gentler women revered: though in very truth he had by force subdued and slain her noble father, in wrath about oxen: he then having left his father-land, came to Thebes, and supplicated the shield-bearing Cadmeans. There dwelt he with

his chaste spouse, apart, and without delightsome union, nor might he ascend the couch of fair-ankled Alcmena, before 3 that he had avenged the slaughter of the high-souled brothers of his wife, and consumed with wasting fire the villages of warlike heroes, the Taphians and Teleboans. For so was it ordered him, and the gods were witnesses to it; whose wrath he dreaded, and hastened with all speed to accomplish a great work, which was Jove's law to him. With him then, eager for war and battle-din, the horse-spurring Boeotians, breathing over their shields," the close-fighting Locrians, and the high-hearted Phocians, followed, and the gallant son of Alcæus headed them, glorying in his hosts. But the sire of men and gods was weaving in his mind another counsel, that to gods and inventive men he might beget an averter of destruction. So he arose from Olympus, building deceit in the deep of his heart, during-the-night, in eagerness for the embrace of the fair-zoned dame; and soon he arrived at the Typhaonian height:7 and thence counsellor Jove drew nigh

1 Onλvrepáwv. A comparative used here (as in Il. viii. 520; Od. viii. 324) positively, only of Oéau and yʊvaikes, and therefore of the fruitful or tenderer sex, as Passow observes. Cf. Arnold's Homeric Lex. of Crusius.

· ἱκέτευσε. Supply ἐλθὼν from λιπών before in ver. 12.

3pív here takes the opt. without av, because the past action is represented as one which the agent has in his thoughts. Cf. Il. xxi. 580; Matt. Gr. Gr. § 522, b.

Taphius, a son of Neptune and Hippothoe, led a colony to Taphos, and called the people Teleboans. Baehr, at Herodot. v. 59, concludes that the Teleboans and Taphians occupied the mainland of Western Acarnania and the adjacent isles. Some migrated to Italy. Cf. Æn. vii. 735. An account of Amphitryon's expedition, in Plautus, Amphit. 50-105, will amuse.

• Breathing over their shields.] πνείοντες, (ἀλκὴν οι μένεα,) οι perhaps used absolutely. Liddell and Scott. Compare Statius, Animus ultra thoracas anhelus.

6 áλonorĝow, inventive; so called since the days of Prometheus or Deucalion. Cf. Op. 82, 146.

7 Typhaonian height.] Goettling quotes Hom. H. to Apollo, (306,) to show that this height was a part of Mount Parnassus. Phicium, or the Phician mountain, was the Rock of the Sphynx,

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to topmost Phicium. There sitting he revolved divine works in his mind; for the self-same night he was united in couch and love with the tapering-ankled daughter of Electryon, and he satisfied, I ween, his longing. On the same night too, Amphitryon, rouser of peoples, a splendid hero, returned to his home, after having achieved a great deed. Nor did he hasten to go to his servants, and shepherd hinds, that is, before he had ascended the couch of his spouse: for such eagerness possessed the shepherd of his peoples at heart. And as when a man is glad to have escaped ill arising out of a severe disease, or even out of hard bonds, so then, I wot, Amphitryon, having brought to an end his difficult task, delightedly and gladly came to his own home. All-night-long 3 then he slept beside his modest spouse, delighting himself in the gifts of golden Aphrodite. So then she, embraced by a god and by a man far the best of men, in seven-gated Thebes bare twin sons, agreeing in nought beyond, brothers though indeed they were the one inferior, the other again a far better man, both valiant and strong, the mighty Hercules, whom she bare after having been embraced by the cloud-darkener, son of Cronus but Iphiclus by Amphitryon, shaker of spears; an offspring distinct: 5 the one after union with mortal man, the other with Jupiter, son of Cronus, sovereign of all the gods. Who also slew Cycnus,6 great-hearted son of

4

not far from Thebes. The Boeotians call Σpiye, pig. See Scholiast here, and Theog. 326.

Amphitryon would naturally repair to his herdsmen, because in the heroic age the wealth of kings consisted in cattle. See Op. et D. 120. And besides, he would have a further reason for an early visit to them, that care might be taken of the spoil which he had taken. Goettling.

2 άσñаστòv, adverbially used. Cf. Odyss. v. 398.

3 πavνúxios, used adverbially, as in II. ii. 2, 24; Odyss. ii. 434; Horace, Epod. xvi. 51, Nec vespertinus circumgemit ursus ovile. ye μiv seems to be equivalent to yè unv, and to have the force of nevertheless," and is peculiar to Epic poetry.

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4

5 κεκριμένην, i. q. διακεκριμένην.

Cycnus, a son of Mars and Pelopia, challenged Hercules to single combat at Itone, and was killed in the conflict. Cf. Scut. 345, 480. It was his wont to waylay and rob sacred processions going to Delphi. Apnriádny, a patronymic curiously formed, as if from Aons, Apηros. In the next line but one we find "Apny, for the commoner "Apn, of which there is an example in Hom. II.

v. 909.

Mars: for in the grove of the far-darting Apollo, he found him and his sire Mars, insatiate of war, gleaming in arms, as the brightness of burning fire, upstanding in their chariot: the swift steeds struck the earth, dinting it with their hoofs, and the dust burnt around them, shaken violently beneath wicker cars and hoofs of horses. But well-made chariots and seat-rims kept rattling, as the steeds sped on: blameless Cycnus rejoiced, in hope that he should slay with the sword Jove's warlike son, and the charioteer, and strip him of his glorious mail. Yet Phoebus Apollo did not hear his prayers, for he had himself urged the mighty Hercules against him. Then all the grove and altar of Pagasæan2 Apollo was flashing with the arms of the fearful god, and with himself: and from his eyes fire as it were blazed. Who, being mortal, would have had the courage to rush against him, save Hercules and famous Iolaus? for both great strength was theirs, and their unvanquished hands grew3 from their shoulders on stout limbs. Who then, I ween, bespake his charioteer, brave Iolaus :

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"O hero Iolaus,4 far dearest of all mortals, surely some grave sin did Amphitryon sin5 against the blessed immortals, who occupy Olympus, when he left Tiryns, well-built city, and came to strongly-fortified Thebes, after having slain Electryon on the score of the broad-browed herds; and came to Creon, and long-robed Henioche,7 who, I wot, welcomed him,

1TXEKTOLOV is understood by Goettling in the sense of "built," not of "wicker." He compares Callimach. H. in Ap. 61, ó d'EπλÉKE

βωμὸν ̓Απόλλων.

2 Goettling explains that Cycnus had built at Pagasæ an altar of horns of captured beasts to Apollo, to propitiate him, and to deprecate his wrath at the attacks upon his pilgrims and offerings. But Apollo loved Delphi more than Pagasæ.

Compare Theog. 152; Op. 148. Tipuкov is for iπequкéσav.

See art. Iolaus, Heracles, and Amphitryon, in Dict. G. and R. Biog. (Smith). Thiersch supposed verses 79-95 to be the work of another hand, but Hermann and Goettling agree that they are coherent with the rest.

5 TEV. i. e. in killing Electryon, his father-in-law, in consequence of which he was forced by Eurystheus to flee to Thebes.

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Τίρυνθον is from Τίρυνθος, (another form of Τίρυνς, oι Τίρυς,) as Κόρινθος, "Ολυνθος, Προβάλινθος.

According to Sophocl. Antig. 1194, Eurydice, and not Henioche, was the wife of Creon, who was uncle to Amphitryon.

and provided him all things needful,' as 'twas right they should to suppliants; and they honoured him the more from the heart. So he lived exulting with the beauteous-ankled daughter of Electryon, his spouse: and full soon when the year came round, we were born, thy sire and I, alike neither in stature nor in thoughts. His senses Jove took from him, who left his own home,2 and his own parents, and went forth, for the purpose of honouring the erring3 Eurystheus, wretched man that he was; no doubt ofttimes afterward he bewailed over his infatuation, in grief; but it is not to be recalled. On me, however, fate enjoined severe labours. But, my friend, quickly grasp thou now the purple reins of the fleet-footed steeds, and rousing great courage within thy heart, drive1 straight forward the swift chariot, and thy strong fleet-footed steeds; fearing not a whit the din of mortal-slaying Mars, who now is crying out and raging around the sacred grove of Phoebus Apollo, far-darting king: in very truth, mighty though he be, he shall have 5 his fill of war."

And him in turn blameless Iolaus addressed. "Honoured 6 lord, in very truth then the sire of gods and men honours thy head, and so does bull-voiced' Neptune, who keeps the bat

The process of purification in such cases may be learnt from Herodot. i. 35; Eurip. Iph. in Taur. 949, seq.; and Apollon. Rhod. iv. 685-717.

2 Iphicles, or Iphiclus, (he is called by both names indiscriminately,) the father of Iolaus, seems to have been induced by the hope of great reward to attach himself to the side of Eurystheus. Clericus has a long note on ver. 89, instancing frequent statements in Greek tragic poetry of evil purpose, &c., on the part of the gods, and irreverent ascription of bad attributes to them. But Robinson shows that in Holy Scripture God is said to harden Pharaoh's heart, to blind men's eyes, and make their ears dull of hearing. Cf. Op. et D. 15.

3 ἀλιτήμενον. An Epic perf. participle for ἠλιτημένον, from ἀλίτεω, with the accent of a present participle. Cf. Od. iv. 807; Il. xxiv. 157. 4 déžov—¿xɛiv. The infin. for imperative. Cf. Soph. El. 9; Æsch. Prom. V. 711; and see Matt. Gr. Gr. § 546.

5 äarai is for arai, from aw, a resolution of a before 7, for the double a is not original, as Butmann shows in Lexil. p. 2, and p. 142, note, in voc. ȧvriav.

necios, a term used in Homer and elsewhere, generally by the younger to the elder. Il. vi. 518; x. 37, &c. Derived from 90s, "intercourse," or neas. According to others, from Otios, "uncle,' Οι θεῖος, divine."

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Taúpeos, according to Goettling, has reference to the roaring of

tlement of Thebes, and protects the city; just as now they bring this man also strong and mighty into thy hands, that thou mayest carry off excellent glory. But come! put on thy warlike arms, that, with all speed, having brought our chariots near, that of Mars, and our own, we may engage, since he will not in truth terrify the undaunted son of Jove, nor the child of Iphiclus, but methinks he will flee from the two descendants of the faultless son of Alcæus, who now are nigh to him,2 desiring to engage in the tumult of battle, matters which to them are far more dear than a feast."

Thus spake he then smiled the mighty Hercules, exulting 3 in his heart, for he had spoken words very congenial to him, and in answer to him he addressed winged words:

:

"O hero Iolaus, Jove-sprung, no more afar is the rough conflict as then of yore thou wast warlike, so now too guide every way the huge steed, dark-maned Arion,5 and aid me as thou mayest be able." So having spoken, he placed about his legs greaves of bright mountain-brass, splendid presents

6

Lake Onchestus in Boeotia, where Neptune was worshipped. Tzetzes says that the name was given because bulls were there offered to him.

1 δύο παῖδας Αλκείδαο. παῖς is here taken in a wider sense. Hercules was the son, Iolaus the grandson, of Amphitryon, the son of Alcæus.

2

op is found elsewhere as a dative singular. Cf. Hom. H. in Pan. xix. 19; Esch. Pers. 759, &c.; Matt. Gr. Gr. § 147, 6; and Lobeck's Ajax, 801, p. 350.

3 γηθήσας is made to agree with Ἡρακλῆς, implied in βίη Ηρακληείη, by the constructio per synesim, or πρός τὸ σημαινόμενον. Compare Horace, Od. I. xxxvii. 21, Fatale monstrum, quæ generosius, &c.

1 ávaσrpwpãv. The inf. for imperat. Cf. Matt. Gr. Gr. § 546, and above at ver. 96.

5 The horse Arion is mentioned in Pausan. viii. 25; Hom. Il. xxiii. 346; and Statius, Thebaid. vi. 301, Ducitur ante omnes rutilæ manifestus Arion Igne comæ.

• Oрειɣáλкоιo. This metal is mentioned neither by Homer nor Pindar, but occurs in the Homeric II. to Venus, ver. 9. It is the aurichalcum and orichalcum of the Latins, who, according to Goettling, who quotes Macrob. Saturn. iii. 15, called auratum, oratum. Pompeius Festus derives the word from opos, and the note on the word in the Delphin edition of Festus shows that it was a later pronunciation, which gave rise to the notion of aurum being mixed with brass. Compare Horat. A. P. 202, Tibia non ut nunc orichalco vincta; and Plaut. Curcul. 206; Mil. Glor. 653.

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