#pheltes

Nemea, Argolis

“In these mountains the cave of the Nemean lion is yet to be seen, and the village Nemea is distant from hence about fifteen stadia. There is a temple of Nemean Zeus in this place well worthy of inspection, though the roof of it has fallen off, and no statue is left. About the temple there is a grove of cypresses: and they report, that Opheltes, being placed here on the grass by his nurse, was destroyed by a dragon. But the Argives sacrifice to Zeus in Nemea, and choose a priest for Nemean Zeus . They propose, besides this, a contest of the course to armed men, which is celebrated in the winter. The sepulchre of Opheltes, too, is in this place, about which there is an inclosure of stones, and there are certain altars within the inclosure. There is also a tomb raised from turf, of Lycurgus the father of Opheltes; but they call the fountain Adrastia, either because Adrastus discovered it, or for some other reason. They say, however, that the region was denominated from Nemea, the daughter of Asopus.”

— Pausanias

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“It appears, however, from the present passage, that a part of one of them consisted in explaining the labours of Hercules, who, like Odysseus, is an allegorical character, representing the progress of a man from the impurity of a sensible life, till he acquires the perfection and purity of a life intellectual and divine. Hence Proclus on Plato's Republic, ‘Hercules being purified by sacred initiations, and having acquired undefiled advantages, deserved a perfect establishment among the gods.’ We may conceive, therefore, that by the club of Hercules is meant philosophy, and by his lion's skin, prudence; through whose assistance he tamed the passions, those monsters of the soul, and destroyed vain cogitations: both which are occultly signified by the twelve labours he endured.”