§4.39.1διόπερ ὡς ἥρωι ποιήσαντες ἁγισμοὺς καὶ χώματα κατασκευάσαντες ἀπηλλάγησαν εἰς Τραχῖνα.
Therefore, having performed the sacred rites as for a hero and having constructed mounds, they departed for Trachis.
μετὰ δὲ τούτους Μενοίτιος ὁ Ἄκτορος υἱός, φίλος ὢν Ἡρακλεῖ, κάπρον καὶ ταῦρον καὶ κριὸν θύσας ὡς ἥρωι κατέδειξε κατʼ ἐνιαυτὸν ἐν Ὀποῦντι θύειν καὶ τιμᾶν ὡς ἥρωα τὸν Ἡρακλέα.
After them, Menoetius the son of Actor, being a friend to Heracles, having sacrificed a boar, a bull, and a ram as for a hero, established the custom of sacrificing and honoring Heracles as a hero every year in Opus.
τὸ παραπλήσιον δὲ καὶ τῶν Θηβαίων ποιησάντων, Ἀθηναῖοι πρῶτοι τῶν ἄλλων ὡς θεὸν ἐτίμησαν θυσίαις τὸν Ἡρακλέα, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀνθρώποις παράδειγμα τὴν ἑαυτῶν εἰς τὸν θεὸν εὐσέβειαν ἀποδείξαντες προετρέψαντο τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἅπαντας Ἕλληνας, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα καὶ τοὺς κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἀνθρώπους ἅπαντας ὡς θεὸν τιμᾶν τὸν Ἡρακλέα.
And when the Thebans did likewise, the Athenians were the first of all to honor Heracles with sacrifices as a god, and by displaying to the rest of mankind their own piety toward the god, they exhorted first all the Greeks, and after this also all the inhabitants of the inhabited world, to honor Heracles as a god.
§4.39.2προσθετέον δʼ ἡμῖν τοῖς εἰρημένοις ὅτι μετὰ τὴν ἀποθέωσιν αὐτοῦ Ζεὺς Ἥραν μὲν ἔπεισεν υἱοποιήσασθαι τὸν Ἡρακλέα καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν εἰς τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον μητρὸς εὔνοιαν παρέχεσθαι, τὴν δὲ τέκνωσιν γενέσθαι φασὶ τοιαύτην· τὴν Ἥραν ἀναβᾶσαν ἐπὶ κλίνην καὶ τὸν Ἡρακλέα προσλαβομένην πρὸς τὸ σῶμα διὰ τῶν ἐνδυμάτων ἀφεῖναι πρὸς τὴν γῆν, μιμουμένην τὴν ἀληθινὴν γένεσιν· ὅπερ μέχρι τοῦ νῦν ποιεῖν τοὺς βαρβάρους ὅταν θετὸν υἱὸν ποιεῖσθαι βούλωνται.
But we must add to what has been said that after his deification, Zeus persuaded Hera to adopt Heracles as her son and henceforth for all time to show him the goodwill of a mother; and they say that this adoption took place in the following manner: Hera, having gone up onto a bed and having drawn Heracles close to her body, let him slip through her garments to the ground, mimicking real birth; which thing the barbarians do even to this day when they wish to adopt a son.
§4.39.3τὴν δʼ Ἥραν μετὰ τὴν τέκνωσιν μυθολογοῦσι συνοικίσαι τὴν Ἥβην τῷ Ἡρακλεῖ, περὶ ἧς καὶ τὸν ποιητὴν τεθεικέναι κατὰ τὴν Νεκυίαν εἴδωλον, αὐτὸς δὲ μετʼ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσι τέρπεται ἐν θαλίαις καὶ ἔχει καλλίσφυρον Ἥβην. §4.39.4τὸν δʼ οὖν Ἡρακλέα λέγουσι καταλεγόμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ Διὸς εἰς τοὺς δώδεκα θεοὺς μὴ προσδέξασθαι τὴν τιμὴν ταύτην· ἀδύνατον γὰρ ἦν τοῦτον καταλεχθῆναι μὴ πρότερον ἑνὸς τῶν δώδεκα θεῶν ἐκβληθέντος· ἄτοπον οὖν εἶναι προσδέξασθαι τιμὴν ἑτέρῳ θεῷ φέρουσαν ἀτιμίαν.
And they relate in myth that after the adoption, Hera united Hebe in marriage with Heracles, concerning whom the poet also has set down in the Nekyia: "an image, but he himself among the immortal gods delights in banquets and has fair-ankled Hebe." At any rate, they say that when Heracles was being enrolled by Zeus into the twelve gods, he did not accept this honor; for it was impossible for him to be enrolled unless one of the twelve gods were first cast out; and it would therefore be unfitting to accept an honor that brought dishonor to another god.
περὶ μὲν οὖν Ἡρακλέους εἰ καὶ πεπλεονάκαμεν, ἀλλʼ οὖν οὐδὲν τῶν μυθολογουμένων περὶ αὐτοῦ
Now, concerning Heracles, even if we have spoken at too great length, yet indeed nothing of the myths told about him