mphalis,
in Arcadia. The seventh was to bring alive to Peloponnesus a bull,
remarkable for its beauty and strength, which Poseidon had given to
Minos, king of Crete, in order that he might sacrifice it; which
Minos refusing to do, Poseidon made the bull mad, and it laid waste
the island. Hercules brought the bull on his shoulders to Eurystheus,
who set it at liberty. The eighth labour was to obtain the mares of
Diomedes, king of the Bistones, in Thrace, which fed upon human flesh.
The ninth was to bring the girdle of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons.
The tenth was to kill the monster Geryon, and bring his herds to
Argos. These were all the labours originally imposed on Hercules; but
as Eurystheus acknowledged only eight of them, Hercules was commanded
to perform two more. The eleventh labour was to obtain the golden
apples from the garden of the Hesperides. Atlas, who knew where to
find the apples, brought them to Hercules, who meantime supported the
vault of heaven. The last labour was to bring from the infernal
regions the three-headed dog Cerberus. When Hercules brought the dog
to Eurystheus, the latter, pale with fright, ordered him to be set at
liberty, whereupon Cerberus immediately sank into the earth.
Hercules's servitude was now ended, but his great performances were
not. He fought with the centaurs and giants. When his period of
slavery had ended, he married Dejanira; with her he went to Trachinia.
At the river Evenus he encountered the centaur Nessus. Nessus, under
pretence of carrying Dejanira over, attempted to offer her violence,
which caused Hercules to slay him with a poisoned arrow. Nessus,
before expiring, instructed Dejanira how to prepare a love potion for
Hercules. He erected an altar to Zeus Kenaeos. In order to celebrate
the rite with due solemnity, he sent Lichas to Trachis for a white
garment. Dejanira, being jealous, anointed the robe with the philter
she had received from Nessus. Hercules put it on, and immediately the
poison penetrated his bones. Maddened by the pain, he seized Lichas by
the feet and flung him into the sea. He tore off the dress, but it
stuck to his flesh, which was thus torn from his bones. Dejanira,
being informed of what had taken place, destroyed herself. Hercules
repaired to Mount [OE]ta, where he erected a funeral pile, and,
ascending it, commanded that it should be set on fire. The pile was
suddenly surrounded by a dark cloud, in which, amid thunder and
lightning, he wa