Heracles put upon him the impenetrable lion's skin and set forth
once more. This might indeed be the last of his life's labors:
Cerberus was not an earthly monster, and he who would struggle
with Cerberus in the Underworld would have the gods of the dead
against him.
But Heracles went on. He journeyed to the cave Tainaron, which
was an entrance to the Underworld. Far into that dismal cave he
went, and then down, down, until he came to Acheron, that dim
river that has beyond it only the people of the dead. Cerberus
bayed at him from the place where the dead cross the river.
Knowing that he was no shade, the hound sprang at Heracles, but
be could neither bite nor tear through that impenetrable lion's
skin. Heracles held him by the neck of his middle head so that
Cerberus was neither able to bite nor tear nor bellow.
Then to the brink of Acheron came Persephone, queen of the
Underworld. She declared to Heracles that the gods of the dead
would not strive against him if he promised to bring Cerberus
back to the Underworld, carrying the hound downward again as he
carried him upward.
This Heracles promised. He turned around and he carried Cerberus,
his hands around the monster's neck while foam dripped from his
jaws. He carried him on and upward toward the world of men. Out
through a cave that was in the land of Trcezen Heracles came,
still carrying Cerberus by the neck of his middle head.
From Troezen to Mycenae the hero went and men fled before him at
the sight of the monster that he carried.
Pages:
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240