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crowned, or because myrtle is suitable for infants-for it strengthens the bodies of the newly born, and indeed, among the other evergreen plants, the myrtle happens to be the most fragrant-or because alone among plants it delights in the sea. And Aphrodite was honored with the same things as Hera; and in Cyprus they would sacrifice to Aphrodite a sheep covered with a fleece-and the manner of the priesthood in Cyprus once came over from Corinth-then they also sacrificed wild boars to her because of the plot against Adonis, on the fourth day before the Nones, that is, on the second day of April. 4.66 That natural philosophers say that females having the opening of the vessels straight are fertile, but those having it sideways are sterile. 4.67 On the third day before the Nones of April, Heracles of Victory was honored as a giver of health. And for the Romans there is a custom of abstaining from radishes during this month. But Heracles is called time by Nicomachus, and also the sun, speaking thus: “Heracles, then, is the one who makes the inflection in the air by the revolution of the seasons, that is, the sun.” For this reason, also in his mysteries, they adorn the males with female garments, since from the wildness and barrenness of winter, the seminal generation begins to be effeminate. And these things they performed in the spring. And three apples in his left hand are a symbol of the division of time through him; for the apple is because of its sympathy with the ram, and the vernal turning is the beginning of time. And otherwise three, because time is tripartite. And he is said to lead up the three-headed dog from Hades, because time is watchful and destructive, just as indeed is the dog; and it has three heads, the past, the present, and the future time. And otherwise the three apples of Heracles should be taken according to a philosophical doctrine, that the hero, having completed the three periods of the practical life, seems to be perfect. In this way he is also called “of three evenings” according to Lycophron, for he says: of the three-evening lion, whom once the jagged dog of Triton crushed in his jaws. For that Heracles was begotten in three nights is mythical. And he gives him fair-ankled Hebe, as it were the creative power, and the beauty that is in the world. And the crown is a sign of perfection; for which reason it was given first to gods and kings and priests. But when fortune took the crown from virtue, the priests thereafter, shaving their hair, make a certain circle of hair on their head instead of a crown. Moreover, they call him “of twelve labors,” because he runs through the twelve zodiac signs. And having revived Alcestis, he gives her back to Admetus, just as the sun restores to the world the life-giving nature that has been killed in the winter; for Admetus is the world, from being unwearying and ever-living. And he is said to have destroyed Augeas; for the rising sun also scatters the time of dawn, which the many call "auge" (light). And Heracles is commanded by Eurystheus to perform the twelve labors, that is, the sun, by the command of the great god, while Hera—as it were, the sphere—opposes, counterbalancing her he traverses the twelve-signed heaven. Thus the philosophers. But from the histories we find that there were seven Heracleses: first, of Zeus Aether and Lysithoe, daughter of Oceanus; second, a son of the Nile; third, of Hellen son of Zeus and the nymph Anchiale; fourth, of Zeus and Thebe the Egyptian; fifth, of Libanus and Nyssa, who was born among the Indians; sixth, of Zeus and Alcmena; seventh, of Zeus and Maia, daughter of Atlas. 4.68 That Apelles, painting the Graces, who are three, Aglaia, Euphrosyne, Thalia, makes one going away, and two coming; for when one grace is given, more return to those who have given. 4.69 That fire ... from winds bursting in the clouds, thunderbolts are squeezed out. 4.70 And Miletus was formerly called Anactoria. 4.71 And Amalthea the nurse of Zeus, who at once and all together and at one time the things that are to the

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ἐστεμμέναι, ἢ ὅτι μυρσίνη ἐπιτηδεία τοῖς βρέφεσίν ἐστι-ῥώννυσι γὰρ τὰ σώματα τῶν ἀρτιγενῶν, καὶ παρὰ τὰ ἄλλα δὴ τῶν ἀειθαλῶν φυτῶν εὐωδεστάτη τυγχάνει ἡ μυρσίνη-ἢ ὅτι μόνη ἐν φυτοῖς χαίρει τῇ θαλάσσῃ. ἐτιμᾶτο δὲ ἡ Ἀφροδίτη τοῖς αὐτοῖς, οἷς καὶ ἡ Ἥρα· ἐν δὲ τῇ Κύπρῳ πρόβατον κωδίῳ ἐσκεπασμένον συνέθυον τῇ Ἀφροδίτῃ- ὁ δὲ τρόπος τῆς ἱερατείας ἐν τῇ Κύπρῳ ἀπὸ τῆς Κορίνθου παρῆλθέ ποτε-εἶτα δὲ καὶ σύας ἀγρίους ἔθυον αὐτῇ διὰ τὴν κατὰ Ἀδώνιδος ἐπιβουλήν, τῇ πρὸ τεσσάρων Νωνῶν ἤγουν τῇ δευτέρᾳ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ Ἀπριλίου. 4.66 Ὅτι οἱ φυσικοί φασι τὰς θηλείας τὰς κατ' εὐθὺ τὴν ἀναστόμωσιν τῶν ἀγγείων ἐχούσας τοκάδας εἶναι, τὰς δὲ ἐκ πλαγίου στείρας. 4.67 Τῇ πρὸ τριῶν Νωνῶν Ἀπριλίων Ἡρακλῆς ἐπινίκιος ἐτιμᾶτο οἷα ὑγείας δοτήρ. καὶ ῥαφάνων νόμος κατὰ τὸν μῆνα τοῦτον ἀπέχεσθαι Ῥωμαίοις. Ἡρακλῆς δὲ ὁ χρόνος παρὰ τῷ Νικομάχῳ εἴρηται, ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ ἥλιος, λέγοντι οὕτως· «Ἡρακλῆς μὲν οὖν ὁ τὴν περὶ τὸν ἀέρα κλάσιν τῇ τῶν ὡρῶν περιτροπῇ ποιούμενος, τουτέστιν ἥλιος.» διὸ δὴ καὶ ἐν τοῖς τούτου μυστηρίοις τοὺς ἄρρενας γυναικείαις στολαῖς κοσμοῦσιν, ἅτε δὴ ἐξ ἀγριότητος καὶ ἀγονίας τῆς κατὰ τὸν χειμῶνα ἀρχομένου τοῦ σπερματικοῦ τόκου θηλύνεσθαι. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν τῷ ἔαρι ἐτέλουν. τρία δὲ αὐτῷ μῆλα ἐν τῇ λαιᾷ ταῖν χεροῖν τῆς χρόνου δι' αὐτοῦ ἀναμερίσεως σύμβολον· μῆλον μὲν γὰρ διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸν κριὸν αὐτοῦ συμπάθειαν, ἀρχὴ δὲ χρόνου ἐαρινὴ τροπή. καὶ ἄλλως δὲ τρία, ὅτι τριμερὴς ὁ χρόνος. ἀνάγειν δὲ λέγεται τὸν κύνα τὸν τρικέφαλον ἐκ τοῦ Ἅιδου, ὅτι φρουρητικὸς καὶ λυμαντικὸς ὁ χρόνος, ὥσπερ δὴ καὶ ὁ κύων· τρεῖς δὲ αὐτῷ κεφαλαί, ὅ τε παρελθὼν καὶ ὁ ἐνεστὼς καὶ ὁ μέλλων καιρός. καὶ ἄλλως δὲ τὰ τρία μῆλα ληπτέον ἐπὶ Ἡρακλέους κατὰ φιλόσοφον δόγμα, ὅτι τὰς τρεῖς περιόδους ὁ ἥρως ἀνύσας τοῦ πρακτικοῦ βίου τέλειος εἶναι δοκεῖ. ταύτῃ καὶ τριέσπερος λέγεται κατὰ Λυκόφρονα, φησὶ γάρ· τριεσπέρου λέοντος, ὅν ποτε γνάθοις Τρίτωνος ἠμάλαψε κάρχαρος κύων. τὸ γὰρ τρισὶ νυξὶν ἐσπάρθαι τὸν Ἡρακλέα μυθικόν ἐστιν. Ἥβην δὲ καλλίσφυρον αὐτῷ δίδωσιν, οἱονεὶ τὴν δημιουργικὴν δύναμιν, καὶ τὸ καλὸν τὸ ἐγκόσμιον. ὁ δὲ στέφανος τελειότητος δεῖγμά ἐστι· διὸ δὴ θεοῖς καὶ βασιλεῦσι καὶ ἱερεῦσιν ἐδίδοτο πρώτως. τῆς δὲ τύχης ἀφελομένης παρὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς τὸν στέφανον, οἱ ἱερεῖς τὸ λοιπὸν ἀποκειρόμενοι τὴν κόμην κύκλον τινὰ τριχῶν ἀντὶ στεφάνου τῇ κεφαλῇ περιποιοῦσι. δωδεκάμοχθόν γε μὴν αὐτόν φασι, διὰ τὸ τὰ δώδεκα ζωδία ἐκτρέχειν. καὶ τὴν Ἄλκηστιν δὲ τῷ Ἀδμήτῳ ἀναψυχώσας ἀποδίδωσιν, οἷον τῷ κόσμῳ τὴν ζωογόνον φύσιν ἐν τῷ χειμῶνι κατανεκρωθεῖσαν ὁ ἥλιος ἀποκαθιστῶν· Ἄδμητος γὰρ ὁ κόσμος παρὰ τὸ ἀκάμαντα εἶναι καὶ ἀείζωον. Αὐγείαν δὲ διαφθεῖραι λέγεται· καὶ γὰρ ἀνίσχων ὁ ἥλιος τὸν ὄρθριον διασκορπίζει καιρόν, ὃν οἱ πολλοὶ αὐγὴν ὀνομάζουσιν. ὑπὸ δὲ Εὐρυσθέως προστάττεται ὁ Ἡρακλῆς τοὺς δυοκαίδεκα ἄθλους ἐκτελεῖν, ἀντὶ τοῦ ὁ ἥλιος κελεύσει τοῦ μεγάλου θεοῦ, ἀντιβαινούσης τῆς Ἥρας-οἱονεὶ τῆς σφαίρας- ἀντίρροπος αὐτῇ τὸν δωδεκαζώδιον διαφεύγει οὐρανόν. οὕτως μὲν οἱ φιλόσοφοι. ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν ἱστοριῶν εὑρίσκομεν ἑπτὰ Ἡρακλεῖς γενέσθαι, πρῶτον ∆ιὸς τοῦ Αἰθέρος καὶ Λυσιθόης τῆς Ὠκεανοῦ, δεύτερον Νείλου παῖδα, τρίτον Ἕλληνος τοῦ ∆ιὸς καὶ νύμφης Ἀγχιάλης, τέταρτον ∆ιὸς καὶ Θήβης τῆς Αἰγυπτίας, πέμπτον τὸν Λιβάνου καὶ Νύσσης τὸν ἐν Ἰνδοῖς γενόμενον, ἕκτον ∆ιὸς καὶ Ἀλκμήνης, ἕβδομον ∆ιὸς καὶ Μαίας τῆς Ἄτλαντος. 4.68 Ὅτι ὁ Ἀπελλῆς γράφων τὰς Χάριτας τρεῖς οὔσας, Ἀγλαΐαν Εὐφροσύνην Θάλειαν, μίαν μὲν ποιεῖ ἀπιοῦσαν, δύο δὲ ἐρχομένας· μιᾶς γὰρ διδομένης χάριτος πλείους ἐπανίασι τοῖς δεδωκόσιν. 4.69 Ὅτι πῦρ ... ῥησσομένων πνευμάτων τοῖς νέφεσιν ἀποθλίβονται οἱ κεραυνοί. 4.70 Ἡ δὲ Μίλητος τὸ πρὶν ἐκαλεῖτο Ἀνακτορία. 4.71 Ἀμάλθειαν δὲ τροφὸν ∆ιός, τὴν ἅμα καὶ ἀθρόως καὶ ἑνὶ χρόνῳ τὰ ὄντα τῷ