third of the fierce horses fell. They were all slain with the
unerring arrows. Then Heracles took up the body of his companion and he
buried it with proper rights, and over it he raised a column.
Afterward, around that column a city that bore the name of Heracles's
friend was built.

Then toward the Euxine Sea he went. There, where the River Themiscyra
flows into the sea he saw the abodes of the Amazons. And upon the rocks
and the steep place he saw the warrior women standing with drawn bows
in their hands. Most dangerous did they seem to Heracles. He did not
know how to approach them; he might shoot at them with his unerring
arrows, but when his arrows were all shot away, the Amazons, from their
steep places, might be able to kill him with the arrows from their bows.

While he stood at a distance, wondering what he might do, a horn was
sounded and an Amazon mounted upon a white stallion rode toward him.
When the warrior-woman came near she cried out, "Heracles, the Queen
Hippolyte permits you to come amongst the Amazons. Enter her tent and
declare to the queen what has brought you amongst the never-conquered
Amazons."

Heracles came to the tent of the queen. There stood tall Hippolyte with
an iron crown upon her head and with a beautiful girdle of bronze and
iridescent glass around her waist. Proud and fierce as a mountain eagle
looked the queen of the Amazons: Heracles did not know in what way he
might conquer her. Outside the tent the Amazons stood; they struck
their shields with their spears, keeping up a continuous savage din.

"For what has Heracles come to the country of the Amazons?" Queen
Hippolyte asked.

"For the girdle you wear," said Heracles, and he held his hands ready
for the struggle.

"Is it for the girdle given me by Ares, the god of war, that you have
come, braving the Amazons, Heracles?" asked the queen.

"For that," said Heracles.

"I would not have you enter into strife with the Amazons," said Queen
Hippolyte. And so saying she drew off the girdle of bronze and
iridescent glass, and she gave it into his hands.

Heracles took the beautiful girdle into his hands. Fearful he was that
some piece of guile was being played upon him, but then he looked into
the open eyes of the queen and he saw that she meant no guile. He took
the girdle and he put it around his great brows; then he thanked
Hippolyte and he went from the tent. He saw the Amazons standing on the
rocks and the steep places with