The Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics) by Apollodorus, Robin Hard Page A
Authors: Apollodorus, Robin Hard
Ads: Link
increases their materiality and raises their level of consciousness, making it possible for them to communicate with outsiders, see
Od
. 11. 23 ff.
gates of Acheron : Acheron was strictly a river in the Underworld, but its name was also used by later authors for Hades itself; these are the gates of Hades mentioned above, symbolizing the boundary between the lands of the living and the dead. This frontier was guarded by Cerberos, who fawned on those who entered the realm of Hades, but attacked anyone who tried to escape through its gates,
Theog
. 770 ff.
into an owl : as a screech-owl (which is moreover a bird of ill omen) he will still be confined to the dark; Demeter will not permit him to escape punishment for his betrayal of her daughter. For another version of this transformation, see Ov.
Met
. 5. 538 ff.
at archery : Eurytos was Heracles’ own teacher in the art, p. 71. Eurytos died when he challenged Apollo himself to an archery contest,
Od
. 8. 226 ff.; the bow that Odysseus used to kill the suitors originally belonged to him,
Od
. 21. 13 ff.
cattle were stolen : in all other sources, mares, cf.
Od
. 21. 22 ff.
in a fresh fit of madness : other accounts are less favourable to Heracles. In the
Odyssey
, ibid., he treacherously killed Iphitos after entertaining him as his guest, and then took the mares; in Pherecydes (sc.
Od
. 21. 22) he killed Iphitos in anger at having been denied Iole; in DS 4. 31. 2 f., Heracles himself stole the mares for revenge, and when Iphitos came to Tiryns to seek for them, Heracles took him to the battlements and asked him if he could see them—and when he could not, Heracles claimed to have been falsely accused, and hurled him down.
the Cercopes : two brothers who robbed passers-by; for details we have to rely on late sources. According to Zenobius 5. 10, they had been warned by their mother to beware of the ‘Black-Bottomed One’
(Melampygos)
. When they tried to rob Heracles, he hung them by their feet from either end of a pole, and they saw too late that his bottom, where it was not covered by the lion’s skin, was black because of the thickness of the hair. They laughed, and when Heracles asked why and he learned the reason, he was amused and released them.
he sailed against Ilion : known to Homer,
Il
. 5. 640 ff. (where he remarks on the small size of the expedition, with only six ships; although it is three times larger here, it is still far smaller than the later expedition, cf. p. 148). For the reason for Heracles’ attack, see p. 79.
to Heracles the Noble Victor :
Kallinikos
, thus explaining a cultic title of Heracles as a hero who could overcome and avert evil.
Priam : according to this etymology, the name of the king of Troy during the great Trojan War was derived from
priamai
, to buy.
Hera sent violent storms : see
Il
. 14. 249 ff. and 15. 24 ff.
suspended her from Olympos : with two anvils hanging from her feet, and her hands tied with a golden band,
Il
. 15. 18–20. See also p. 31 and note.
Eurytos and Cteatos : at
Il
. 2. 621, Homer gives their names, and calls them the Actoriones after their father, but at 11. 709, the two Moliones, apparently after their mother. At
Il
. 23. 641 they are said to be twins, but there is no indication that they are joined together. See also Pind.
ol
. 10. 26 ff. (where they are separate). Their depiction as ‘Siamese’ twins may have its origin in Hes.
Cat
. (see fr. 18).
marched against Pylos : on sandy Pylos and Periclymenos, see p. 45 and notes; for the cause of the war, p. 85 and note. The story explains why Nestor alone represented the sons of Neleus at Troy, cf.
Il
. 11. 690 ff.
Hades, who came to the aid of the Pylians : but see
Il
. 5. 395–7, Heracles struck him ‘amongst the dead’; he was thus collecting the dead, cf. Pind.
ol
. 9. 33 ff., rather than fighting in the battle. Ap.’s account reflects a later misunderstanding. Heracles is said to have wounded Hera also (
Il
. 5. 392; and Ares in
Od
. 11. 23 ff.
gates of Acheron : Acheron was strictly a river in the Underworld, but its name was also used by later authors for Hades itself; these are the gates of Hades mentioned above, symbolizing the boundary between the lands of the living and the dead. This frontier was guarded by Cerberos, who fawned on those who entered the realm of Hades, but attacked anyone who tried to escape through its gates,
Theog
. 770 ff.
into an owl : as a screech-owl (which is moreover a bird of ill omen) he will still be confined to the dark; Demeter will not permit him to escape punishment for his betrayal of her daughter. For another version of this transformation, see Ov.
Met
. 5. 538 ff.
at archery : Eurytos was Heracles’ own teacher in the art, p. 71. Eurytos died when he challenged Apollo himself to an archery contest,
Od
. 8. 226 ff.; the bow that Odysseus used to kill the suitors originally belonged to him,
Od
. 21. 13 ff.
cattle were stolen : in all other sources, mares, cf.
Od
. 21. 22 ff.
in a fresh fit of madness : other accounts are less favourable to Heracles. In the
Odyssey
, ibid., he treacherously killed Iphitos after entertaining him as his guest, and then took the mares; in Pherecydes (sc.
Od
. 21. 22) he killed Iphitos in anger at having been denied Iole; in DS 4. 31. 2 f., Heracles himself stole the mares for revenge, and when Iphitos came to Tiryns to seek for them, Heracles took him to the battlements and asked him if he could see them—and when he could not, Heracles claimed to have been falsely accused, and hurled him down.
the Cercopes : two brothers who robbed passers-by; for details we have to rely on late sources. According to Zenobius 5. 10, they had been warned by their mother to beware of the ‘Black-Bottomed One’
(Melampygos)
. When they tried to rob Heracles, he hung them by their feet from either end of a pole, and they saw too late that his bottom, where it was not covered by the lion’s skin, was black because of the thickness of the hair. They laughed, and when Heracles asked why and he learned the reason, he was amused and released them.
he sailed against Ilion : known to Homer,
Il
. 5. 640 ff. (where he remarks on the small size of the expedition, with only six ships; although it is three times larger here, it is still far smaller than the later expedition, cf. p. 148). For the reason for Heracles’ attack, see p. 79.
to Heracles the Noble Victor :
Kallinikos
, thus explaining a cultic title of Heracles as a hero who could overcome and avert evil.
Priam : according to this etymology, the name of the king of Troy during the great Trojan War was derived from
priamai
, to buy.
Hera sent violent storms : see
Il
. 14. 249 ff. and 15. 24 ff.
suspended her from Olympos : with two anvils hanging from her feet, and her hands tied with a golden band,
Il
. 15. 18–20. See also p. 31 and note.
Eurytos and Cteatos : at
Il
. 2. 621, Homer gives their names, and calls them the Actoriones after their father, but at 11. 709, the two Moliones, apparently after their mother. At
Il
. 23. 641 they are said to be twins, but there is no indication that they are joined together. See also Pind.
ol
. 10. 26 ff. (where they are separate). Their depiction as ‘Siamese’ twins may have its origin in Hes.
Cat
. (see fr. 18).
marched against Pylos : on sandy Pylos and Periclymenos, see p. 45 and notes; for the cause of the war, p. 85 and note. The story explains why Nestor alone represented the sons of Neleus at Troy, cf.
Il
. 11. 690 ff.
Hades, who came to the aid of the Pylians : but see
Il
. 5. 395–7, Heracles struck him ‘amongst the dead’; he was thus collecting the dead, cf. Pind.
ol
. 9. 33 ff., rather than fighting in the battle. Ap.’s account reflects a later misunderstanding. Heracles is said to have wounded Hera also (
Il
. 5. 392; and Ares in
Similar Books
