d at the ceremonial of
his funeral, and, from the moment of his death, he was worshipped as
a Demigod. Diodorus Siculus says that it was Iolus who first
introduced this worship. It was also said that, as soon as
Philoctetes had applied fire to the pile, it thundered, and the
lightnings descending from heaven immediately consumed Hercules.
A tomb was raised for him on Mount Oeta, with an altar, upon which a
bull, a wild boar, and a he-goat were yearly sacrificed in his
honour, at the time of his festival. The Thebans, and, after them,
the other people of Greece, soon followed the example of the
Trachinians, and temples and altars were raised to him in various
places, where he was honoured as a Demigod.

FABLE III. [IX.273-323]

Juno, to be revenged on Alcmena for her amour with Jupiter, desires
Ilithyia, the Goddess who presides over births, not to assist her on
the occasion of the birth of Hercules. Lucina complies with her
request, and places herself on an altar at the gate of Alcmena's
abode, where, by a magic spell, she increases her pains and impedes
her delivery. Galanthis, one of her maids, seeing the Goddess at the
door, imagines that she may possibly exercise some bad influence on
her mistress's labour, and, to make her retire, declares that
Alcmena is already delivered. Upon Ilithyia withdrawing, Alcmena's
pains are assuaged, and Hercules is born. The Goddess, to punish
Galanthis for her officiousness, transforms her into a weazel,
a creature which was supposed to bring forth its young through its
mouth.

Atlas was sensible[29] of this burden. Nor, as yet, had Eurystheus, the
son of Sthenelus, laid aside his wrath {against Hercules}; and, in his
fury, he vented his hatred for the father against his offspring. But the
Argive Alcmena, disquieted with prolonged anxieties {for her son} has
Iole, to whom to disclose the complaints of her old age, to whom to
relate the achievements of her son attested by {all} the world, or to
whom {to tell} her own misfortunes. At the command of Hercules, Hyllus
had received her both into his bed and his affections, and had filled
her womb with a noble offspring. To her, thus Alcmena began {her
story}:--

"May the Gods be propitious to thee at least; and may they shorten the
tedious hours, at the hour when, having accomplished thy time, thou
shalt be invoking Ilithyia,[30] who presides over the trembling
parturient women; her w