Apollodorus

Sydnee Bailey /
Translation by Sir James George Frazer
Ἑλληνική Transliterate
English
τοῦτο ἀκούσας Ἡρακλῆς εἰς Τίρυνθα ἦλθε , καὶ τὸ προσταττόμενον ὑπὸ Εὐρυσθέως ἐτέλει . πρῶτον μὲν οὖν ἐπέταξεν αὐτῷ τοῦ Νεμέου λέοντος τὴν δορὰν κομίζειν · τοῦτο δὲ ζῷον ἦν ἄτρωτον , ἐκ Τυφῶνος γεγεννημένον . πορευόμενος οὖν ἐπὶ τὸν λέοντα ἦλθεν εἰς Κλεωνάς , καὶ ξενίζεται παρὰ ἀνδρὶ χερνήτῃ Μολόρχῳ . καὶ θύειν ἱερεῖον θέλοντι εἰς ἡμέραν ἔφη τηρεῖν τριακοστήν , καὶ ἂν μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς θήρας σῶος ἐπανέλθῃ , Διὶ σωτῆρι θύειν , ἐὰν δὲ ἀποθάνῃ , τότε ὡς ἥρωι ἐναγίζειν . εἰς δὲ τὴν Νεμέαν ἀφικόμενος καὶ τὸν λέοντα μαστεύσας ἐτόξευσε τὸ πρῶτον · ὡς δὲ ἔμαθεν ἄτρωτον ὄντα , ἀνατεινάμενος τὸ ῥόπαλον ἐδίωκε . συμφυγόντος δὲ εἰς ἀμφίστομον σπήλαιον αὐτοῦ τὴν ἑτέραν ἐνῳκοδόμησεν εἴσοδον , διὰ δὲ τῆς ἑτέρας ἐπεισῆλθε τῷ θηρίῳ , καὶ περιθεὶς τὴν χεῖρα τῷ τραχήλῳ κατέσχεν ἄγχων ἕως ἔπνιξε , καὶ θέμενος ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων ἐκόμιζεν εἰς Κλεωνάς . καταλαβὼν δὲ τὸν Μόλορχον ἐν τῇ τελευταίᾳ τῶν ἡμερῶν ὡς νεκρῷ μέλλοντα τὸ ἱερεῖον ἐναγίζειν , σωτῆρι θύσας Διὶ ἦγεν εἰς Μυκήνας τὸν λέοντα . Εὐρυσθεὺς δὲ καταπλαγεὶς αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀνδρείαν ἀπεῖπε τὸ λοιπὸν αὐτῷ εἰς τὴν πόλιν εἰσιέναι , δεικνύειν δὲ πρὸ τῶν πυλῶν ἐκέλευε τοὺς ἄθλους . φασὶ δὲ ὅτι δείσας καὶ πίθον ἑαυτῷ χαλκοῦν εἰσκρυβῆναι ὑπὸ γῆν κατεσκεύασε , καὶ πέμπων κήρυκα Κοπρέα Πέλοπος τοῦ Ἠλείου ἐπέταττε τοὺς ἄθλους .
When Hercules heard that , he went to Tiryns and did as he was bid by Eurystheus . First , Eurystheus ordered him to bring the skin of the Nemean lion ; now that was an invulnerable beast begotten by Typhon . On his way to attack the lion he came to Cleonae and lodged at the house of a day-laborer , Molorchus ; and when his host would have offered a victim in sacrifice , Hercules told him to wait for thirty days , and then , if he had returned safe from the hunt , to sacrifice to Saviour Zeus , but if he were dead , to sacrifice to him as to a hero . And having come to Nemea and tracked the lion , he first shot an arrow at him , but when he perceived that the beast was invulnerable , he heaved up his club and made after him . And when the lion took refuge in a cave with two mouths , Hercules built up the one entrance and came in upon the beast through the other , and putting his arm round its neck held it tight till he had choked it ; so laying it on his shoulders he carried it to Cleonae . And finding Molorchus on the last of the thirty days about to sacrifice the victim to him as to a dead man , he sacrificed to Saviour Zeus and brought the lion to Mycenae . Amazed at his manhood , Eurystheus forbade him thenceforth to enter the city , but ordered him to exhibit the fruits of his labours before the gates . They say , too , that in his fear he had a bronze jar made for himself to hide in under the earth , and that he sent his commands for the labours through a herald , Copreus , son of Pelops the Elean .

( 120 ) 54% GRC
( 101 ) 46% GRC - ENG

( 140 ) 44% GRC - ENG
( 181 ) 56% ENG