FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135  
136   137   138   139   >>  
om the orb of the moon by Juno's direction, and was invunerable. It infested the woods between Phlius and Cle{=o}ne, and committed uncommon ravages. The hero attacked it both with his arrows and club, but in vain, till, perceiving his error, he tore asunder its jaws with his hands. The second labor was his conquest of the Lernaean hydra, a formidable serpent or monster which harbored in the fens of Lerna, and infected the region of Argos with his poisonous exhalations. This seems to have been one of the most difficult tasks in which Hercules was ever engaged. The number of heads assigned the hydra is various; some give him seven, some nine, others fifty, and Ovid an hundred; but all authors agree that when one was cut off, another sprung forth in its place, unless the wound was immediately cauterized. Hercules, not discouraged, attacked him, and having ordered I{)o}las, his friend and companion, to cut down wood sufficient for fire-brands, he no sooner had cut off a head than he applied these brands to the wounds; by which means searing them up, he obtained a complete victory. The third labor was to bring alive to Eurystheus an enormous wild boar which ravaged the forest of Erymanthus in Arcadia, and had been sent to Phocis by Di{=a}na to punish AEn{=e}as, for neglecting her sacrifices. Hercules brought him bound to Eurystheus. There is nothing descriptive of this exploit in any of the Roman poets. The fourth labor was the capture of the Maenalaean stag. Eurystheus, after repeated proofs of the strength and valor of Hercules, resolved to try his agility, and commanded him to take a wild stag that frequented mount Maen{)a}lus, which had brazen feet and golden horns. As this animal was sacred to Di{=a}na, Hercules durst not wound him; but though it were no easy matter to run him down, yet this, after pursuing him on foot for a year, the hero at last effected. The fifth labor of Hercules consisted in killing the Stymphal{)i}des, birds so called from frequenting the lake Stymph{=a}lis in Arcadia, which preyed upon human flesh, having wings, beaks, and talons of iron. Some say Hercules destroyed these birds with his arrows, others that Pallas sent him brazen rattles, made by Vulcan, the sound of which so terrified them, that they took shelter in the island of Aretia. There are authors who suppose these birds called Stymphal{)i}des, to have been a gang of desperate banditti who had their haunts near the lake Stymph{=a
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135  
136   137   138   139   >>  



Top keywords:

Hercules

 

Eurystheus

 

Stymph

 
brands
 

called

 

authors

 

brazen

 
Stymphal
 
Arcadia
 

attacked


arrows

 

sacrifices

 
brought
 

frequented

 

golden

 

neglecting

 

resolved

 

proofs

 

fourth

 

repeated


Maenalaean

 

capture

 

exploit

 
strength
 

agility

 

commanded

 

descriptive

 

rattles

 

Vulcan

 
terrified

Pallas

 

destroyed

 

talons

 

banditti

 

desperate

 

haunts

 
suppose
 
shelter
 
island
 
Aretia

pursuing

 
matter
 

sacred

 

animal

 

frequenting

 
preyed
 

killing

 

effected

 
consisted
 
serpent