epted his offer in the presence of his son Phyleus.

Near the palace were the two rivers Peneus and Alpheus, the streams of
which Heracles conducted into the stables by means of a trench which he dug
for this purpose, and as the waters rushed through the shed, they swept
away with them the whole mass of accumulated filth.

But when Augeas heard that this was one of the labours imposed by
Eurystheus, he refused the promised guerdon. Heracles brought the matter
before a court, and called Phyleus as a witness to the justice of his
claim, whereupon Augeas, without waiting for the delivery of the verdict,
angrily banished Heracles and his son from his dominions.

6. THE STYMPHALIDES.--The sixth task was to chase away the Stymphalides,
which were immense birds of prey who, as we have seen (in the legend of the
Argonauts), shot from their wings feathers sharp as arrows. The home of
these birds was on the shore of the lake Stymphalis, in Arcadia (after
which they were called), where they caused great destruction among men and
cattle.

On approaching the lake, Heracles observed great numbers of them; and,
while hesitating how to commence the attack, he suddenly felt a hand on his
shoulder. Looking round he beheld the majestic form of Pallas-Athene, who
held in her hand a gigantic pair of brazen clappers made by Hephaestus, with
which she {243} presented him; whereupon he ascended to the summit of a
neighbouring hill, and commenced to rattle them violently. The shrill noise
of these instruments was so intolerable to the birds that they rose into
the air in terror, upon which he aimed at them with his arrows, destroying
them in great numbers, whilst such as escaped his darts flew away, never to
return.

7. THE CRETAN BULL.--The seventh labour of Heracles was to capture the
Cretan bull.

Minos, king of Crete, having vowed to sacrifice to Poseidon any animal
which should first appear out of the sea, the god caused a magnificent bull
to emerge from the waves in order to test the sincerity of the Cretan king,
who, in making this vow, had alleged that he possessed no animal, among his
own herds, worthy the acceptance of the mighty sea-god. Charmed with the
splendid animal sent by Poseidon, and eager to possess it, Minos placed it
among his herds, and substituted as a sacrifice one of his own bulls.
Hereupon Poseidon, in order to punish the cupidity of Minos, caused the
animal to become mad, and commit such great havoc in the islan