§24.1Ἡρακλέα δεκάμηνον ἐόντα πόχʼ ἁ Μιδεᾶτις §24.2Ἀλκμήνα καὶ νυκτὶ νεώτερονἸφικλῆα, §24.3ἀμφοτέρους λούσασα καὶ ἐμπλήσασα γάλακτος, §24.4χαλκείαν κατέθηκεν ἐς ἀσπίδα, τὰν Πτερελάου §24.5Ἀμφιτρύων καλὸν ὅπλον ἀπεσκύλευσε πεσόντος.
Once the Midean Alcmena, having washed ten-month-old Heracles and Iphicles, younger by a night, both having been washed and filled with milk, laid them down in a bronze shield, which Amphitryon had despoiled as a beautiful weapon when Pterelaus fell.
§24.6ἁπτομένα δὲ γυνὰ κεφαλᾶς μυθήσατο παίδων· §24.7εὕδετʼ ἐμὰ βρέφεα γλυκερὸν καὶ ἐγέρσιμον ὕπνον, §24.8εὕδετʼ ἐμὰ ψυχά, δύʼ ἀδελφεώ, εὔσοα τέκνα· §24.9ὄλβιοι εὐνάζοισθε καὶ ὄλβιοι ἀῶ ἵκοισθε. §24.10Ὣς φαμένα δίνασε σάκος μέγα· τοὺς δʼ ἔλαβʼ ὕπνος.
And the woman, touching the heads of her children, said: "Sleep, my babes, a sweet and wakeful sleep, sleep, my soul, two brothers, safe children; happy may you rest, and happy may you reach the dawn." Thus having spoken, she rocked the great shield; and sleep took them.
§24.11ἆμος δὲ στρέφεται μεσονύκτιον ἐς δύσιν ἄρκτος §24.12Ὠρίωνα κατʼ αὐτόν, ὁ δʼ ἀμφαίνει μέγαν ὦμον, §24.13τᾶμος ἄρʼ αἰνὰ πέλωρα δύω πολυμήχανος Ἥρη §24.14κυανέαις φρίσσοντας ὑπὸ σπείραισι δράκοντας §24.15ὦρσεν ἐπὶ πλατὺν οὐδόν, ὅθι σταθμὰ κοῖλα θυράων §24.16εἶκεν, ἀπειλήσασα φαγεῖν βρέφος Ἡρακλῆα.
But at the time when at midnight the Bear turns to its setting opposite Orion, and he shows his great shoulder, then indeed the resourceful Hera sent two terrible monsters, dragons bristling under their dark coils, upon the wide threshold, where the hollow posts of the doors gave way, having threatened to devour the babe Heracles.
§24.17τὼ δʼ ἐξειληθέντες ἐπὶ χθονὶ γαστέρας ἄμφω §24.18αἱμοβόρους ἐκύλιον· ἀπʼ ὀφθαλμῶν δὲ κακὸν πῦρ §24.19ἐρχομένοις λάμπεσκε, βαρὺν δʼ ἐξέπτυον ἰόν.
And they, uncoiling themselves upon the ground, rolled their bloodthirsty bellies; and from their eyes a wicked fire flashed as they came, and they spat out heavy venom.
§24.20ἀλλʼ ὅτε δὴ παίδων λιχμώμενοι ἐγγύθεν ἦνθον, §24.21καὶ τότʼ ἄρʼ ἐξέγροντο, Διὸς νοέοντος ἅπαντα, §24.22Ἀλκμήνας φίλα τέκνα, φάος δʼ ἀνὰ οἶκον ἐτύχθη.
But when indeed, licking their lips, they came near the children, then indeed they awoke, Zeus knowing all things, the dear children of Alcmena, and a light was made throughout the house.
§24.23ἤτοι ὅγʼ εὐθὺς ἄυσεν, ὅπως κακὰ θηρίʼ ἀνέγνω §24.24κοίλου ὑπὲρ σάκεος καὶ ἀναιδέας εἶδεν ὀδόντας, §24.25Ἰφικλέης, οὔλαν δὲ ποσὶν διελάκτισε χλαῖναν, §24.26φευγέμεν ὁρμαίνων·
Indeed, he straightway cried out, when he recognized the evil beasts above the hollow shield and saw their ruthless teeth, Iphicles, and kicked away the woolen cloak with his feet, eager to flee.
ὁ δʼ ἐναντίος εἴχετο χερσὶν §24.27Ἡρακλέης, ἄμφω δὲ βαρεῖ ἐνεδήσατο δεσμῷ, §24.28δραξάμενος φάρυγος, τόθι φάρμακα λυγρὰ κέκρυπται §24.29οὐλομένοις ὀφίεσσιν, ἃ καὶ θεοὶ ἐχθαίροντι.
But the other, Heracles, facing them, held them fast with his hands, and bound both in a heavy bond, grasping them by the throat, where the grievous poisons are hidden of destructive serpents, which even the gods detest.
§24.30τὼ δʼ αὖτε σπείραισιν ἑλισσέσθην περὶ παῖδα §24.31ὀψίγονον γαλαθηνόν, ὑπὸ τροφῷ αἰὲν ἄδακρυν· §24.32ἂψ δὲ πάλιν διέλυον ἐπεὶ μογέοιεν ἀκάνθας, §24.33δεσμοῦ ἀναγκαίου πειρώμενοι ἔκλυσιν εὑρεῖν.
And they, in turn, coiled their spirals around the late-born, milk-fed child, who was ever tearless under his nurse; but back again they uncoiled when they suffered in their spines, trying to find a release from the inescapable bond.
And Alcmena heard the cry and awoke first: "Arise, Amphitryon!
ἐμὲ γὰρ δέος ἴσχει ὀκνηρόν· §24.36ἄνστα, μηδὲ πόδεσσιν ἑοῖς ὑπὸ σάνδαλα θείῃς.
For a hesitant fear holds me; arise, nor put sandals under your feet.
§24.37οὐκ ἀίεις, παίδων ὁ νεώτερος ὅσσον ἀυτεῖ;
Do you not hear how much the younger of the children is crying?
§24.38ἢ οὐ νοέεις, ὅτι νυκτὸς ἀωρί που, οἱ δέ τε τοῖχοι §24.39πάντες ἀριφραδέες, καθαρᾶς ἅπερ ἠριγενείας;
Or do you not perceive that, though it is somewhere unseasonable in the night, the walls are all as clear as if of pure dawn?
§24.40ἔστί τί μοι κατὰ δῶμα νεώτερον, ἔστι φίλʼ ἀνδρῶν. §24.41Ὣς φάθʼ. ὁ δʼ ἐξ εὐνᾶς ἀλόχῳ κατέβαινε πιθήσας·
There is something strange in the house, dear husband." Thus she spoke; and he stepped down from his bed, obeying his wife.
§24.42δαιδάλεον δʼ ὥρμασε μετὰ ξίφος, ὅ οἱ ὕπερθεν §24.43κλιντῆρος κεδρίνου περὶ πασσάλῳ αἰὲν ἄωρτο.
And he rushed for his adorned sword, which always hung for him above his cedar bed on a peg.
Indeed, he was reaching for the newly-woven baldric, lifting the great scabbard, a work of lotus-wood, with his other hand.
§24.46ἀμφιλαφὴς δʼ ἄρα παστὰς ἐνεπλήσθη πάλιν ὄρφνας·
And then the spacious chamber was filled again with darkness.
§24.47δμῶας δὴ τότʼ ἄυσεν ὕπνον βαρὺν ἐκφυσῶντας· §24.48οἴσετε πῦρ ὅτι θᾶσσον ἀπʼ ἐσχαρεῶνος ἑλόντες, §24.49δμῶες ἐμοί, στιβαροὺς δὲ θυρᾶν ἀνακόψατʼ ὀχῆας.
Then indeed he called the servants, who were breathing out heavy sleep: "Bring fire as quickly as possible, taking it from the hearth, my servants, and push back the sturdy bolts of the doors.
§24.50ἄνστατε δμῶες ταλασίφρονες.
Arise, stout-hearted servants!
αὐτὸς ἀυτεῖ. §24.51Ἦ ῥα γυνὰ Φοίνισσα μύλαις ἔπι κοῖτον ἔχουσα.
He himself calls." Indeed, a Phoenician woman who had her bed by the millstones cried out.
§24.52οἱ δʼ αἶψα προγένοντο λύχνοις ἅμα δαιομένοισι §24.53δμῶες· ἐνεπλήσθη δὲ δόμος σπεύδοντος ἑκάστου.
And they came quickly, the servants with burning lamps, and the house was filled as each one was hastening.
§24.54ἤτοι ἄρʼ ὡς εἴδοντʼ ἐπιτίτθιον Ἡρακλῆα §24.55θῆρε δύω χείρεσσιν ἀπρὶξ ἁπαλαῖσιν ἔχοντα, §24.56συμπλήγδην ἰάχησαν· ὁ δʼ ἐς πατέρʼ Ἀμφιτρύωνα §24.57ἑρπετὰ δεικανάασκεν, ἐπάλλετο δʼ ὑψόθι χαίρων §24.58κουροσύνᾳ, γελάσας δὲ πάρος κατέθηκε ποδοῖιν §24.59πατρὸς ἑοῦ θανάτῳ κεκαρωμένα δεινὰ πέλωρα.
Indeed, when they saw the nursling Heracles holding the two beasts tight in his tender hands, they clapped their hands and shouted; but he to his father Amphitryon kept showing the reptiles, and leaped high, rejoicing in his boyish heart, and laughing, laid down before the feet of his father the terrible monsters, stiffened in death.
§24.60Ἀλκμήνα μὲν ἔπειτα ποτὶ σφέτερον βάλε κόλπον §24.61ξηρὸν ὑπαὶ δείους ἀκρόχλοονἸφικλῆα· §24.62Ἀμφιτρύων δὲ τὸν ἄλλον ὑπʼ ἀμνείαν θέτο χλαῖναν §24.63παῖδα, πάλιν δʼ ἐς λέκτρον ἰὼν ἐμνάσατο κοίτου.
Then Alcmena pressed to her own bosom Iphicles, dry and deathly pale with fear; but Amphitryon laid the other child under a woolen cloak, and going back to his bed, turned his thoughts to sleep.
§24.64ὄρνιθες τρίτον ἄρτι τὸν ἔσχατον ὄρθρον ἄειδον· §24.65Τειρεσίαν τόκα μάντιν ἀλαθέα πάντα λέγοντα §24.66Ἀλκμήνα καλέσασα τέρας κατέλεξε νεοχμόν, §24.67καί νιν ὑποκρίνεσθαι, ὅπως τελέεσθαι ἔμελλεν, §24.68ἠνώγει.
The birds were just singing the third and last dawn; then Alcmena, having called the prophet Tiresias, who speaks all truth, told him of the strange portent, and bade him interpret how it was going to turn out.
μηδʼ εἴ τι θεοὶ νοέοντι πονηρόν, §24.69αἰδόμενος σύ με κρύπτε· καὶ ὣς οὐκ ἔστιν ἀλύξαι §24.70ἀνθρώποις ὅ τι Μοῖρα κατὰ κλωστῆρος ἐπείγει.
"Nor, even if the gods intend some evil, do you hide it from me out of respect; even so, it is not possible to escape for men what Fate urges down from the spindle."