He came to the city of Psophis, the inhabitants of which were in
deadly fear because of the ravages of the boar. Heracles made
his way up the mountain to hunt it. Now on this mountain a band
of centaurs lived, and they, knowing him since the time he had
been fostered by Chiron, welcomed Heracles. One of them, Pholus,
took Heracles to the great house where the centaurs had their
wine stored.
Seldom did the centaurs drink wine; a draft of it made them wild,
and so they stored it away, leaving it in the charge of one of
their band. Heracles begged Pholus to give him a draft of wine;
after he had begged again and again the centaur opened one of his
great jars.
Heracles drank wine and spilled it. Then the centaurs that were
without smelt the wine and came hammering at the door, demanding
the drafts that would make them wild. Heracles came forth to
drive them away. They attacked him. Then he shot at them with his
unerring arrows and he drove them away. Up the mountain and away
to far rivers the centaurs raced, pursued by Heracles with his
bow.
One was slain, Pholus, the centaur who had entertained him. By
accident Heracles dropped a poisoned arrow on his foot. He took
the body of Pholus up to the top of the mountain and buried the
centaur there. Afterward, on the snows of Erymanthus, he set a
snare for the boar and caught him there.
Upon his shoulders he carried the boar to Mycenae and he led the
deer by her golden horns.
Pages:
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231