Chapter 15 The Tale of Hercules - 15

Hercules followed Jason on an adventure at sea, and later went to Eurystheus to accept the ninth task.Eurystheus had a daughter named Artemetta.Eurystheus ordered Hercules to take the girdle of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, and dedicate it to Artemetta.The Amazons live on the banks of the Telmodon River in Pontus, a country of women who buy and sell men to give birth, and keep the girls they give birth to and raise them up.Since ancient times, this nation has been warlike. Their queen, Hippolyta, wore a belt given to her by the god of war himself.This is the hallmark of the queen's power.

Hercules gathered a group of men who volunteered for the war, and set off on a ship for an adventure.After many twists and turns, they entered the Black Sea, and at last came to the mouth of the Telmodon River, and sailed up the river to the Amazonian port of Themiskira.Here they met the queen of the Amazons.She saw that Hercules was handsome and tall, and she liked and respected him very much.After she heard the purpose of the hero coming from afar, she agreed to give the belt to Hercules. But Hera hated Hercules.Dressed up as an Amazonian woman, she mingled with the crowd and spread rumors that a foreigner was trying to kidnap their queen.When the Amazons were furious, they immediately mounted their horses and attacked Hercules who was living in a tent outside the city.And so a fierce battle ensued; the brave Amazonian women fought against Heracles' entourage, and another group of battle-hardened women rushed to meet Heracles.Aela, the first woman to fight against Hercules, was known as the whirlwind girl because she ran like the wind.But Hercules ran faster than her.When she was defeated and fled, Hercules overtook and killed her.As soon as the second woman fought, she was knocked down.At this moment a third woman came up, named Pelote, who had won seven times in individual duels, but was also killed this time.Eight women came up after her, three of whom were warriors selected in the Artemis hunt, and they shot with perfect accuracy.But in this battle, they lost their prestige, and they missed the target, and they were all hit by Hercules.Archipelago, who vowed not to marry for life, also fell on the battlefield.In the end, even the leader of the Amazon women, the heroic Melanip, was captured alive by Hercules.The Amazon women scattered like birds and beasts, fleeing one after another.

Queen Hippolyta offered the girdle which she had promised before the battle.Hercules retracted his belt, and at the same time replaced the Melanip. Hercules embarked on a new adventure on the coast of Troy on his way back to Mycenae.For here he found Hesione, daughter of Laomedon, king of Troy, bound beside a rock, waiting in terror for a monster to devour her.Poseidon, the god of the sea, once built the city wall of Troy for Laomedon, but the king was stingy with money and did not pay him.In order to retaliate, Poseidon sent sea monsters to trample on the land, endangering people and animals, until King Laomedon was forced to hand over his daughter in desperation in order to obtain peace for himself and the place.When Hercules passed by, the king hurriedly asked him for help, and promised him a herd of beautiful horses if he rescued his daughter.These horses were also a gift from Zeus to Laomedon's father.

Hercules lay in ambush where the sea monster haunted, and waited.Finally the monster came, and it opened its bloody mouth to devour the girl.At this time, Hercules rushed up, jumped into its throat, entered its abdominal cavity, cut its internal organs with a knife, then dug a hole from its body, and crawled out.But Laomedon did not keep his promise this time and did not send the horse.Hercules said some threatening words and left angrily.