He helped
to repair the wall, and two of the Argonauts were there to aid
him: one was Peleus and the other was Telamon. Peleus did not
stay for long: Telamon stayed, and to reward Telamon Heracles
withdrew his own claim for the hand of the Princess Hesione. It
was not hard on Heracles to do this, for his thoughts were ever
upon Deianira.
But Telamon rejoiced, for he loved Hesione greatly. On the day
they married Heracles showed the two an eagle in the sky.
He said it was sent as an omen to them--an omen for their
marriage. And in memory of that omen Telamon named his son
"Alas"; that is, "Eagle."
Then the walls of Troy were repaired and Heracles turned toward
Lydia, Omphale's home. Not long would he have to serve Omphale
now, for his three years' slavery was n arly over. Soon he would
go back to Calydon and wed Deianira.
As he went along the road to Lydia he thought of all the
pleasantries that had been made in Omphale's house and he
laughed at the memory of them. Lydia was a friendly country, and
even though he had been in slavery Heracles had had his good
times there.
He was tired with the journey and made sleepy with the heat of
the sun, and when he came within sight of Omphale's house he lay
down by the side of the road, first taking off his armor, and
laying aside his bow, his quiver, and his shield. He wakened up
to see two men looking down upon him; he knew that these were the
Cercopes, robbers who waylaid travelers upon this road.
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