It came to pass that when Heracles had cleared
The field of Augeias and had appeared
Once more before Eurystheus, the will
Of the king was that Heracles should kill
Or drive away the flock of birds who loosed
Much trouble on the land whene’er from their roost
They sallied forth. Their feathers were the darts
They shot, which pierced the livers and the hearts
Of men, of whom they made their bloody meal,
As was their savage wont and awful weal.
But for the fear of wolves, they did forsake
The land and make their nest within the lake
Of Stymphalis, which was in a forest;
There they were never harried or distressed.
When Heracles beheld that feathered swarm
Spread o’er the lake, and safe from every harm,
He was troubled, and knew not what to do
Until the gray-eyed goddess came unto
Him and bestowed bronze castanets, which she
Had gotten from Hephaistos. Then swiftly
He climbed a mountain near the lake and shook
The castanets: the birds full of fear betook
Them to the skies, affrighted at the noise,
And like a panic which the host destroys,
They made themselves a prey, for they were shot
By Heracles and died upon the spot.
Like rain they fell unto the earth and fed
The ground with blood. Then once the birds were dead
Did Heracles to Eurystheus return,
And by th’ accomplishment of the deed did earn
A labour which counted towards the ten,
With admiration from all other men.

The field of Augeias was soiled with dung,
Which all his cattle across it had slung,
And Eurystheus said that in one day
Heracles should clear all the dung away.
Augeias was king of Elis; his birth
None could manage for certain to unearth;
For some said he was the son of the Sun,
And others that his father was Poseidon,
Or that he was the son of Phorbas; and
Many herds of cattle lived on his land.
Heracles said he’d remove it for a price;
One tenth of the cattle for this would suffice,
And he would remove it all in a day,
And so Augeias agreed that he’d pay
The sum of the cattle, and the witness
Of this was Augeias’ son Phyleus.
Then Heracles made a breach at the base
Of the wall of the yard; another space
To serve as an egress he made in the same,
Then diverted the rivers so that they came
And flooded the pasture, both Alpheios,
And near to him the flowing Peneios.
Then into the field the two rivers rushed,
And all of the cattle’s manure was flushed
Away. But Augeias learned that the deed
Was ordered by Eurystheus; no heed
He gave to his word, and even denied
He’d sworn to pay: “Let the matter be tried,”
He declared, and called judges to consider:
But Phyleus testified that his father
Agreed to pay Heracles a reward;
Augeias heard this, and in rage he roared,
Before the voting could even commence,
That Heracles and Phyleus go thence
At once. To Doulikhion Phyleus went,
But unto Olenos Heracles bent
His course and visited Dexamenos,
Whom vexation had bound tight in its throes;
The Centaur Eurytion gave no recourse:
Dexamenos must give his daughter by force.
But when Heracles had come, he besought
His help in this matter, so Heracles fought
And killed Eurytion. As for the labour,
Eurystheus would not consent to honour
It, because it had been done for reward;
So towards the ten, this one was not scored.

The fourth of the labours that Heracles wrought,
Was when the boar of Erymanthus was caught.
Eurystheus’ word was ‘bring it alive’;
For since the time that the boar did arrive
In Psophis, it had wrought havoc; its fear
Was sown in the hearts of all who were near.
Down from the mountain, it ravaged and raged,
And still all its wrath could not be assuaged.
But when Heracles had gone on his way,
He came to the Centaur Pholos on a day.
The Centaur prepared a feast for his guest,
And roasted some meat which himself had dressed:
He served it to Heracles, but other meat
That was raw was what he himself did eat.
But when Heracles requested some wine,
Pholos was afeared, and said ‘It’s not mine.’
In common the wine of the Centaurs was held,
And Pholos because of this bond was compelled
Not to open the jar, but Heracles bid
Him to take courage and took off the lid.
But shortly thereafter the smell of the wine
Had reached the Centaurs, the odour a sign
Of theft, and they all came armed for a fight
With fir trees and rocks, to show forth their might,
Up unto the entrance of Pholos’ cave;
The first of that tribe who showed themselves brave
Were Anchios and Agrios, who fled
When bright flaming brands towards them were sped,
Which Heracles hurled, and he chased all the rest
With arrows, and these were greatly distressed,
And flew thence to Malea for respite
From Heracles, whom they had sought to fight,
With Chiron, who lodged them, but couldn’t conceal
Their presence, so Heracles on them did steal.
He let loose an arrow, which shot through the limb
Of Elatos, and struck not only him:
Chiron was pierced by the point of the dart
In his knee, and Heracles gave a start.
He rushed to Chiron, and pulled out the shaft,
And smeared on the wound a potion whose craft
Was unequalled; the same Chiron had made:
But the course of the poison couldn’t be stayed.
Chiron in anguish desired to die,
But Zeus with his wish refused to comply,
Until Prometheus offered to live
As an immortal instead: then did Zeus give
Unto him his wish, and so Chiron died.
Relief from his pains to him was supplied.
The other Centaurs ran away with haste,
But none of them by Heracles were chased.
Some went thence to Malea, while Nessos
Betook himself to the river Evenos.
But to Pholoe went Eurytion;
All the others were received by Poseidon
At Eleusis; there did the god bequeath
To the Centaurs a hiding place beneath
A mountain. But, Pholos pulled an arrow
Out of a carcass, wondering that so
Small a blade could fell beasts of giant size
(But who is poisoned also surely dies);
He dropped it on his foot – bitter hopelessness! –
Instantly he died, for his carelessness.
But Heracles returned, and saw him dead,
And digged, and made his corpse in earth a bed.
Then, after this he went to seek the boar,
And chased it from a wood, when he gave a roar.
He followed it until the beast was tired,
And in exhaustion all its strength expired;
And so, he caught it with a noose, and brought
Back to Mycenae the beast that he’d caught.