§4.12.1τρίτον δὲ πρόσταγμα ἔλαβεν ἐνεγκεῖν τὸν Ἐρυμάνθιον κάπρον ζῶντα, ὃς διέτριβεν ἐν τῇ Λαμπείᾳ τῆς Ἀρκαδίας.
As his third command, he received the task of bringing back the Erymanthian boar alive, which was living in Lampeia of Arcadia.
ἐδόκει δὲ τὸ πρόσταγμα τοῦτο πολλὴν ἔχειν δυσχέρειαν· ἔδει γὰρ τὸν ἀγωνιζόμενον τοιούτῳ θηρίῳ τοσαύτην ἔχειν περιουσίαν ὥστε ἐπʼ αὐτῆς τῆς μάχης ἀκριβῶς στοχάσασθαι τοῦ καιροῦ.
This command seemed to present great difficulty; for it was necessary for the one contending with such a beast to have such an excess of capability as to hit upon the exact moment in the very midst of the fight.
ἔτι μὲν γὰρ ἰσχύοντα ἀφεὶς αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ὀδόντων ἂν ἐκινδύνευσε, πλέον δὲ τοῦ δέοντος καταπολεμήσας ἀπέκτεινεν, ὥστε τὸν ἆθλον ὑπάρχειν ἀσυντέλεστον.
For on the one hand, if he let it go while it was still strong, he would have been endangered by its tusks, and on the other hand, if he overcame it more than was necessary, he would have killed it, so that the labor would remain unaccomplished.
§4.12.2ὅμως δὲ κατὰ τὴν μάχην ταμιευσάμενος ἀκριβῶς τὴν συμμετρίαν ἀπήνεγκε τὸν κάπρον ζῶντα πρὸς Εὐρυσθέα· ὃν ἰδὼν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων φέροντα, καὶ φοβηθείς, ἔκρυψεν ἑαυτὸν εἰς χαλκοῦν πίθον.
Nevertheless, having accurately regulated the proper measure in the fight, he brought back the boar alive to Eurystheus; and when the king saw him carrying it on his shoulders, and became terrified, he hid himself in a bronze jar.
§4.12.3ἅμα δὲ τούτοις πραττομένοις Ἡρακλῆς κατηγωνίσατο τοὺς ὀνομαζομένους Κενταύρους διὰ τοιαύτας αἰτίας.
At the same time that these things were being done, Heracles subdued the so-called Centaurs for the following reasons.
Φόλος ἦν Κένταυρος, ἀφʼ οὗ συνέβη τὸ πλησίον ὄρος Φολόην ὀνομασθῆναι· οὗτος ξενίοις δεχόμενος Ἡρακλέα τὸν κατακεχωσμένον οἴνου πίθον ἀνέῳξε.
There was a Centaur named Pholus, after whom it happened that the neighboring mountain was named Pholoe; this man, receiving Heracles with hospitality, opened the buried jar of wine.
τοῦτον γὰρ μυθολογοῦσι τὸ παλαιὸν Διόνυσον παρατεθεῖσθαί τινι Κενταύρῳ, καὶ προστάξαι τότε ἀνοῖξαι ὅταν Ἡρακλῆς παραγένηται.
For they mythologize that of old Dionysus had deposited this with a certain Centaur, and ordered him to open it at that time when Heracles should arrive.
διόπερ ὕστερον τέτταρσι γενεαῖς ἐπιξενωθέντος αὐτοῦ μνησθῆναι τὸν Φόλον τῆς Διονύσου παραγγελίας.
Therefore, when he was entertained as a guest four generations later, Pholus remembered the instruction of Dionysus.
§4.12.4ἀνοιχθέντος οὖν τοῦ πίθου, καὶ τῆς εὐωδίας διὰ τὴν παλαιότητα καὶ δύναμιν τοῦ οἴνου προσπεσούσης τοῖς πλησίον οἰκοῦσι Κενταύροις, συνέβη διοιστρηθῆναι τούτους· διὸ καὶ προσπεσόντες ἀθρόοι τῇ οἰκήσει τοῦ Φόλου καταπληκτικῶς ὥρμησαν πρὸς ἁρπαγήν.
So, when the jar was opened, and the fragrance, because of the age and strength of the wine, reached the Centaurs who lived nearby, it happened that these were driven into frenzy; wherefore, attacking the dwelling of Pholus all together, they rushed terrifyingly to plunder.
§4.12.5ὁ μὲν οὖν Φόλος φοβηθεὶς ἔκρυψεν ἑαυτόν, ὁ δʼ Ἡρακλῆς παραδόξως συνεπλάκη τοῖς βιαζομένοις· ἔδει γὰρ διαγωνίζεσθαι πρὸς τοὺς ἀπὸ μὲν μητρὸς ὄντας θεούς, τὸ δὲ τάχος ἔχοντας ἵππων, ῥώμῃ δὲ δισωμάτους θῆρας, ἐμπειρίαν δὲ καὶ σύνεσιν ἔχοντας ἀνδρῶν.
Then, while Pholus, being afraid, hid himself, Heracles surprisingly grappled with those who were forcing their way in; for he had to contend against those who, on their mother's side, were gods, and possessed the swiftness of horses, and in strength were double-bodied beasts, and in experience and understanding possessed those of men.
τῶν δὲ Κενταύρων οἱ μὲν πεύκας αὐτορρίζους ἔχοντες ἐπῇσαν, οἱ δὲ πέτρας μεγάλας, τινὲς δὲ λαμπάδας ἡμμένας, ἕτεροι δὲ βουφόνους πελέκεις.
Of the Centaurs, some came on holding uprooted pines, others huge rocks, some lighted torches, and others ox-killing axes.
§4.12.6ὁ δʼ ἀκαταπλήκτως ὑποστὰς ἀξίαν τῶν προκατειργασμένων συνεστήσατο μάχην.
But he, standing his ground without terror, joined a battle worthy of his previous achievements.
συνηγωνίζετο δʼ αὐτοῖς ἡ μήτηρ Νεφέλη πολὺν ὄμβρον ἐκχέουσα, διʼ οὗ τοὺς μὲν τετρασκελεῖς οὐκ ἔβλαπτε, τῷ δὲ δυσὶν ἠρεισμένῳ σκέλεσι τὴν βάσιν ὀλισθηρὰν κατεσκεύαζεν.
And their mother, Nephele, fought on their side, pouring down a great shower of rain, by which she did not harm the four-legged ones, but made the footing slippery for him who relied on two legs.
ἀλλʼ ὅμως τοὺς τοιούτοις προτερήμασι πλεονεκτοῦντας Ἡρακλῆς παραδόξως κατηγωνίσατο, καὶ τοὺς μὲν πλείστους ἀπέκτεινε, τοὺς δʼ ὑπολειφθέντας φυγεῖν ἠνάγκασε.
Nevertheless, Heracles surprisingly subdued those who had the advantage of such superiorities, and killed most of them, and forced those who were left behind to flee.
§4.12.7τῶν δʼ ἀναιρεθέντων Κενταύρων ὑπῆρχον ἐπιφανέστατοι Δάφνις καὶ Ἀργεῖος καὶ Ἀμφίων, ἔτι δὲ Ἱπποτίων καὶ Ὄρειος καὶ Ἰσοπλὴς καὶ Μελαγχαίτης, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις Θηρεὺς καὶ Δούπων καὶ Φρίξος.
Of the slain Centaurs, the most famous were Daphnis, Argeius, and Amphion, and further Hippotion, Oreius, Isoples, and Melanchaetes, and in addition to these, Thereus, Dupon, and Phrixus.
τῶν δὲ διαφυγόντων τὸν κίνδυνον ὕστερον ἕκαστος τιμωρίας ἠξιώθη· ὅμαδος μὲν γὰρ ἐν Ἀρκαδίᾳ τὴν Εὐρυσθέως ἀδελφὺν Ἀλκυόνην βιαζόμενος ἀνῃρέθη.
And of those who escaped the danger, each was afterwards deemed worthy of punishment; for Homadus, while forcing Eurystheus' sister Alcyone in Arcadia, was slain.
ἐφʼ ᾧ συνέβη θαυμασθῆναι τὸν Ἡρακλέα διαφερόντως· τὸν μὲν γὰρ ἐχθρὸν κατʼ ἰδίαν ἐμίσησε, τὴν δʼ ὑβριζομένην ἐλεῶν ἐπιεικείᾳ διαφέρειν ὑπελάμβανεν.
On which account it happened that Heracles was admired exceedingly; for though he hated his enemy personally, yet pitying the woman who was being abused, he considered it right to excel in decency.
§4.12.8ἴδιον δέ τι συνέβη καὶ περὶ τὸν Ἡρακλέους φίλον τὸν ὀνομαζόμενον Φόλον.
And something peculiar happened also concerning the friend of Heracles called Pholus.
οὗτος γὰρ διὰ τὴν συγγένειαν θάπτων τοὺς πεπτωκότας Κενταύρους, καὶ βέλος ἔκ τινος ἐξαιρῶν, ὑπὸ τῆς ἀκίδος ἐπλήγη, καὶ τὸ τραῦμα ἔχων ἀνίατον ἐτελεύτησεν.
For he, burying the fallen Centaurs because of their kinship, and drawing an arrow out of one of them, was struck by the barb, and having an incurable wound, he died.
ὃν Ἡρακλῆς μεγαλοπρεπῶς θάψας ὑπὸ τὸ ὄρος ἔθηκεν, ὃ στήλης ἐνδόξου γέγονε κρεῖττον· Φολόη γὰρ ὀνομαζόμενον διὰ τῆς ἐπωνυμίας μηνύει τὸν ταφέντα καὶ οὐ διʼ ἐπιγραφῆς.
Heracles buried him magnificently and placed him under the mountain, which became better than a glorious monument; for being named Pholoe, through its homonymous name it indicates the one who was buried, and not through an inscription.
ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ Χείρωνα τὸν ἐπὶ τῇ ἰατρικῇ θαυμαζόμενον ἀκουσίως τόξου βολῇ διέφθειρε.
Likewise, he also destroyed accidentally by a shot of his bow Chiron, who was admired for his medical skill.
καὶ περὶ μὲν τῶν Κενταύρων ἱκανῶς ἡμῖν εἰρήσθω.
And concerning the Centaurs, let this suffice for our account.