Bedtime Story For Adults - Greek Mythology: Hercules |Part 4

Stories about the legendary hero demi-god known as Heracles/Hercules. The tales capture the essence of the life and legends of Heracles over the calming sound of nature, meant for relaxation and/or sleep. This recording is part of a multiple-part series. Considering that these tales are from Greek mythology, the themes featured in the recording might not be suitable for children.

Transcript

Welcome to this guided meditation for sleep and storytelling.

Focus on the sound of my voice and feel free to fall asleep at any time.

Tales of Greek Mythology.

Herakles 10.

The Oxen of Geryones The tenth labor of Herakles was to capture the magnificent oxen belonging to the giant Geryon or Geryones,

Who dwelt on the island of Erythia in the Bay of Gadria.

The giant,

Who was the son of Cursor,

Had three bodies with three heads,

Six hands and six feet.

He possessed a herd of splendid cattle which were famous for their size,

Beauty and rich red color.

They were guarded by another giant named Eurythion and a two-headed dog called Orthros,

The offspring of Typhon and Echidna.

In choosing for him a task so replete with danger,

Eurystheus was in hopes that he might rid himself forever of his hated cousin.

But the indomitable courage of the hero rose with the prospect of this difficult and dangerous undertaking.

After a long and wearisome journey,

He at last arrived at the western coast of Africa,

Where as a monument of his fearless expedition,

He erected the famous Pillars of Hercules.

One of which he placed on each side of the Straits of Gibraltar.

Here he found the intense heat so insufferable that he angrily raised his bow towards the heaven and threatened to shoot the sun god.

But Helios,

Far from being incensed at his audacity,

Was so struck with admiration at his daring,

That he lent to him the golden boat with which he accomplished his nocturnal transit from west to east and thus Heracles crossed over safely to the island of Eurythia.

No sooner had he landed than Eurythion,

Accompanied by his savage dog Orthros,

Fiercely attacked him.

But Heracles,

With a superhuman effort,

Slew the dog and then his master.

Hereupon he collected the herd and was proceeding to the seashore when Geryones himself met him and a desperate encounter took place in which the giant perished.

Heracles then drove the cattle into the sea and seizing one of the oxen by the horns,

Swam with them over to the opposite coast of Iberia,

Spain.

Then driving his magnificent prize before him through Gaul,

Italy,

Illyria and Thrace,

He at length arrived,

After many perilous adventures and hairbreadth escapes,

At Mycenae,

Where he delivered them up to Eurystheus,

Who sacrificed them to Hera.

Heracles had now executed his ten tasks which had been accomplished in the space of eight years,

But Eurystheus refused to include the slaying of the Hydra and cleansing of the stables of Ogeus among the number,

Alleging as a reason that the one had been performed by the assistance of Iolaus and the other had been executed for hire.

He therefore insisted on Heracles substituting two more labourers in their place.

11.

The Apples of Hesperides The eleventh task imposed by Eurystheus was to bring him the golden apples of the Hesperides,

Which grew on a tree presented by Gaia to Hera on the occasion of her marriage to Zeus.

This sacred tree was guarded by four maidens,

Daughters of night,

Called the Hesperides,

Who were assisted in their task by a terrible hundred-headed dragon.

This dragon never slept,

And out of its hundred throats came a constant hissing sound,

Which effectively warned off all intruders.

But what rendered the undertaking still more difficult was the complete ignorance of the hero as to the locality of the garden,

And he was forced in consequence to make many fruitless journeys and to undergo many trials before he could find it.

He first travelled through Thessaly and arrived at the river Echidorus,

Where he met the giant Cygnus,

The son of Ares and Pyrene,

Who challenged him to single combat.

In this encounter Heracles completely vanquished his opponent,

Who was killed in the contest,

But now a mightier adversary appeared on the scene,

For the war-god himself came to avenge his son.

A terrible struggle ensued,

Which had lasted some time,

When Zeus interfered between the brothers and put an end to the strife by hurling a thunderbolt between them.

Heracles proceeded on his journey and reached the banks of the river Eridanus,

Where dwelt the nymphs,

Daughters of Zeus and Themis.

On seeking advice from them as to his route,

They directed him to the old sea-god Nereus,

Who alone knew the way to the garden of the Hesperides.

Heracles found him asleep,

And seizing the opportunity,

Held him so firmly in his powerful grasp that he could not possibly escape,

So that,

Notwithstanding his various metamorphoses,

He was at last compelled to give the information required.

The hero then crossed over to Libya,

Where he engaged in a wrestling match with King Antaeus,

Son of Poseidon and Gaia,

Which terminated fatally for his antagonist.

From thence he proceeded to Egypt,

Where reigned Vosiris,

Another son of Poseidon,

Who,

Acting on the advice given by an oracle during a time of great scarcity,

Sacrificed all strangers to Zeus.

When Heracles arrived,

He was seized and dragged to the altar,

But the powerful demigod burst asunder his bonds and then slew Vosiris and his son.

Resuming his journey,

He now wandered on through Arabia until he arrived at Mount Caucasus,

Where Prometheus groaned in unceasing agony.

It was at this time that Heracles,

As already related,

Shot the eagle which had so long tortured the noble and devoted friend of mankind.

Full of gratitude for his deliverance,

Prometheus instructed him how to find his way to that remote region in the far west,

Where Atlas supported the heavens on his shoulders,

Near which lay the garden of the Hesperides.

He also warned Heracles not to attempt to secure the precious fruit himself,

But to assume for a time the duties of Atlas and to dispatch him for the Athmos.

Upon arriving at his destination,

Heracles followed the advice of Prometheus.

Atlas,

Who willingly entered this arrangement,

Contrived to put the dragon to sleep and then,

Having cunningly outwitted the Hesperides,

Carried off three of the golden apples which he now brought to Heracles.

But when the latter was prepared to relinquish his burden,

Atlas,

Having once tasted the delights of freedom,

Declined to resume his post and announced his intention of being himself the bearer of the apples to Eurystheus,

Leaving Heracles to fill his place.

To this proposal the hero feigned assent and merely begging that Atlas would be kind enough to support the heavens for a few moments while he contrived a pad for his head.

Atlas,

Good-naturedly,

Threw down the apples and once more resumed his load upon which Heracles paid him adieu and departed.

When Heracles conveyed the golden apples to Eurystheus,

The latter presented them to the hero whereupon Heracles placed the sacred fruit on the altar of Athena,

Who restored them to the garden of the Hesperides.

12.

Cerberus The twelfth and last labor which Eurystheus imposed on Heracles was to bring up Cerberus from the lower world,

Believing that all his heroic powers would be unavailing in the realm of shades,

And that in this,

His last and most perilous undertaking,

The hero must at length succumb and perish.

Cerberus was a monster dog with three heads out of whose awful jaws dripped poison.

The hair of his head and back was formed of venomous snakes and his body terminated in the tail of a dragon.

After being initiated into the Eleusinian mysteries and obtaining from the priests certain information necessary for the accomplishment of his task,

Heracles set out for Tenerum in Lacolia where there was an opening which led to the underworld.

Conducted by Hermes,

He commenced his descent into the awful gulf where myriads of shades soon began to appear,

All of whom fled in terror at his approach.

Malaegor and Medusa alone accepted.

About to strike the latter with his sword,

Hermes interfered and stayed his hand,

Reminding him that she was but a shadow and that,

Consequently,

No weapon could avail against her.

Arrived before the gates of Hades,

He found Theseus and Peritheus who had been fixed to an enchanted rock by Hades for their presumption in endeavouring to carry off Persephone.

When they saw Heracles,

They implored him to set them free.

The hero succeeded in delivering Theseus,

But when he endeavoured to liberate Peritheus,

The earth shook so violently beneath him that he was compelled to relinquish this task.

Proceeding further,

Heracles recognized Ascapholus who,

As we have seen in the history of Demeter,

Had revealed the fact that Persephone had swallowed the seeds of a pomegranate offered to her by her husband,

Which bound her to Hades forever.

Ascapholus was groaning beneath a huge rock which Demeter in her anger had hurled upon him and which Heracles now removed,

Releasing the sufferer.

Before the gates of his palace stood Hades,

The mighty ruler of the underworld,

And barred his interests,

But Heracles,

Aiming at him with one of his unerring darts,

Shot him in the shoulder,

So that for the first time the god experienced the agony of mortal suffering.

Heracles then demanded of him permission to take Cerberus to the upper world,

To this Hades consented,

On condition that he should secure him unarmed.

Protected by his breastplate and lion-skin,

Heracles went in search of the monster whom he found at the mouth of the river Acheron.

Undismayed by the hideous barking which proceeded from his three heads,

He seized the throat with one hand and the legs with the other,

And although the dragon which served him as a tail bit him severely,

He did not relinquish his grasp.

In this manner he conducted him to the upper world through an opening near Truzan in Argolea.

When Eurystheus beheld Cerberus,

He stood aghast and despairing of ever getting rid of his hated rival,

He returned the hellhound to the hero,

Who restored him to Hades and with this last task the subjection of Heracles to Eurystheus was terminated.

Thank you for listening and enjoy the rest of your sleep.

Good night.