they placed in
it the Isles of the Blest, the ruddy Isle Erytheia, on which the
bright oxen of Geryon were pastured, and the Isle of the
Hesperides. The apples are supposed by some to be the oranges of
Spain, of which the Greeks had heard some obscure accounts.
A celebrated exploit of Hercules was his victory over Antaeus.
Antaeus, the son of Terra, the Earth, was a mighty giant and
wrestler, whose strength was invincible so long as he remained
in contact with his mother Earth. He compelled all strangers who
came to his country to wrestle with him, on condition that if
conquered (as they all were) they should be put to death.
Hercules encountered him, and finding that it was of no avail to
throw him, for he always rose with renewed strength from every
fall, he lifted him up from the earth and strangled him in the
air.
Cacus was a huge giant, who inhabited a cave on Mount Aventine,
and plundered the surrounding country. When Hercules was driving
home the oxen of Geryon, Cacus stole part of the cattle, while
the hero slept. That their footprints might not serve to show
where they had been driven, be dragged them backward by their
tails to his cave; so their tracks all seemed to show that they
had gone in the opposite direction. Hercules was deceived by
this stratagem, and would have failed to find his oxen, if it
had not happened that in driving the remainder of the herd past
the cave where the stolen ones were concealed, those within
began to low, and were thus discovered. Cacus was slain by
Hercules.
The last exploit we shall record was bringing Cerberus from the
lower world. Hercules descended into Hades, accompanied by
Mercury (Hermes) and Minerva (Athena). He obtained permission
from Pluto (Hades) to carry Cerberus to the upper air, provided
he could do it without the use of weapons; and in spite of the
monster's struggling, he seized him, held him fast, and carried
him to Eurystheus, and afterwards brought him back again. When
he was in Hades he obtained the liberty of Theseus, his admirer
and imitator, who had been detained a prisoner there for an
unsuccessful attempt to carry off Proserpine (Persephone).
Hercules in a fit of madness killed his friend Iphitus, and was
condemned for this offence to become the slave of Queen Omphale
for three years. While in this service the hero's nature seemed
changed. He lived effeminately, wearing at times the dress of a
woman, and spinning wool with the hand-maidens of Omphale, while
the queen wore his lion's skin. When this service was ended he
married Dejanira and lived in peace with her three years. On one
occasion as he was travelling with his wife, they came to a
river, across which the Centaur Nessus carried travellers for a
stated fee. Hercules himself forded the river, but gave Dejanira
to Nessus to be carried across. Nessus attempted to run away
with her, but Hercules heard her cries and shot an arrow into
the heart of Nessus. The dying Centaur told Dejanira to take a
portion of his blood and keep it, as it might be used as a charm
to preserve the love of her husband.
Dejanira did so, and before long fancied she had occasion to use
it. Hercules in one of his conquests had taken prisoner a fair
maiden, named Iole, of whom he seemed more fond than Dejanira
approved. When Hercules was about to offer sacrifices to the
gods in honour of his victory, he sent to his wife for a white
robe to use on the occasion. Dejanira, thinking it a good
opportunity to try her love-spell, steeped the garment in the
blood of Nessus. We are to suppose she took care to wash out all
traces of it, but the magic power remained, and as soon as the
garment became warm on the body of Hercules the poison
penetrated into all his limbs and caused him the most intense
agony. In his frenzy he seized Lichas, who had brought him the
fatal robe, and hurled him into the sea. He wrenched off the
garment, but it stuck to his flesh, and with it he tore away
whole pieces of his body. In this state he embarked on board a
ship and was conveyed home. Dejanira, on seeing what she had
unwittingly done, hung herself. Hercules, prepared to die,
ascended Mount OEta, where he built a funeral pile of trees,
gave his bow and arrows to Philoctetes, and laid himself down on
the pile, his head resting on his club, and his lion's skin
spread over him. With a countenance as serene as if he were
taking his place at a festal board he commanded Philoctetes to
apply the torch. The flames spread apace and soon invested the
whole mass.
The gods themselves felt troubled at seeing the champion of the
earth so brought to his end. But Jupiter with cheerful
countenance thus addressed them: "I am pleased to see your
concern, my princes, and am gratified to perceive that I am the
ruler of a loyal people, and that my son enjoys your favour. For
although your interest in him arises from his noble deeds, yet
it is not the less gratifying to me. But now I say to you, Fear
not. He who conquered all else is not to be conquered by those
flames which you see blazing on Mount OEta. Only his mother's
share in him can perish; what he derived from me is immortal. I
shall take him, dead to earth, to the heavenly shores, and I
require of you all to receive him kindly. If any of you feel
grieved at his attaining this honour, yet no one can deny that
he has deserved it." The gods all gave their assent; Juno only
heard the closing words with some displeasure that she should be
so particularly pointed at, yet not enough to make her regret
the determination of her husband. So when the flames had
consumed the mother's share of Hercules, the diviner part,
instead of being injured thereby, seemed to start forth with new
vigour, to assume a more lofty port and a more awful dignity.
Jupiter enveloped him in a cloud, and took him up in a
four-horse chariot to dwell among the stars. As he took his
place in heaven, Atlas felt the added weight.
Juno, now reconciled to him, gave him her daughter Hebe in
marriage.
THANK YOU THOMAS BULLFINCH
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