HERCULES, in fabulous history, a most renowned Grecian hero, said to have been born at Thebes
about the year 1280 B. C. He is reported to have been the son of Jupiter by Alemena (wife to Amphitryon king of Argos), whom Jupiter enjoyed in the shape of her husband while he was absent; and in order to add the greater strength to the child, made that amorous night as long as three. Amphitryon having soon after accidentally killed his uncle and father-in-law Electryon, was obliged to fly to Thebes, where Hercules was born. The jealousy of Juno, on account of her husband's amour with Alemena, prompted her to destroy the infant. For this purpose she sent two serpents to kill him in the cradle, but young Hercules strangled them both. As he grew up, he discovered such extraordinary strength and fierceness, that he was sent to be brought up among some shepherds, where he killed a lion before he was eighteen years of age.
Euristheus, the son of Amphitryon, having succeeded his father, soon became jealous of Hercules; and fearing lest he might by him be deprived of his crown, left no means untried to get rid of him. Of this Hercules was not insensible, because he was perpetually engaging him on some desperate expedition; and therefore went to consult the oracle. But being answered that it was the pleasure of the gods that he should serve Euristheus 12 years, he fell into a deep melancholy, which at last ended in a furious madness; during which, among other desperate actions, he put away his wife Megara, and murdered all the children he had by her. As an expiation of this crime, the king imposed upon him twelve labours surpassing the power of all other mortals to accomplish, which nevertheless our hero performed with great ease.
The first labour imposed upon him was the killing of a lion in Nemea, a wood of Achaia; whose hide was proof against any weapon, so that he was forced to seize him by the throat and strangle him; in memory of which he afterwards wore his skin about his shoulders.
In the second, he killed the Hydra; a monster with two heads, one of which was no sooner cut off, than two sprung up in its room.
In the third, he brought the Erymanthian boar alive upon his shoulders; at the sight of which the king is said to have been so frightened, that he ran and hid himself in a brazen hog's head. It was likewise in this expedition that he overcame the famous Centaurs.
In his fourth, he caught a hart with golden horns, and of prodigious swiftness.
In his fifth labour, he was commanded to cleanse Augeas's stable in one day, which he did by turning the river Alpheus into it. See AUGEAS.
In the sixth he chased away the mischievous birds of the lake Stymphalis, who are feigned to have lived upon human flesh, and to have been at length destroyed by Hercules's arrows, or, according to others, to have been only scared away from thence.
His seventh was to fetch a famous bull from the isle of Crete, with which Pasiphae the wife of Minos is said to have fallen in love. In this expedition, having helped Jupiter to overcome the Titanic giants, he reconciled Prometheus to him, and loosed him from mount Caucasus.
The eighth was to fetch the mares of Diomedes out of Thrace, which were tied with iron-chains to bra-
Hercules. zen mangers, and were fed with the flesh of the strangers that passed by that way. Hercules first threw their inhuman master to be devoured by them; and then brought the mares to Eurytheus, who dedicated them to Juno. Their breed is said to have continued till Alexander's time.
In the ninth he fetched away the girdle of the queen of the Amazons: and,
In the tenth, the oxen of Geryon out of Iberia, or Spain; in the furthest parts of which he erected his two pillars, as the utmost limits of the then known world. These ten labours he atchieved, as the fable says, in about eight years. In this expedition he is likewise affirmed to have killed Antæus, a famous giant of a monstrous size, who, when weary with wrestling or labour, was immediately refreshed by touching the earth. Pliny makes him the founder of Tangier. Hercules overcame him in wrestling, and slew him; and after him the tyrant Buiris in his way through Egypt. This bloody man used to sacrifice all his guests and strangers upon his altars; and designing to have done the same by Hercules, was slain by him, together with all his attendants.
His two last tasks were fetching Cerberus out of hell, and carrying away the Hesperian golden apples kept by a dragon; which last is interpreted to have been some fine herd of cattle kept by a strong man, and brought out of Africa to the king.
Many other exploits are said to have been performed by Hercules; the last of which was against Eurytus king Oechalia, who refused to give him Iole his daughter, whom he had won by shooting against him and his sons. Upon this he slew him and his sons, and carried off his daughter with him. Coming soon after to the Cencian promontory in Eubœa, to offer some sacrifice there, he sent his servant Lychas to Trachin, to his wife Dejanira, for the shirt and coat in which he used to perform that ceremony.
This princess had some time before been attempted by the centaur Nessus, as he was ferrying her over the river Euenus; and Hercules beholding it from the shore, had given him a mortal wound with an arrow. The monster finding himself dying, advised her to mix some oil with the blood which flowed from his wound, and to anoint her husband's shirt with it, pretending that it would infallibly secure him from loving any other woman; and she, too well apprised of his inconsistency, had actually prepared the poisoned ointment accordingly.
Lychas coming to her for the garments, unfortunately acquainted her with his having brought away Iole; upon which she, in a fit of jealousy, anointed his shirt with the fatal mixture. This had no sooner touched his body, than he felt the poison diffuse itself through all his veins; the violent pain of which caused him to disband his army, and to return to Trachin. His torment still increasing, he sent to consult the oracle for a cure; and was answered that he should cause himself to be conveyed to mount Oeta, and there rear up a great pile of wood, and leave the rest to Jupiter.
By the time he had obeyed the oracle, his pains being become intolerable, he dressed himself in his martial habit, fung himself upon the pile, and defi-
red the by-standers to set fire to it; others say that he left the charge of it to his son Philoctetes, who having performed his father's command, had his bow and arrows given him as a reward for his obedience. At the same time Jupiter, to be as good as his word, sent a flash of lightning, which consumed both the pile and the hero; inasmuch that Iolæus, coming to take up his bones, found nothing but ashes; from which they concluded that he was passed from earth to heaven, and joined to the gods.