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Immortal Journey
The Tales of Heracles, Leo, Cancer,
Sagittarius, Centaurus, Draco, Sagitta and Cerberus
Chapter 14: Free Again
It would be encouraging to us all if, after
his labors, Heracles had been dedicated to good works. Unfortunately,
his life was an ongoing struggle with the same resident demons which
had plagued him from the start.
He had a desire for stability, but upon returning to Thebes he rejected
the home that awaited him. He heard that King Eurytus of Oechalia
was holding a competition for mastery of the bow and arrow, with
marriage to his daughter Iole as the prize. Giving his wife Megara
to his nephew, Iolaus, Heracles went to Oechalia to claim his prize
and his new life.
Eurytus and his sons were all accomplished archers, but of course
none were so skilled as Heracles. There was no question that he
was the victor. But as word of his skill had traveled to the land
of Oechalia, so too had his reputation. Eurytus and his sons agreed
that Iole should not marry Heracles, for they all feared that he
would repeat his history and kill any children they would have.
Or rather, all the sons but one thought this. Iphitus was the eldest
son and he sided with Heracles, but was outvoted by his family.
Shortly after the contest, cattle were stolen by a man named Autolycus,
but King Eurythus assumed that Heracles was the one to blame. Iphitus
thought that Heracles was innocent and went to ask his help to find
the cattle and together they would clear his name. Heracles agreed
and entertained Iphitus while they relaxed before the trek. They
ate and drank and carried on like old friends do, but while they
were drunk Heracles went mad once again and threw his only defender
from the Tirynthian walls.
Heracles searched for purification from his friend's murder. First
he went to King Neleus, ruler of the Pylians, to ask for absolution.
He didn't know that Neleus was a friend of Eurythus, and he was
immediately turned away. Then he went to see Hippolytus' son Deiphobus,
who was happy to see and talk with him. But although Heracles had
received forgiveness, he became severely ill instead as the sickness
of his mind manifested itself now in his body, so he went to Delphi
to find a cure.
"What can I do?" Heracles asked the Pythis. She did not respond.
"What can I do?" he asked again. Still she did not speak. "I asked
for help!" he said, but still she said nothing. An angry Heracles
ransacked the temple, stealing holy items and vowing to start his
own oracle. Apollo witnessed the destruction of his sacred site
and, arming himself, he attacked. Once again, father Zeus came to
Heracles' rescue and hurled another lightening bolt between them,
stopping their conflict and commanding the oracle to issue a reply.
"You must be sold into bondage for three years and the money from
your sale given as payment to Eurythus," the Pythis dutifully responded.
Hermes was the auctioneer as Omphale, Queen of the Lydians, bought
Heracles. Although Eurythus rejected payment, Heracles admirably
served his queen and at the end of his three years he was cured
and freed. This time his first free act was a journey of revenge.
With a fleet of eighteen fifty-oared ships and an army of soldiers
and kings, Heracles set sail for Troy. The winds of vengeance carried
them swiftly and blew them, like a storm, to shore.
Treacherous King Telamon's troops met the ship, but licking their
wounds they soon retreated to the safety of their ill begotten city
walls. Apollo and Poseidon watched as the debtor king claimed sanctuary
behind the disputed product of their still unpaid labor. The gods
were also fond of their revenge and they made Heracles their champion
and collector of their long overdue debts. Apollo and Poseidon prepared
for a siege.
While night carried sleep to the invading host, Poseidon created
an image which Apollo gave to his sister Artemis. She carried it
in her chariot as she crossed the sky that night. In the image Poseidon
walked upon a stormy sea and the waves carried him to shore. On
the shore was a high, dark wall thickly encased in clouds. He touched
the wall and plucked a rose which grew between its stones; and as
he picked the rose the wall collapsed at his feet and the people
within the unprotected city bowed down to him.
Telamon awoke to the sound of waves against the shore. He looked
toward Troy. In the night, the wall cast a dark shadow which loomed
high against a sky obscured with the thick smoke of watch fires.
Making his way toward the silent city wall, his eye caught a glimmer
of reflected moonlight against the empty shadow. He approached that
single point of reflected light and found it was a perfect white
rose. He put one hand against the cold, rough wall and with his
other hand he touched the petals of that perfect rose; it was soft
and warm with night mist. He pulled at the rose but its vine was
stubborn and refused to let go. He pulled harder, but lost his balance.
To keep from falling he shifted all his weight to the hand upon
the wall and the stone moved, revealing a passage which he entered.
The corridor was rough with unfinished rocks, as though the builders
had intentionally left a weakness in their work until their contract
was fulfilled. He had found the hole in their agreement and through
it he would take possession of the sleeping city.
Rousing Heracles and his troops, Telamon led the way through the
night, through the wall and into Troy. As he followed Telamon through
the passage, Heracles succumbed to jealousy once again. "How dare
Telamon enter the city before Heracles?" he thought and drew his
sword.
Telamon knew the fragile ego of his leader. From the corner of his
eye, he saw the drawn sword and, as they entered the city Telamon
picked up the rocks he had cleared from the passage and piled them
up.
"What are you doing?" Heracles asked in bewilderment as Telamon
busied himself with rocks instead of moving toward a strategic attack.
"I'm building the first Trojan alter to Heracles," he replied. "The
gods will now favor us for the Trojans will know who the champion
of Olympus is." Heracles sheathed his sword and promised Telamon
a special victory prize as together they stormed the palace and
seized the city.
Heracles killed Laomedon and all sons but his youngest, the child
Podarces. As the promised special prize he gave Telamon the princess
Hesione and allowed her to take along the captives of her choice.
Her first choice was her brother Podarces.
"You cannot have him," Heracles said, grabbing the arm of Podarces,
and stopping the boy as he happily ran to his sister's side. The
little boy was frightened, his arm hurt and he started to cry. "He
is a slave," Heracles said. "You must ransom him."
Hesione removed her veil and handed it to Heracles, then she put
her arms around her little brother. "You will now have a new name,"
she said. "I will call you Priam."
Telamon and Hesione stayed in Troy, and the rest returned to Greece.
Although he was successful in revenge, Heracles and his returning
men almost lost their lives as Hera sent a vengeful storm to destroy
them. But they were lucky, for Zeus saw what his wife was doing
and he hung her from Olympus while Heracles steered his fleet to
the safety of Cos.
In Cos, a child watched as the strange ship entered the harbor.
"Buccaneers!" he screamed, pointing to the ships which quickly descended
upon the sleepy port. Word spread swiftly and the villagers came
to shore, hurling stones to fend off an unwanted landing. Heracles,
easily annoyed, did not take well to this reception. During the
night his forces came ashore and killed their king, Eurypylus, a
son of Poseidon. But during the battle, Poseidon wounded Heracles
who remained alive only because Zeus snatched him away from the
fighting.
Kept safe by the gods, Heracles continued on his victorious path
of destruction. He attacked the Giants of Phlegra, and with Athena's
help he easily won. He went on to attack the Eleians and their King
Augeias. Augeias was not so easily defeated, for he thought quickly
and made Eurytus and Cteatus the generals of his army. Eurytus and
Cteatus shared one strong and powerful body, for they were sons
of Poseidon. The battle was even, but in the middle of the fight,
Heracles became ill. He signed a truce with the generals and left
in peace. However, Heracles never intended a full retreat, for later,
during the Isthmian games, he ambushed Eurytus and Cteatus and killed
them. Then he attacked Elis and killed King Augeias and all his
sons. Protected once again by the gods, Heracles established the
Olympic games in their honor.
Continuing his march against whatever foes he could create, Heracles
declared war upon the city of Pylos. With his massive army threatening
their ally, King Hippocoon of Lacedaemon sent a force. Hades, too,
came to the aid of the Pylians and taught King Neleus' son Periclymenus
to fight by changing forms. "How dare Hades aid my enemies," Heracles
said angrily. In the fight he wounded Hades and, after taking the
city, he executed Periclymenus and his father and brothers. Only
young prince Nestor escaped, for he was away from home being raised
by the Gerenians.
As Pylos lay in ruins Heracles continued his campaign. He went on
to Lacedaemon to kill the sons of Hippocoon. He wanted revenge both
for their alliance with King Neleus and their killing of Licymnius.
He passed through Arcadia where Cepheus was king. He expected Cepheus
and his twenty sons to join the battle and share the spoils. "No,
I will not join you," Cephaus said, "I can't leave my city unprotected."
"Wait," said Heracles, "I have a bronze urn from Athena. It holds
a lock of the Gorgon's hair." Surrounded by Cepheus' court, he reached
into the bronze urn. All eyes were upon him as he removed the snaky
tress, and the people caught only a glimmer as he quickly dumped
it back in its dark case. Turning to Princess Sterope, he handed
her the urn and said, "Hold the lock three times above the wall
where the invaders are attacking. Look away from them and the enemy
will retreat." Convinced now that his daughter alone could protect
the city, Cepheus and all his sons joined the powerful army of Heracles.
The army marched on to Lacedaemon and the fields where they passed
were wet with the blood of nobles and commoners alike. Heracles
killed King Hippocoon and all his sons, and plundered their city.
But the victory was not without its price, for not only were King
Cepheus and all his sons victims of the battle, but Heracles' brother
Iphicles died as well. He gave the plundered city to Tyndareus,
who would raise his children Castor, Pollux, Clytemnestra and Helen
there, and they would affix his star to history more than any action
of his own.
Returning past Tagea, but now without troops, Heracles set out to
conquer in another way. He seduced a young woman named Auge and
he left her. In secret she gave birth and she placed the baby in
the temple of Athena. Her father, Aleus, was concerned about her
disappearance and when he found her in the temple, he took the baby
and left it on the mountain to die of exposure. A doe found the
baby and fed it as her own until shepherds retrieved it and named
the boy Telephus. As for the fate of poor Auge, her father decided
she would have a better life abroad and he asked Poseidon's son
Nauplius to make arrangements. Nauplius sold her in marriage to
Lord Teuthras.
Wandering through the bazaar at Calydon, Heracles spied Deianeira
with her father, Oeneus. With her father to protect her, courtship
was required for Heracles to satisfy his desire. He learned that
to win her he must win a wrestling match.
Crowds gathered to watch the meet, for Achelous, Heracles' opponent,
was well known in the land as a crafty, forceful fellow and he was
aided by the gods. The match did not last long, for when Achelous
tried to finish Heracles off in a hurry by changing to a bull and
goring him to death, Heracles instead knocked off one of his horns.
Losing his horn made Achelous lose his power and he immediately
turned back into a man, unable to fight or to protect himself. Heracles
was the winner and a feast for he and his bride Deianeira was prepared.
"You have won fairly," said Achelous. "Please give me back my horn."
"Why should I give you something that is mine?" Heracles asked.
"What will you give me in return?"
Achelous thought for a while. Of all his possessions, the most fitting
trade would also make a fine wedding gift. Amalthea, the goat nurse
of Zeus, had given him a horn which would always be filled with
an abundance of food and drink and whatever was desired by the owner.
The Naiads decorated Achelous' gift in flowers and fruits and they
danced as they carried the horn of plenty to the wedding. The wedding
was a happy affair and everyone ate and drank their fill while a
pleased Achelous regained his horn and his power.
With a famed warrior in their midst, the Calydonians lost no time
in forming an army so they could expand their territories and their
wealth. First they sent Heracles and the Calydonian army to the
city of Ephyra to fight the Thesprotians. Heracles plundered King
Phylas' city and raped his daughter, Astyoche. She gave birth to
Tlepolemus.
Then Heracles sent the sons of King Thespius to colonize the island
of Sardo. In carelessness, he accidentally struck and killed the
child Eunomus, the son of Architeles, as the boy poured water over
Heracles' hands. The father pardoned him, but Heracles exiled himself
to Trachis, under the guidance of his old friend King Ceyx.
Deianeira had followed with the camp through the campaign. Now,
with Heracles exiling himself, he was sending her back to Calydon.
When they came to the Euenus river, they met the centaur Nessus
who, for a fee, carried travelers across the river. Heracles wanted
no help to cross, but when he reached the other bank, Nessus demanded
his fee anyway.
"The gods have given me this business," Nessus said. "Whether you
use my service or not, there is a crossing fee."
Heracles was, for once, not in a fighting mood that day. "Fine,"
he said, "you may carry my wife across." Heracles prepaid the fee
and Nessus crossed to carry Deianeira.
Nessus was a reader of moods and he noticed that something bothered
the lovely woman. "I'm being sent back home and I don't trust my
husband's faithfulness," she confessed as she rode across the river
upon Nessus' back. "He already has a child from someone else on
this campaign, and this was while I was around. What will he do
when I'm gone?"
"A woman like you should never worry. Why waste your love on him
alone?" Nessus said. "Some people are immune to your beauty, while
there are those who would thrill at your touch. I speak for myself
here, oh mortal goddess, for your thighs against my back have made
my legs quiver and weaken in this powerful river current." He reached
his hands behind his back and ran them across her thighs. She tightened
her legs around him and, leaning forward, rubbed her breasts against
his back. He stopped midstream and kissed her and slid her off his
back and into his arms.
Heracles was watching the abduction from the shore. He heard a shrill
scream, which could have been a water bird, but he was certain it
was his wife calling for his help. Aiming his bow, he shot an arrow
straight into the centaur's heart.
Deianeira could see that the centaur was dying. "As my dying gift
to you, my beautiful Deianeira, I will give you a love potion to
use on your husband," the centaur said. "Take some of the blood
that comes from the wound in my heart and mix it with my semen.
This is very potent. Always keep it with you and do not be afraid
to use it on him." Deianeira did as she was told and poured the
mixture into a tiny flask. Then the centaur died and Deianeira returned
to the city of her birth to await her husband's homecoming, confident
of her new power over him.
The army continued on to Trachis, where they conquered the Dryopes
as a gift for their host, King Ceyx. Next they joined forces with
the Dorian king Aegimius for a share of conquered lands. They overpowered
the Lapiths, killing their king Coronus, but all the conquered lands
were given to King Aegimius.
The army went on, their reputation surging like a tidal wave before
them. At Itonus word of Heracles the Invincible was heard by Cycnus,
a son of Ares, who challenged him when he arrived. Heracles killed
him. Next King Amyntor of Ormenium armed himself and refused to
let Heracles pass. Heracles killed him, too.
Then they returned to Trachis to gather more troops before advancing
on Oechalia. There he had his vengeance on Eurytus, for they plundered
the city. As part of his prize, he carried off a lovely young woman
named Iole. Returning toward home, Heracles led his troops on a
triumphal procession through the city at the port of Euboea. Riding
with Heracles on his horse was the beautiful Iole, covered only
by her veil.
"Lichas, I want you to return to Trachis and bring my white robe,"
Heracles said to his herald. "I am building an altar for Zeus and
I want to conduct a proper sacrifice to my father." Heracles didn't
know it, but Lichas was also being paid by Deianeira. He gave her
all the news.
"It doesn't matter if Heracles desires Iole more than me," Deianeira
thought. "It won't last for I will use my special potion." She poured
the potion on his white robe and gave the robe to Lichas. Then she
gathered up the children and they went to Trachis, for Lichas said
that Heracles would soon be there. She would wait in Trachis and
ambush her husband's heart.
Lichas helped his master as he stepped out of his bath and into
the robe and Heracles sat down next to the sacrificial fire at Zeus'
altar. The fire was hot and since he was so close to it, sweat beaded
up on his skin. As his body heated, the potion's venom was activated
and his skin began to burn. The beads of sweat became blisters of
burned flesh and he jumped to his feet to escape the heat, but no
matter how far he went from the fire, he was still burning. Finally
he realized that it was his skin that was on fire and although he
tore at the robe, it stuck tight to his body, ripping away his skin
wherever he had tried to tear away the deadly fabric. Lichas watched
in horror as Heracles turned on his herald in a rage, lifting him
high over his head and hurling him over the rail on the veranda
to his death far below in the Euboean Sea.
Guards entered and saw Heracles' burned body. "Carry me back to
Trachis," he said, speaking slowly through the pain. Deianeira and
the children met his ship when it docked. She took one look at his
tortured body and knew she had unwittingly played into Nessus' vengeful
plan. She cried hysterically with guilt, then she ran away and hanged
herself.
"Come to me, Hyllus," Heracles called to his oldest son. Hyllus
stepped forward bravely. "When you grow up I want you to marry Iole."
Heracles touched his son's wet cheek. He motioned his aides close.
"Build my pyre," he whispered. "I can no longer handle the pain."
Obediently they made the pyre and placed their leader upon it. "Light
it," Heracles softly commanded, but they did not obey him. "Light
it!" Still they would not do as he told. As a man passed by, looking
for his sheep, Heracles called out to him. "What is your name?"
Heracles asked.
"My name is Poeas," he responded. "Why do you ask?"
"I am in pain and I wish to die. Everyone here is afraid and will
not help me. Will you, a stranger, help me?" Heracles begged. In
pity, Poeas leaned down and lit the fire. "Thank you from the deepest
reaches of my soul. Near your feet are my bow and arrows. Long ago
they were given to me by Apollo and with them I have made my mark
upon the world. I wish them to be yours. Take them before they burn.
If you look around, you will also see a club. I made that club myself
many years ago and it is fitting that I carry it with me into the
kingdom of death. Place it by my side." Poeas did as he was asked.
The pyre burned, forming a cloud beneath Heracles and, as a crack
of thunder split open the gates of heaven, the cloud carried him
to Olympus. Zeus welcomed him by arranging his marriage with his
daughter, Hebe, and together they bore two sons named Alexiares
and Anicetus. As his mother-in-law and the grandmother to his children,
Hera finally made peace with Heracles, although she never stopped
nagging him or complaining that he wasn't good enough for her daughter.
Accepted into Olympus, Heracles at last achieved immortality and
was placed among the stars by father Zeus. Resting on one knee and
wielding his club, the hero in his lion skin stands upon the head
of the dragon. To overcome our evils, our illusions and mortality,
he is our guide within the sky.
Tales of
the Immortal Night ©2003, J.J. Kuhl
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