The Twelve Labours of Hercules

by Joe Corcoran

Troezen - the place they were learning to call home.

  The Ninth Challenge: Hippolyte’s Girdle

  As their boat came into the harbour at Troezen, Hercules spotted a strange figure waiting on the quayside. It was a man, tall and of noble bearing. He carried his armour on his back, obviously a warrior - always at the ready. But what was strange was his shield. It had an odd lumpy shape to it and it was covered in coarse sack cloth, tightly bound about in leather straps - almost as if to keep something trapped inside. Hercules recognised him at once, even before Iolaus whispered the man’s name in amazement – “Perseus!”. Indeed, it was that great hero who had defeated Medusa and now had the power to turn whole armies to stone.

  “If Perseus is here,” said Iolaus, excitement showing in his voice, “it can only mean that we already have another challenge,” then, more cautiously, he added, “It must be a very dangerous challenge for Zeus to have sent us a hero of such power.”

  Hercules said nothing, but he agreed, and deep down even he felt a little nervous.

  Perseus greeted Hercules as soon as the galley reached the quay. He told Hercules to come with him to the palace, where he said Pittheus was waiting.

  “Have your men make that galley ready for departure,” he added, “we will need to be on our way as soon as possible.”

  “We’re our own men, and no-one else’s,” snapped back the captain, angrily, “but we’ll go anywhere with Hercules. He’s good for business.”

  Leaving the captain and his crew to sell their cargo of spices and restock the galley, Perseus and Hercules made straight for the palace. There they found Pittheus pacing up and down his throne room, looking upset and uncomfortable. When the two heroes entered, he became a little more calm and began to explain.

  “My daughter is getting married,” he blurted out, “she will marry a prince from a neighbouring city. He is a good man, and together they will go out and found a new city of their own.”

  “That’s wonderful news. Congratulations!” Hercules blurted out. He couldn’t see what the problem was. Perseus silenced him with a look while Pittheus continued.

  “Here, in my city, I have been able to protect her, but what can I do when she is so far away. She is still young, and doesn’t see the dangers all around like I do.”

  Pittheus began to pace again, and wiped away some beads of sweat that had formed on his brow.

  “I would like you to bring for me Hippolyte’s Girdle. This piece of clothing has magical powers that mean the wearer is immune from all poisons and disease. It will be a wedding gift for my daughter, and it will keep her safe when I no longer can.”

  “Right,” said Hercules, turning on his heel and heading for the door, “consider it done.”

  Then he stopped as a thought stuck him.

  “It would have been better if the challenge had been closer,” he said, remembering that Hippolyte, the current owner of the girdle, lived far to the north, at least a week’s journey away by sea.

  He shrugged and continued to the door - there were still three and a half months left. Then he stopped again as another thought struck him. Hippolyte was queen of the Amazons, a race of female warriors who formed, perhaps, the most feared army in the world.

  “Yes,” he said quietly, “Zeus means to really test me. He could not have picked a more difficult challenge.”

  There was an awkward silence in the throne room.

  “This challenge is from Zeus?” asked Hercules.

  Pittheus looked at his feet while he answered. “Zeus told you that I would provide twelve challenges,” said Pittheus, and Hercules nodded to say that this was true, “so if I choose a challenge myself, then in a way, it does come from Zeus.”

  “Then why do you look so nervous?” asked Hercules.

  Again Pittheus looked at his feet, but as he answered he looked Hercules straight in the eye.

  “I’ve always done the best I could for my subjects, and I’ve never asked one thing for myself … until now.”

  “No,” said Hercules, in a firm tone that made Pittheus look back at the floor, “you are mistaken, great king. Even now you do not ask for yourself, but for your daughter.”

  Back at the harbour, Iolaus and the sailors had been busy getting everything ready for their departure. The captain had made a good deal with a local trader, and the spices had been unloaded. Iolaus had been busy buying all the provisions they would need for a long journey. The only question that remained was what to take as cargo for the trip. When Hercules arrived back, and explained where they were going there was silence, followed by an excited babble of voices as everyone threw out ideas.

  “Jewellery, women love jewellery.”

  “These are not normal women, they are warriors. What need would they have for baubles and trinkets.”

  “Weapons then, and armour.”

  “The Amazons are descended from Ares, the god of war. He blessed them with the skills to make the best weapons in the world - and all our armour is made for men, it would not fit women.”

  “What about wine? Wine worked last time.”

  “Aye, wine might work. Everyone loves wine.”

  “Something else everyone likes. Salt. They like a bit of salt to give flavour to their food.”

  “And olive oil, how about that? I’ve heard that the Amazons live so far north that olives don’t grow up there. Imagine that.”

  And so it was decided that they would take a cargo of salt, wine and olive oil. One of these would surely tempt the Amazons, and maybe all three. With this decision made, crewmen were despatched to all corners of the city, and soon returned with chests and amphorae, all of which Hercules loaded in double quick time.

  The voyage was long and difficult. The winds usually blew from the north, so to go north they often had to resort to the oars. Fortunately, Hercules and Perseus were strong oarsmen. Hercules was the strongest man in the world. Perseus was a fearless warrior, who tested himself against the very sea itself. Just a mortal man, he would take an oar on the port side, while Hercules rowed on the starboard. Perseus would keep pace for several hours until his hands began to bleed, then tearing his cloak to make bandages, he would row on for several hours more. Eventually the demigod Hercules would win against the mortal. After that, it would take twenty men rowing opposite Hercules to keep the galley on a straight course.

  After a week and a day the galley made landfall, and Perseus was the first to spot the way forward.

  “Over there,” he cried, “I see the delta of the river Thermodon. We must sail up the river to reach the land of the Amazons.”

  Up the river they went, using sail and oars. Sometimes the river became so shallow that they used their oars as poles to push the boat along. After only a few hours of travel up the river their progress was abruptly halted. Out of nowhere, an arrow thunked into the side of the galley. Everyone on board scrambled to grab spears and shields, then stood ready at the ships rail to repel an attack. They had been travelling through a landscape of flat, rocky fields, that seemed to provide no hiding place for the enemy. But even as the sailors scanned the fields in vain to find their attacker, a woman’s voice came from nowhere.

  “You are surrounded. Surrender or you will be shot down where you stand.”

  Hercules grasped his club more tightly, and made ready to spring to the shore. His cloak would stop any arrows, but the sailors and Iolaus had no such protection. How many enemies were out there, and how many arrows could they fire before he defeated them? To his right he could sense Perseus loosening the straps binding his shield. Things were about to get out of control, when …

  “Hold your fire,” shouted the captain, “we are traders bringing rare goods from the city of Troezen. We wish to trade for fine Amazonian weapons. We are not here to fight, but we will fight to defend our cargo from pirates.”

  “Well spoken,” shouted the voice in reply, “but do I look like a pirate to you?”

  At this, a figure emerged close to the bank of the river, seeming
to rise out of the ground itself. It was a woman, not large but with muscles that looked like they were forged from iron. She wore leather armour, which covered her torso, and thick padding was wrapped around her legs - tied in place with leather straps. In one hand she carried a short bow, and on the other arm was strapped a shield shaped like the crescent moon. The shield shone like silver in the sunlight.

  “Put down your weapons, let me on board, and I will guarantee safe passage for you and your cargo. Otherwise …” and with this she made a quick hand gesture. All across the fields, on both banks of the river, women now emerged from behind rocks or from hidden hollows. Looking around, Hercules whistled softly through his teeth.

  “A good ambush,” he said quietly, “it looks like we’ve been lucky to avoid fighting an enemy such as this.” So saying, he softly laid his club on the deck of the galley.

  The amazon who boarded the galley - she said her name was Calyope - was as good as her word. She guided the galley upstream to the first city of the Amazons. There were, she explained, three tribes of Amazons. In theory all were equal, but in practice one tribe was stronger, and its leader, Hippolyte, was regarded as queen of all the Amazons. Therefore Calyope had brought them to Hippolyte’s city, where they moored to the wharf – a rickety old wooden platform. Traders seldom came to this land, and so there was no-one around when they arrived. Calyope went to find someone she called the Barter