Greek Gods and Heroes: For Young Readers by Robert Graves

Author:Robert Graves [Graves, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-7953-3651-5
Publisher: RosettaBooks
Published: 2014-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

XVIII

THE LABOURS OF HERACLES

Heracles, whom the Romans called Hercules, was Zeus’s son by Alcmene, a Theban princess. Hera, angry that Zeus had made another of his marriages with mortal women, sent two tremendous snakes to kill Heracles while still a baby. He and his twin brother Iphicles were lying asleep in a shield, used as a cradle, when the snakes crawled hissing towards them across the floor. Iphicles screamed and rolled out of the shield. But Heracles, an immensely strong child, caught the snakes by their throats, one in each hand, and strangled them.

As a boy, Heracles took far more interest in fighting than in reading, writing, or music; he also preferred roast meat and barley bread to honey cakes and fruit pies. Soon he became the best archer, the best wrestler, and the best boxer alive. Because Linus, his music teacher, beat him for not taking enough trouble over his scales, Heracles knocked Linus dead with a lyre. Accused of murder, Heracles said simply: ‘Linus hit me first. All I did was to defend myself.’ The judges let him off.

Eurystheus, the High King of Greece, wanted to banish Amphitryon, King of Thebes, now Heracles’s stepfather; but Heracles nobly offered to be his slave for ninety-nine months if Amphitryon might stay and keep his throne. Hera advised Eurystheus: ‘Agree, but set Heracles the ten most dangerous Labours you can possibly choose, all to be performed in those ninety-nine months. I want him killed.’

The first Labour which Eurystheus set Heracles was to kill the Nemean Lion, an enormous beast, with a skin proof against stone, brass, or iron. It lived in a mountain cave. When the arrows which Heracles shot at the lion bounced off harmlessly, he took his great club of wild-olive wood and hit it on the head; but only smashed the club. The lion shook its head, because of the singing noise in its ears, then yawned and went back to its cave. This cave had two entrances. Heracles netted the smaller with a brass net and, going in by the larger, caught the lion by the throat. Though it bit off the middle finger of his left hand, he managed to get its head under his right arm and squeeze it to death. Heracles skinned the lion by using one of its own claws for a knife, and afterwards wore the skin. Then he cut himself a second club of wild-olive wood and reported to Eurystheus.

The Second Labour was far more dangerous: to kill the monstrous Hydra in the marshes of Lerna. She had a huge body, like a dog’s, and eight snake heads on long necks. Heracles fired flaming arrows at the Hydra as she came out from her hole under the roots of a plane tree. Then he rushed forward and battered at the eight heads. As fast as he crushed them, others grew in their places. Up scuttled a crab, sent by Hera, and bit his foot; Heracles broke its shell with a kick. At the same time he drew his sharp, gold-hilted sword and called for Iolaus, his chariot driver.

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