Immortal Journey
The Tales of Heracles, Leo, Cancer, Sagittarius, Centaurus, Draco, Sagitta and Cerberus

Chapter 12: The Golden Apples of the Hesperides


"It's been eight years and one month since you came into the service of Eurystheus," Copreus said. "I know you have performed ten labors during this time, but, if you will remember, two of them were not completed in an acceptable manner. Therefore, you must complete two more." Heracles did not respond, nor was he surprised. The herald continued, "Your eleventh labor is to obtain the Golden Apples of the Hesperides.

"When Zeus and Hera were married, Ge, the goddess of the earth, came to their wedding with branches of golden apples as her gift. Hera thought these apples were so beautiful that she asked Ge to plant them in her garden at world's end, near Mount Atlas.

"Atlas lived in the garden with his seven daughters. Their names were Alcyone, Celaeno, Electra, Maia, Merope, Sterope and Taygete. They were known as the Pleiades and, like Hera, they thought the apples were lovely so they picked them. This made Hera very angry for no matter what she said or did, the girls continued to pick her apples. Finally she found a serpent named Draco to guard her tree. Draco was born to Typhon and Echidna. He had a hundred heads and each head spoke with a different voice. This dragon succeeded in scaring Atlas' daughters away, as well as scaring anyone else who might wish to pick Hera's wedding gift. Then Hera decided to be doubly save and enlisted the aid of the Hesperides to also guard her tree. The Hesperides are known by the names of Aegle, Erytheia, Hesperia and Arethusea, and they are the daughters of Hesperus, the Evening Star.

"Atlas, his daughters, and the garden of Hera are in the land of the Hyperboreans. That is all I know of where you must go to fulfill this labor, for I have never been there," Copreus said, finishing his instructions as Heracles set out upon his newest task.

Heracles had only traveled as far as the Echedorus River when he had his first interruption, for Cycnus, the son of Ares and Pyrene, challenged him to a duel. Ares immediately came to the aid of his son, and acted as his second, firing upon Heracles and starting the fight. "Why must I defend myself against yet another attack?" Heracles thought. "Why can't I just do my task?"

Zeus heard his son and agreed. Taking careful aim, he hurled a thunderbolt which landed directly between Ares and Heracles, stopping the duel and allowing Heracles to leave.

Heracles passed through the land of Illyria and crossed the Eridanus River. There he came upon the daughters of Zeus and Themis, who were known as the nymphs. "Do you know where the Golden Apples of the Hesperides can be found?" he asked politely. They shook their heads, but led him to Nereus, asleep along the river bank.

"Nereus is the old man of the sea," said the bravest of the nymphs. "He knows everything, past or future," she said with complete conviction. "Surely he will know, but he may not wish to tell you. He is old and wise, but also old and cranky."

Heracles stepped gingerly around Nereus, careful not to wake him. Identifying the proper angle, he grabbed Nereus in a wrestling hold and announced that he would not let him go until Nereus told him where the Hesperides and their Golden Apples could be found.

Nereus was old and crafty. No one had ever held him captive before, and no one would now, the old sea god thought. He changed into a lion, letting out an enormous growl and snapping his craterlike jaw at Heracles head. Heracles did not flinch. Nereus took the shape of a bull, hitting Heracles with his tail and hoofs, and shaking his sharp horns near Heracles throat. Heracles held firm. Nereus took the shape of a multi-headed serpent, biting at Heracles' arms and chest. Heracles squeezed hard. It was becoming obvious to Nereus that he could not escape for he was running out of strength. "All right," Nereus said, "I'll tell you where to go." He gave directions to world's edge and Heracles proceeded on his way.

While crossing Libya, Heracles was stopped by Poseidon and Ge's son Antaeus. Antaeus had a most inhospitable habit of forcing strangers to wrestle, and then killing them. His plan for Heracles was no different than for the rest. Antaeus confronted Heracles, badgering and shoving him, but Heracles did not react. Finally Antaeus grabbed Heracles and pinned him to the floor. Heracles finally defended himself, clasping Antaeus around the chest and lifting him into the air. Although Heracles had not known it, Antaeus was stronger when his feet touched the ground. Now that he was in the air, Antaeus kicked and kicked, but he was so weak that he couldn't do anything and Heracles crushed the bully to death, then continued on his way.

Passing through Egypt, Heracles was taken captive by yet another son of Poseidon, King Busiris. For nine years a famine had plagued Egypt. Finally a famed prophet named Phrasius arrived from Cyprus. "How can we end this famine?" King Busiris asked Phrasius.

"Zeus is angry and you must appease him if you want the famine to end," Phrasius said. "Beginning now and for each year after this, you must sacrifice a male stranger to Zeus." Busiris immediately sacrificed Phrasius.

Each year that followed, a male stranger was captured for the annual sacrifice. This year, they thought Heracles would be their sacrifice, but Heracles was never a willing victim. As his captors led him to the altar, he broke his bonds and grabbed the executioner's axe. Swinging the weapon wildly, he killed both King Busiris and his son Amphidamas. This ended the annual sacrifice of male strangers in Egypt.

Heracles continued on, passing through Asia. While in the Lindian port of Thermydrae, he was very hungry and detached the harness from the cart of a cattle drover, stealing an ox which he cooked and ate. The drover figured out who had taken his ox, but as Heracles was large and looked very fierce, he felt helpless to go after him. Instead, he climbed to the top of the nearby mountain and screamed curses at Heracles. After that, it became the custom to curse Heracles whenever sacrifices were made.

Heracles passed through Arabia, where he killed a man named Emathion, who also attacked him, then finally he came to the sea and called to his old friend Helius for a loan of the golden goblet once again. The water-lily shaped vessel carried him safely and comfortably to the base of the Caucasus mountain in Scythia.

Heracles raised his eyes, thanking Helius for his help once again. Squinting into the sun, he saw Mount Caucasus and noticed a helpless old man chained to the mountain as an eagle mercilessly attacked him. Heracles grabbed Apollo's bow and a golden arrow and, aiming for the eagle's heart, killed it with a single shot. He climbed up the mountainside to where the man was chained and there the eagle lay dead at his feet. Heracles grabbed his sword and cut the chain and the old man hurriedly slid the broken chain out from the spike which held it. He stepped free.

"My thirty thousand years of torment have ended," the old man said. "You look confused, kind sir. Let me tell you my story, then you will understand the extent of my gratitude." The old man sat on a rock and motioned for Heracles to join him.

"My name is Prometheus," he said. "Ah, I see a glimmer of recognition in your eyes. Perhaps Chiron told you about me before he gave me his immortality." Heracles nodded.

"Long ago I was one of Zeus' chosen. He bestowed on me many artistic and mental talents and I used them well. First I fashioned man from clay, and when these men came to me with problems (for they were all very new to earth and inexperienced at knowing what to do) I helped them find solutions.

"Although when I made these clay people I made them all equal, it wasn't long before what they had and what they owned was not equal. They had different skills, different amounts of ambition and different amounts of wisdom. Also some were greedy and treacherous and others were trusting and gullible. Too soon, the world was populated by haves and have nots.

"Now in those days when sacrifices to the gods were made, whole animals were burned in sacrifice. The poor, who had few cattle and needed the little they had for food, were unable to sacrifice to the gods. In turn, the gods did not respect them and heaped good fortune on the rich alone, resulting in widening the chasm between rich and poor. It was a sad situation. As they were all my clay children, I had to intervene.

"I went to father Zeus and asked him if only a portion could be given to the gods and the rest used by man. He agreed. Then I sacrificed two bulls, placing the meat of both in one pile and all the bones in another pile. I covered each pile with one of the hides. Then I told Zeus to choose the pile that he wanted. Apparently Zeus thought that each pile was the remains of one entire bull. I hadn't said that, it was only his assumption. Without any thought, he selected the pile of bones. All the men saw this and from that point sacrificed only the entrails and bones, keeping the meat for themselves.

"But old Zeus was angry and claimed that he'd been tricked. Of course, that wasn't my intention, but all the same he took revenge and stole fire from the earth. 'Now,' he thought, 'the meat will not be of any use to man because it cannot be cooked.' This made even more hardship, and since I felt responsible I had to do something.

"In the night I went to Olympus to the fires of Zeus. Grabbing a nearby fennel stalk I placed embers inside it and swiftly carried my torch back to the gardens of earth where I re-lit the fires of man. Old Zeus looked out from Olympus and saw the fires of earth lit once again. He retaliated with two plans.

"First, he had Hephaestus form a woman out of clay. Athena gave her life, Aphrodite gave her beauty, Hera gave her domesticity and Hermes gave her curiosity. They named the woman Pandora for it meant 'All Gifts.' The gods came to my brother and I with their lovely gift. My name, Prometheus, means 'Fore Thinker.' My brother's name was Epimetheus and that means 'After Thinker,' which was very appropriate for him as he always had acted without thinking, and only thought when it was too late. Epimetheus was taken by Pandora's beauty. I warned him, saying she was a trick and he would soon regret it. But he was stubborn and ruled by his desires. He married Pandora and soon her curiosity unleashed all manner of evils on the world, for along with her, the gods had also delivered a box.

"It was a beautiful box designed by Hephaestus. It was inlaid with jewels and covered in gold and ivory and it came with instructions that it was never to be opened. Unfortunately it was in Epimetheus' care and though he instructed her not to touch it, she wouldn't listen to her husband. It didn't take long after their marriage until, one night when she could stand the suspense no longer, she opened the lid to 'just peek inside.' Out flew a swarm of evils, blackening the sky. Famine escaped, as did disease, pain, cruelty and death. They made their home with my clay men. That is when men became mortal.

Epimetheus and Pandora gave birth to a daughter named Pyrrha, who married Deucalion. When I learned that Zeus was still angry and was sending a flood to drown everyone, I warned my niece and her husband. They survived by building an ark, but all the rest of the men were killed.

"That was Zeus' revenge on my clay men, his second revenge was on me. He had Hephaestus forge a chain and a heavy iron spike to hold it firm. Then he sent Hermes to fly, picking me up and carrying me to the land of Scythia where he chained me to this cliff on Mount Caucasus for all of eternity. Then, as if that weren't enough, he took an eagle born to Typhon and Echidna and sent it every day to eat my liver. He knew I could not survive without a liver, so he made my liver grow back every night so he could torture me forever.

"I called to him many times asking how I could gain his forgiveness, but he never answered. Then one day I heard some news I thought Zeus would wish to know (for I could see and hear everything up here on Mount Caucasus). I overheard a prophesy that Thetis' son would be more powerful than his father.

"At that time Zeus was in love with Thetis and wanted to marry her. Although she wouldn't consent, he kept trying to win her. I called upon the King of Heaven and told him this prophesy. Zeus paled a bit, remembering how he had deposed his own father. Wanting to keep his throne, he gave up courting Thetis and he thanked me for the valuable information. I had always thought that would have made amends, and I guess it did for he sent you to free me, although he waited a long time to do it. So, my friend, you see why I am grateful. I know you're on a difficult mission to bring back the Golden Apples of the Hesperides and I have a plan to help you.

"The apples can be found in the garden at the end of the earth. That is where Atlas carries the celestial sphere upon his shoulders. The dragon and the Hesperides know old Atlas well and would give him apples if he wished them. Have Atlas pick the apples, then you will have no problem."

"But how can Atlas pick the apples while he holds up the sky?" asked Heracles.

"Obviously he can't do both," agreed Prometheus. "You will have to hold up the sky while he picks them. You're strong enough to do it."

"But why would he take the burden back if he finds someone else stupid enough to take over the job?" Heracles asked. He didn't think much of this plan as it seemed to put him at a greater risk than if he faced the dragon himself.

"When he brings the apples back, he will say he is willing to carry them back to Eurystheus. You will agree, but you will trick him. You will say, 'Fine, but right now heaven is slipping. I need to place a cushion on my head so I can hold it firmly.' He will put down the apples and hold up the sky while you get a cushion. Then, instead, you'll grab the apples and be on your way." Prometheus smiled proudly as he finished his tricky plan. Heracles could see how Prometheus had gotten himself into so much trouble.

"Now remember everything I said," Prometheus called out cheerfully as Heracles started to walk away. Heracles shook his head in disbelief and continued on his journey to the end of the world.

Meanwhile, from high on Mount Olympus, Zeus had been watching as Prometheus was freed. He agreed that it was time to let the old man go. The only problem with freeing him was that it contradicted his earlier decree condemning him to everlasting punishment. Zeus liked to be consistent. To compromise, he took a link from Prometheus' old chain and a stone from the Caucasus Mountain and gave them to Hephaestus to make a ring. Zeus made Prometheus wear the ring so he would always appear to be a prisoner. From that time on men wore rings to honor Prometheus, their maker.



With the ice cap of Mount Atlas as a marker towering higher at the passing of each mile, Heracles approached world's end. There the sky was ribboned with red and violet bands of light streaming against a night bejeweled with the iridescent stars which marked the abyss of eternity.

"What do you see when you gaze into the face of the void?" a voice said from above.

Heracles looked up to see broad and rock hard shoulders supporting the immensity of the universe. It was so high, he could see no face connected to that voice.

"I have been eye to eye with Heaven forever," the voice said. "He has shown me his secrets. Sit and rest. Relax beneath this canopy for a while. As you can imagine, few ever venture here, and fewer yet can support Heaven and what he so willingly bestows. Yes, it is a burden, but a beautiful one. Let me give it to you."

Through the endless night that marks world's end, Atlas shared his observations of the celestial sphere and the wisdom of Heaven that reflected these movements. "As you watch the universe, you are witnessing patterns of energy. These patterns are reflected at every level. They are a continuum. There is no beginning and no end, there are only phases and, with observation, you can predict these phases." Heracles listened and watched in the laboratory of night, until all that remained of his lessons were his own observations, and those would continue throughout his time on earth.



He got up to finish his mission and as Draco, the dragon, lay coiled about the golden apple tree, he shot an arrow into the dragon's heart. The Hesperides stood back respectfully as Heracles silently picked three apples and left the garden.

Heracles handed the apples to Copreus, and he presented them to Eurystheus who returned them to Heracles as a gift. Then Athena took the apples from Heracles and returned them to Hera's garden, for divine law decreed that the garden was their rightful place within the order of the universe. Hera placed Draco in the sky, both to honor his faithful service, and to warn her if anyone tried to steal her apples again. And Zeus placed in the sky Sagitta, the arrow that slew the eagle that ate Prometheus' liver, to show that Zeus was forgiving, after a while.


Chapter 11: The Cattle of Geryon | Myth Index | Chapter 13: Cerberus, the Guardian of Hell


Tales of the Immortal Night ©2003, J.J. Kuhl

 

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