LP0051 - Labors Legacy - Herculean adventures, from the Library of Apollodorus

Legendary Passages #0051 - Labors Legacy - Herculean adventures, from the Library of Apollodorus. For the next six episodes, we will revisit the legends of Hercules and the legacy of his labors. First, his final labor was to journey into Hades and bring back three-headed dog Cerberus. While there he rescued Theseus, but his friend Pirithous could not be saved, because he had sought to kidnap the goddess Persephone. His labors now at an end, Hercules gave his wife Megara to his nephew Iolaus. Hercules then persued Iole, daughter of Eurytus, was refused, went mad, and killed Iphitus, son of Eurytus. Hercules wished to be absolved again of murder, but all refused him. Eventually an oracle told him to sell himself into slavery for three years, and give the money to Eurytus. He was purchased by Omphale, Queen of Lydia, and cleansed her lands of monsters and bandits. He witnessed the fall of Icarus and buried him; Daedalus even made a statue of Hercules, but it was so lifelike that he attacked it. Once his service had ended, Hercules decided to get revenge on those who wronged him during his labors. First, he started a Trojan War. His strongest ally was Telamon, son of Aeacus, husband of Periobea, and father of Ajax. Unfortunately, Telamon breached the walls of Troy first, but he quickly built an altar to Hercules in order to appease him. Telamon won princess Laomedon, and they became parents to Teucer. Hercules put Podarces on the throne, now called Priam. After slaying King Eurpylus of the Coans, and fighting the Gigantomachy in Phlegra, Hercules next attacked King Augeas in Elis. Augeas recruited Siamese twins Eurytus and Cteatus to fight for him, but Hercules slew them both at Cleonae. After Killing Augeas, he put the king's son Phyleus on the throne and then created the Olympic Games. Next time we expand on Hercules' war against the Kingdom of Elis. http://www.theoi.com/Text/Apollodorus2.html#6 Labors Legacy, a Legendary Passage, from the Library of Apollodorus, translated by J. G. Frazer. BOOK 2 [2.5.12] - [2.7.2] A twelfth labour imposed on Hercules was to bring Cerberus from Hades. Now this Cerberus had three heads of dogs, the tail of a dragon, and on his back the heads of all sorts of snakes. When Hercules was about to depart to fetch him, he went to Eumolpus at Eleusis, wishing to be initiated. However it was not then lawful for foreigners to be initiated: since he proposed to be initiated as the adoptive son of Pylius. But not being able to see the mysteries because he had not been cleansed of the slaughter of the centaurs, he was cleansed by Eumolpus and then initiated. And having come to Taenarum in Laconia, where is the mouth of the descent to Hades, he descended through it. But when the souls saw him, they fled, save Meleager and the Gorgon Medusa. And Hercules drew his sword against the Gorgon, as if she were alive, but he learned from Hermes that she was an empty phantom. And being come near to the gates of Hades he found Theseus and Pirithous, him who wooed Persephone in wedlock and was therefore bound fast. And when they beheld Hercules, they stretched out their hands as if they should be raised from the dead by his might. And Theseus, indeed, he took by the hand and raised up, but when he would have brought up Pirithous, the earth quaked and he let go. And he rolled away also the stone of Ascalaphus. And wishing to provide the souls with blood, he slaughtered one of the kine of Hades. But Menoetes, son of Ceuthonymus, who tended the king, challenged Hercules to wrestle, and, being seized round the middle, had his ribs broken; howbeit, he was let off at the request of Persephone. When Hercules asked Pluto for Cerberus, Pluto ordered him to take the animal provided he mastered him without the use of the weapons which he carried. Hercules found him at the gates of Acheron, and, cased in his cuirass and covered by the lion's skin, he flung his arms round the head of the brute, and though the dragon in its tail bit h