The Library Volume 1 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1921 edition. Excerpt: ...Hercules received a sword from Hermes, a bow and arrows from Apollo,2 a golden breastplate from Hephaestus, and a robe from Athena; for he had himself cut a club at Nemea. Now it came to pass that after the battle with the Minyans Hercules was driven mad through the jealousy of Hera and flung his own children, whom he had by Megara, and two children of Iphicles into the fire; 3 wherefore he condemed himself to exile, and was purified by Thespius, and repairing to Delphi he inquired of the god where he should dwell.4 The Pythian priestess then first called him Hercules, for hitherto he was called Alt-ides.5 1 See above ii. 4. 9. According to another account, Hercules learned archery from the exile Rhadainanthys (Tzetzes, Schol. on Lycophron, 50), and if we accept the MS. reading avrov in the present passage (see Critical Note), this was the version of the story here followed by Apollodorus. But it seems more likely that Outoc is a scribe's mistake for Eupiirou than that Apollodorus should have contradicted himself flatly in two passages so near each other. The learned Tzetzes (I.e.) mentions no less than three different men--Teutarus, Eurytus, and Rhadamanthys--to whom the honour of having taught Hercules to shoot was variously assigned by tradition. 2 As to the gifts of the gods to Hercules, see Diodorus Siculus, iv. 13. 3, who, besides the sword and bow given by Hermes and Apollo, mentions horses given by Poseidon. 3 Compare Euripides, Hercules Furens, 967 sqq.; Moschus, iv. 13 sqq.; Diodorus Siculus, iv. 11. 1 sq.; Tzetzes, Schol. on Lycophron, 38; Nieolaus Damascenus, Frag. 20, in Fragmenta Historicerum Graecorum, ed. C. Miiller, iii. 369; Hyginus, Fab. 32. 4 Compare Diodorus Siculus, iv. 10. 7. Hercules was called Alcides after his...