Chapter XX.—The Cosmogony of Justinus an Allegorical Explanation of Herodotus’ Legend of Hercules.

Herodotus,544    Herodotus, iv. 8–10. then, asserts that Hercules, when driving the oxen of Geryon from Erytheia,545    Erytheia (Eretheia) was the island which Geryon inhabited. Miller’s text has ᾽Ερυθᾶς (i.e., sc. Θαλάσσης), “the Red Sea.” This, however, is a mistake. came into Scythia, and that, being wearied with travelling, he retired into some desert spot and slept for a short time. But while he slumbered his horse disappeared, seated on which he had performed his lengthened journey. On being aroused from repose, he, however, instituted a diligent search through the desert, endeavouring to discover his horse. And though he is unsuccessful in his search after the horse, he yet finds in the desert a certain damsel, half of whose form was that of woman, and proceeded to question her if she had seen the horse anywhere. The girl, however, replies that she had seen (the animal), but that she would not show him unless Hercules previously would come along with her for the purpose of sexual intercourse. Now Herodotus informs us that her upper parts as far as the groin were those of a virgin, but that everything below the body after the groin presented some horrible appearance of a snake. In anxiety, however, for the discovery of his horse, Hercules complies with the monster’s request; for he knew her (carnally), and made her pregnant. And he foretold, after coition, that she had by him in her womb three children at the same time, who were destined to become illustrious. And he ordered that she, on bringing forth, should impose on the children as soon as born the following names: Agathyrsus, Gelonus, and Scytha. And as the reward of this (favour) receiving his horse from the beast-like damsel, he went on his way, taking with him the cattle also. But after these (details), Herodotus has a protracted account; adieu, however, to it for the present.546    Some read τὸν νοῦν, which has been properly altered into τὸ νῦν, as translated above. But what the opinions are of Justinus, who transfers this legend into (his account of) the generation of the universe, we shall explain.

[25] Ἡρόδοτος μὲν οὖν τὸν Ἡρακλέα φησὶν ἀπὸ τῆς Ἐρυθείας τοῦ Γηρυόνου τὰς βοῦς ἄγοντα εἰς τὴν Σκυθίαν ἐλθεῖν, κεκμηκότα δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς πορείας εἰς ἔρημόν τι χωρίον κατακλιθέντα κοιμηθῆναι ὀλίγον: ὑπνώσαντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ἀφανῆ γενέσθαι τὸν ἵππον, ἐφ' οὗ καθεζόμενος διώδευσε τὴν μακρὰν ὁδόν. περιεγερθεὶς δὲ ζήτησιν ἐποιεῖτο ἐπὶ τῆς ἐρημίας πολλήν, εὑρεῖν πειρώμενος τὸν ἵππον: καὶ τοῦ μὲν ἵππου διαμαρτάνει, κόρην δέ τινα μιξοπάρθενον εὑρὼν ἐπὶ τῆς ἐρημίας ἐπηρώτα, εἰ εἴη που τεθεαμένη τὸν ἵππον. ἡ δὲ κόρη φησὶν εἰδέναι μέν, μὴ δείξειν δὲ πρότερον αὐτῷ, εἰ μὴ πρὸς μίξιν φιλίας συνέλθῃ αὐτῇ ὁ Ἡρακλῆς. ἦν δέ, φησὶν ὁ Ἡρόδοτος, τὰ [μὲν] ἄνω αὐτῆς μέχρι βουβῶνος παρθένου, πᾶν δὲ τὸ κάτω σῶμα μετὰ βουβῶνα φρικτόν τι θέαμα ἐχίδνης. σπουδῇ δὲ τῆς περὶ τὸν ἵππον εὑρέσεως ὁ Ἡρακλῆς πείθεται τῷ θηρίῳ: ἔγνω γοῦν αὐτὴν καὶ ἐποίησεν ἐγκύμονα, καὶ προεῖπεν αὐτῇ μετὰ τὴν γνῶσιν ὅτι ἔχει κατὰ γαστρὸς ἐξ αὐτοῦ τρεῖς ὁμοῦ παῖδας, οἵτινες ἔσονται ἐπιφανεῖς. ἐκέλευσε δὲ αὐτοῖς γεννωμένοις ὀνόματα θεῖναι τὴν τεκοῦσαν Ἀγάθυρσον, Γελωνὸν καὶ Σκύθην. λαβὼν δὲ τούτου μισθὸν τὸν ἵππον παρὰ τῆς θηριώδους κόρης, ἀπηλ[λ]άττετο φέρων καὶ τὰς βοῦς. μακρὸς δὲ ὁ μετὰ ταῦτα μῦθος Ἡροδότῳ, χαιρέτω δὲ τὸ νῦν: τίνα δὲ τὰ Ἰουστίνῳ δοκοῦντα, μετάγοντι τὸν μῦθον εἰς τὴν τῶν ὅλων γέννησιν, ἡμεῖς διηγησόμεθα.