Olympians
AphroditeApolloAresArtemisAthenaHadesHephaestusHeraHermesHestiaPoseidonZeusAll Olympians
Titans
AsteriaAstraeusAtlasClymeneCriusCronusDioneEosEpimetheusEurybiaEurynomeHyperionAll Titans
Greek Gods
AeolusAetherAmphitriteAnemoiApateAsclepiusAuraBiaChaosCirceDeimosDemeterAll Greek Gods
Myths
CreaturesElementsFiguresGigantesGreek MythsHeroesMonstersMortalsMoviesNorsePlacesPlanetsAll Myths
Plays
AeschylusAristophanesEuripidesSophoclesAll Plays
Ancient Sources
ApollodorusHomerHesiodAeschylusSophoclesEuripidesAristophanesApolloniusOvidPausaniasPindarAll Ancient Sources
Olympians
Olympians
AphroditeApolloAresArtemisAthenaHadesHephaestusHeraHermesHestiaPoseidonZeusAll Olympians
Titans
Titans
AsteriaAstraeusAtlasClymeneCriusCronusDioneEosEpimetheusEurybiaEurynomeHyperionAll Titans
Greek Gods
Greek Gods
AeolusAetherAmphitriteAnemoiApateAsclepiusAuraBiaChaosCirceDeimosDemeterAll Greek Gods
Myths
Myths
CreaturesElementsFiguresGigantesGreek MythsHeroesMonstersMortalsMoviesNorsePlacesPlanetsAll Myths
Plays
Plays
AeschylusAristophanesEuripidesSophoclesAll Plays
Ancient Sources
Ancient Sources
ApollodorusHomerHesiodAeschylusSophoclesEuripidesAristophanesApolloniusOvidPausaniasPindarAll Ancient Sources

Euripides · Heracles Ἡρακλῆς

Euripides, Heracles 610–636: Second episode: Heracles tells of his return from Hades

Ancient Sources / Euripides / Heracles / 610–636

Amphitryon asks whether it is true that Heracles went to the house of Hades, and whether the monster is lodged in the house of Eurystheus, who does not know that he has returned. Heracles says that he stayed to try to bring Theseus back from Hades, and that Theseus has gone to Athens. He tells the children to come into the house with him, and says that all men love their children.

Lines 610–636 · 308 words · click a number to copy its link
610–636
Ἀμφιτρύων 610ἦλθες γὰρ ὄντως δώματʼ εἰς Ἅιδου, τέκνον; Ἡρακλῆς καὶ θῆρά γʼ ἐς φῶς τὸν τρίκρανον ἤγαγον. Ἀμφιτρύων μάχῃ κρατήσας ἢ θεᾶς δωρήμασιν; Ἡρακλῆς μάχῃ· τὰ μυστῶν δʼ ὄργιʼ εὐτύχησʼ ἰδών. Ἀμφιτρύων ἦ καὶ κατʼ οἴκους ἐστὶν Εὐρυσθέως ὁ θήρ; Ἡρακλῆς 615Χθονίας νιν ἄλσος Ἑρμιών τʼ ἔχει πόλις. Ἀμφιτρύων οὐδʼ οἶδεν Εὐρυσθεύς σε γῆς ἥκοντʼ ἄνω; Ἡρακλῆς οὐκ οἶδʼ· ἵνʼ ἐλθὼν τἀνθάδʼ εἰδείην πάρος. Ἀμφιτρύων χρόνον δὲ πῶς τοσοῦτον ἦσθʼ ὑπὸ χθονί; Ἡρακλῆς Θησέα κομίζων ἐχρόνισʼ ἐξ Ἅιδου, πάτερ. Ἀμφιτρύων 620καὶ ποῦ ʼστιν; ἢ γῆς πατρίδος οἴχεται πέδον; Ἡρακλῆς βέβηκʼ Ἀθήνας νέρθεν ἄσμενος φυγών. ἀλλʼ εἶʼ, ὁμαρτεῖτʼ, ὦ τέκνʼ, ἐς δόμους πατρί· καλλίονές τἄρʼ εἴσοδοι τῶν ἐξόδων πάρεισιν ὑμῖν. ἀλλὰ θάρσος ἴσχετε 625καὶ νάματʼ ὄσσων μηκέτʼ ἐξανίετε· σύ τʼ, ὦ γύναι μοι, σύλλογον ψυχῆς λαβὲ τρόμου τε παῦσαι, καὶ μέθεσθʼ ἐμῶν πέπλων· οὐ γὰρ πτερωτὸς οὐδὲ φευξείω φίλους. ἆ, οἵδʼ οὐκ ἀφιᾶσʼ, ἀλλʼ ἀνάπτονται πέπλων 630τοσῷδε μᾶλλον· ὧδʼ ἔβητʼ ἐπὶ ξυροῦ; ἄξω λαβών γε τούσδʼ ἐφολκίδας χεροῖν, ναῦς δʼ ὣς ἐφέλξω· καὶ γὰρ οὐκ ἀναίνομαι θεράπευμα τέκνων. πάντα τἀνθρώπων ἴσα· φιλοῦσι παῖδας οἵ τʼ ἀμείνονες βροτῶν 635οἵ τʼ οὐδὲν ὄντες· χρήμασιν δὲ διάφοροι· ἔχουσιν, οἳ δʼ οὔ· πᾶν δὲ φιλότεκνον γένος.

Amphitryon Did you really go to the house of Hades, my son?

Heracles Yes, and brought to the light that three-headed monster.

Amphitryon Did you conquer him in fight, or receive him from the goddess?

Heracles In fight; for I had been lucky enough to witness the rites of the initiated.

Amphitryon Is the monster really lodged in the house of Eurystheus?

Heracles The grove of Demeter and the city of Hermione have him now.

Amphitryon Eurystheus does not know that you have returned to the upper world?

Heracles He does not; I came here first to learn your news.

Amphitryon How is it you were so long beneath the earth?

Heracles I stayed awhile attempting to bring back Theseus from Hades, father.

Amphitryon Where is he? gone to his native land?

Heracles He set out for Athens, glad to have escaped from the lower world. Come now, children, attend your father to the house. My entering in is fairer in your eyes, I think, than my going out. Oh, take heart, and no more let the tears stream from your eyes; you too, my wife, collect your courage, cease from fear; leave go my robe; for I cannot fly away, nor have I any wish to flee from those I love. Ah! they do not loose their hold, but cling to my garments all the more; were you on the razor’s edge of danger? Well, I must lead them, taking them by the hand to draw them after me, my little boats, like a ship when towing; for I too do not reject the care of my children; here all mankind are equal; all love their children, both those of high estate and those who are nothing; it is wealth that makes distinctions among them; some have, others want; but all the human race loves its offspring.

People and places in this passage

Passages in other works that tell of the same people and places, oldest and closest first.

  1. Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 2.4.6–12Amphitryon, Alcmene and the youth of Heracles
  2. Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 2.5.11–12The Labours of Heracles (11-12): the Golden Apples and Cerberus
  3. Theocritus, Idylls 24.1–140Idyll 24: The infant Heracles
  4. Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, Books 4 to 6 (the Greek myths) 4.25.1–4.27.5Heracles: Hades, Orpheus and the Hesperides
  5. Pausanias, Description of Greece 1.32.1–7Attica: the mountains and the plain of Marathon
  6. Hesiod, Shield of Heracles 1–74Alcmena and the birth of Heracles; Cycnus (1-74)

English translation by Edward P. Coleridge (1891). Original text: Greek text: Gilbert Murray (ed.), Euripidis Fabulae, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913, as digitised by Perseus. English: Edward P. Coleridge, The Plays of Euripides, London: George Bell and Sons, first published 1891 (Bohn's Classical Library; the Perseus header records a later printing).

Greek text and translation from the Perseus Digital Library, Tufts University, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Perseus Digital Library); translation public domain. Introductions, summaries and notes © GreekMythology.com.

Heracles 610–636: Heracles tells of his return from Hades