Myths and Legends of All Nations | Page 7

left the lake and never
returned.
THE SEVENTH LABOR
King Minos of Crete had promised Neptune (Poseidon), god of the sea,
to offer to him whatever animal should first come up out of the water,
for he declared he had no animal that was worthy for so high a sacrifice.
Therefore the god caused a very beautiful ox to rise out of the sea. But

the king was so taken with the noble appearance of the animal that he
secretly placed it among his own herds and offered another to Neptune.
Angered by this, the god had caused the animal to become mad, and it
was bringing great destruction to the island of Crete. To capture this
animal, master it, and bring it before Eurystheus, was the seventh labor
of Hercules.
When the hero came to Crete and with this intention stepped before
Minos, the king was not a little pleased over the prospect of ridding the
island of the bull, and he himself helped Hercules to capture the raging
animal. Hercules approached the dreadful monster without fear, and so
thoroughly did he master him that he rode home on the animal the
whole way to the sea.
With this work Eurystheus was pleased, and after he had regarded the
animal for a time with pleasure, set it free. No longer under Hercules'
management, the ox became wild again, wandered through all Laconia
and Arcadia, crossed over the isthmus to Marathon in Attica and
devastated the country there as formerly on the island of Crete. Later it
was given to the hero Theseus to become master over him.
THE EIGHTH LABOR
The eighth labor of Hercules was to bring the mares of the Thracian
Diomede to Mycene. Diomede was a son of Mars and ruler of the
Bistonians, a very warlike people. He had mares so wild and strong that
they had to be fastened with iron chains. Their fodder was chiefly hay;
but strangers who had the misfortune to come into the city were thrown
before them, their flesh serving the animals as food.
When Hercules arrived the first thing he did was to seize the inhuman
king himself and after he had overpowered the keepers, throw him
before his own mares. With this food the animals were satisfied and
Hercules was able to drive them to the sea.
But the Bistonians followed him with weapons, and Hercules was
forced to turn and fight them. He gave the horses into the keeping of
his beloved companion Abderus, the son of Mercury, and while

Hercules was away the animals grew hungry again and devoured their
keeper.
Hercules, returning, was greatly grieved over this loss, and later
founded a city in honor of Abderus, naming it after his lost friend. For
the present he was content to master the mares and drive them without
further mishap to Eurystheus.
The latter consecrated the horses to Juno. Their descendants were very
powerful, and the great king Alexander of Macedonia rode one of them.
THE NINTH LABOR
Returning from a long journey, the hero undertook an expedition
against the Amazons in order to finish the ninth adventure and bring to
King Eurystheus the sword belt of the Amazon Hippolyta.
The Amazons inhabited the region of the river Thermodon and were a
race of strong women who followed the occupations of men. From their
children they selected only such as were girls. United in an army, they
waged great wars. Their queen, Hippolyta, wore, as a sign of her
leadership, a girdle which the goddess of war had given her as a
present.
Hercules gathered his warrior companions together into a ship, sailed
after many adventures into the Black Sea and at last into the mouth of
the river Thermodon, and the harbor of the Amazon city Themiscira.
Here the queen of the Amazons met him.
The lordly appearance of the hero flattered her pride, and when she
heard the object of his visit, she promised him the belt. But Juno, the
relentless enemy of Hercules, assuming the form of an Amazon,
mingled among the others and spread the news that a stranger was
about to lead away their queen. Then the Amazons fought with the
warriors of Hercules, and the best fighters of them attacked the hero
and gave him a hard battle.
The first who began fighting with him was called, because of her

swiftness, Aëlla, or Bride of the Wind; but she found in Hercules a
swifter opponent, was forced to yield and was in her swift flight
overtaken by him and vanquished. A second fell at the first attack; then
Prothoë, the third, who had come off victor in seven duels, also fell.
Hercules laid low eight others, among them three hunter companions of
Diana, who, although formerly always certain with their weapons,
today