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With precision the hymn will first be in the discourse; wherefore let it await the evening and the shining lamp from the doors of the upper room. But it has anticipated something with its strange movement, because it frightens the spectators. Let us examine these middle parts as they are. Certain bronze eagles stand in a single row, having a number equal to the hours set below them. And all are crown-bearers, not wreathed on the head nor signifying a victory of their own; but the tips of their talons, coming together, hold the crowns, with each one watching for the Heracles below them, when he might come out from the doors set above, after Helios, standing before them, has opened them in turn. For he walks, measuring the hour by his movement. And as ruler of these he has assumed a kingly form, holding up the celestial sphere with his left hand, and with his right hand raised, ordering the doors to be opened, just like those who order the horses to leave the starting gates. So an eagle stands watching, for whenever Heracles, son of Zeus, might come out from the doors set above, announcing the hour, the first announcing the first, and the rest according to their number. For there are twelve hours, and all are Heracles, not idle, by Zeus, and doing nothing; for to be idle was not at all dear to Heracles. The ancient labors are now his task not for Eurystheus anymore, but by the necessity of art; and he is divided among the labors, completing a double set of six. The first contest, then, is a lion, and Nemea is the place for him. He also destroyed the hydra, even if it defended itself with contentious heads. And he was ashamed to conquer a boar, but nevertheless he conquered. Golden horns had grown on a hind, and it became Heracles'. But indeed birds grieved the heart and were a task for the bow. Nor did he leave the Amazons unharmed, though whether he was seeking a certain girdle, I would not say; but he hated women, hearing them called 'man-opposing'. Dung troubled Augeas; and he was free of this. And Crete had a terrible bull, but not so as to conquer Heracles. What would you say of the horses of Diomedes? Were they not until then murderous and equal to wild beasts? But Geryon also prided himself on his cattle, and he had three heads; and along with the cattle, I think, these too were taken away from him. Nor did he leave Hades unacquainted with his valor, having taken up the fight against the dog there and shown the monster to the sun. There was need also for Eurystheus of golden apples lying at the edge of the earth; the apples were the Hesperides', and a dragon was their guard, unbearable in might. But it lay struck, and the apples were for Eurystheus. These are the deeds and labors of Heracles, from which come hours and crowns and bronze unnaturally winged. So when he has pushed open the bronze doors and appeared with his labor, an eagle follows from above, spreading its wings and bearing the crown with both feet, equal for an equal head; and it lingers for a short time as if enjoying the heroic head; then letting this go for Heracles and parting its feet, it is lifted up and obtains the place it held, placing its wings on its sides and gathering them to itself again, offering a good chase, but he who had obtained it did not meet with it. And indeed towards the crowns Heracles leans forward, so that he might be seen by all as in the middle of a stadium, and then he turned to his own place, which he longed for and obtained. And the eagle serves with the crown, since Zeus is the father of Heracles, and the eagle is the bird of Zeus. So as from heaven and a father, as a reward for his sweats, he crowns the victor with the memory of his suffering; and he flies over and rules the birds, just as this one was exalted by fame; he has no need, then, of a herald proclaiming the crowns. And in another place, occupying a middle space, large and able to astound and set before the others, he does not yet have a beard, but stands naked, except for the lionskin which is fastened from his shoulders behind him, and he holds up a sounding-vessel with his left hand. This is called a lion, said the artisan; and it hangs from the middle and swings. And he is armed with a club, offering his right hand in return for its roar, and he raises it and gives a blow to the bronze; and it, being suspended and struck with so much force, both shouts loudly and prolongs the sound. For one labor, then, there is one blow, and for the second hour, a double one. For at each one he collects also the number of the preceding labors, until he has completed it; in like manner six, not having increased these

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ἀκριβείαι τὸν ὕμνον πρῶτον ἔσται τῶι λόγωι· διὸ μενέτω τὴν ἑσπέραν καὶ τὸν ἐκλάμψοντα λύχνον τῶν θυρῶν τοῦ ὑπερώιου. Ἀλλὰ προέλαβε τῆι παραδόξωι τι κινήσει, ὅτι φοβεῖ τοὺς θεατάς. τὰ δὲ μέσα ταῦτα σκοπῶμεν ὡς ἔχει. καλκοῖ τινες ἀετοὶ πρὸς ἕνα στοῖχον ἑστᾶσι ταῖς ὑποκειμέναις ὥραις ἴσον ἔχοντες ἀριθμόν. στεφανηφοροῦσι δὲ πάντες, οὐ κορυφὴν ἐστεμμένοι οὐδὲ νίκην δηλοῦντες ἰδίαν· ἄκροι δὲ ποδῶν ὄνυχες εἰς ταὐτὸν ἐλθόντες συνέχουσι τοὺς στεφάνους καραδοκοῦντος ἑκάστου τὸν ὑπ' αὐτῶν Ἡρακλέα, πηνίκα τῶν ἐπικειμένων ἐξίοι θυρῶν παραλ λάξαντος αὐτὰς τοῦ πρὸ τούτων ἑστῶτος Ἡλίου. βαδίζει γὰρ οὗτος μετρῶν τὴν ὥραν κινήσει. ὡς δὲ τούτων ἄρχων βασιλικὸν ἀνείληφε σχῆμα, λαιᾶι μὲν χειρὶ τὸν πόλον ἀνέχων, ἀνατάσει δὲ δεξιᾶς ἀφεῖναι κελεύων τὰς θύρας ὥσπερ οἱ τοὺς ἵππους ἐξιέναι τῶν βαλβίδων κελεύοντες. καραδοκῶν οὖν ἐφέστηκεν ἀετός, ὁπότε τῶν ἐπικειμένων ὁ τοῦ ∆ιὸς Ἡρακλῆς ἐξίοι θυρῶν ὥραν ἀγγέλλων, ὁ μὲν πρῶτος τὴν πρώτην, πρὸς δὲ τὸν ἀριθμὸν οἱ λοιποί. δώδεκα μὲν γὰρ ὧραι, πᾶσαι δέ εἰσιν Ἡρακλῆς, οὐκ ἀργὸς μὰ ∆ία καὶ πράττων οὐδέν· ἀργεῖν γὰρ ὅλως οὐ φίλον ἦν Ἠρακλεῖ. οἱ πάλαι δὲ ἆθλοι καὶ νῦν ἔργον αὐτῶι οὐκ Εὐρυσθέως ἔτι, ἀλλὰ τέχνης ἀνάγκηι· συνδιήιρηται δὲ τοῖς ἄθλοις διττὴν ἑξάδα πληρῶν. Πρῶτον οὖν ἀγώνισμα λέων καὶ ἡ Νεμέα χωρίον αὐτῶι. ἀνεῖλε καὶ τὴν ὕδραν, εἰ καὶ φιλονείκοις ἐπημύνετο κεφα λαῖς. ἠρυθρία δὲ νικῆσαι κάπρον, ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐνίκα. χρυσᾶ ἐλάφωι ἐπεφύκει τὰ κέρα, καὶ γέγονεν Ἡρακλεῖ. ἀλλὰ μὴν ὄρνιθες ἐλύπουν τὴν καρδίαν καὶ ἔργον ἦσαν τοῦ τόξου. οὐδὲ τὰς Ἀμαζόνας ἀκεραίους ἀφῆκεν, εἰ μὲν ζωστῆρά τινα ζητῶν, οὐκ ἂν εἴποιμι· ἐμίσει δὲ γυναῖκας "ἀντιανείρας" ἀκούων. Αὐγείαν κόπρος ἐλύπει· καὶ ταύτης ἐλεύθερος ἦν. ἡ δὲ Κρήτη ταῦρον μὲν εἶχε δεινόν, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὤστε νικᾶν Ἡρακλέα. τί δ' ἂν εἴποις ∆ιομήδους τὰς ἵππους; οὐ μέχρι τούτου φονικαί τε ἦσαν καὶ ἴσαι θηρίοις; ἀλλὰ καὶ Γηρυόνης ἐκόμα βουσί, καὶ τρεῖς αὐτῶι κεφαλαί· μετὰ δὲ τῶν βοῶν οἶμαι καὶ ταύτας ἀφήιρητο· οὐδὲ τὸν Ἄιδην ἀφῆκεν ἀπείρατον ἀρετῆς πρὸς τὸν ἐνταῦθα κύνα μάχην ἀράμενος καὶ δείξας ἡλίωι τὸ τέρας. ἔδει καὶ μήλων χρυσῶν Εὐρυσθεῖ πρὸς ἐσχατιὰν κειμένων τῆς γῆς· Ἑσπερίδων μὲν τὰ μῆλα, δράκων δὲ φύλαξ ἦν οὐ φορητὸς ἐς ἀλκήν. ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν ἔκειτο βληθείς, τὰ δὲ μῆλα ἦν Εὐρυσθεῖ. ταῦτα Ἡρακλέους ἔργα καὶ πόνοι, ἐντεῦθεν ὧραι καὶ στέφανοι καὶ χαλκὸς παρὰ φύσιν ἐπτερωμένος. Τὰς οὖν χαλκᾶς ἀπωσαμένωι θύρας καὶ σὺν ἄθλωι φανέντι ἐφέπεται μὲν ἄνωθεν ἀετός, πτέρυγάς τε ἁπλώσας καὶ ποσὶν ἀμφοτέροις ἴσον ἴσηι κεφαλῆι τὸν στέφανον ἐπιφέρων· βραχὺ δὲ διατρίβει καθάπερ ἀπολαύων ἡρωϊκῆς κεφαλῆς· εἶτα τοῦτον ἀφεὶς Ἡρακλεῖ καὶ διαστήσας τὼ πόδε μετεωρίζεταί τε καὶ ὃν εἶχε τόπον λαγχάνει, ταῖς πλευραῖς ἐπιθεὶς τὰ πτερὰ καὶ συναγαγὼν αὖθις ἐφ' ἑαυτόν, θήραν διδοὺς ἀγαθήν, ἀλλ' οὐ συνῆλθε λαχών. πρός γε μὴν τοὺς στεφάνους προκύπτει μὲν Ἡρακλῆς, ὡς ἂν ὁρῶιτο πᾶσιν ὡς ἐν μέσωι σταδίωι, κἆτα πρὸς ἰδίαν ἐτράπετο χώραν, οὗπερ ἐπόθει τυχών. ἀετὸς δὲ τῶι στεφάνωι διακονεῖ, ὅτε Ζεὺς μὲν Ἡρακλέους πατήρ, ἀετὸς δὲ ὄρνις ∆ιός. ὡς οὖν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καὶ πατρὸς μισθὸν ἱδρώτων στεφανοῖ νενικηκότα τῆι μνήμηι τοῦ πάθους· καὶ ὑπερίπταται καὶ κρατεῖ τῶν ὀρνέων, καθάπερ οὗτος ὑψοῦτο τῆι φήμηι· οὐ δεῖται δὴ κήρυκος ἀναγορεύοντος τοὺς στεφάνους. ἐν ἑτέρωι δὲ τόπωι μέσην ἐπέχοντι χώραν μεγάλωι τε καὶ καταπλήττειν εἰδότι καὶ προβεβλημένωι τῶν ἄλλων οὔπω μὲν ἴουλον ἕλκει, ἕστηκε δὲ γυμνός, πλὴν ὅσα τῶν ὤμων ἐξῆπται κατόπιν ἡ λεοντῆ, ἀνέχει δὲ τῆι λαιᾶι ἠχεῖον. τοῦτο καλεῖται λέων, ἔφησεν ὁ τεχνίτης· ἐκ μέσου δὲ κρέμαται καὶ σαλεύει· καθώπλισται δὲ κορύνηι τὴν δεξιὰν ἀντιδιδοὺς καὶ τῆς ἐκείνου βοῆς, ἀνατείνει τε ταύτην καὶ δίδωσι πληγὴν τῶι χαλκῶι· ὁ δὲ μετέωρός τε ὢν καὶ τοσαύτηι ῥώμηι πληγεὶς βοᾶι τε μέγα καὶ παρατείνει τὸν ἦχον. ἐφ' ἑνὶ μὲν οὖν ἄθλωι μία πληγή, ἐφ' ὥραι δὲ δευτέραι διττή. συλλέγει γὰρ ἐφ' ἑκάστηι καὶ τῶν φθασάντων ἄθλων τὸν ἀριθμόν, μέχρι πληρώσας· ὡσαύτως ἕξ, μὴ αὐξήσας ταῦτα