Editing Labours of Hercules (section)

===Ninth: Belt of Hippolyta===
[[File:The magic girdle of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons.jpg|thumb|The magic girdle of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons]]
As his ninth labour, Heracles travelled to the land of the Amazons to bring back the Belt of [[Hippolyta]], the queen of the [[Amazons]]. According to Apollodorus, the belt was gifted to Hippolyta by her father [[Ares]], as an emblem of her position as queen.<ref>Hard, [https://books.google.com/books?id=r1Y3xZWVlnIC&pg=PA263 p. 263]; [[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0548.tlg001.perseus-eng1:2.5.9 2.5.9].</ref> In his account, Eurystheus set Heracles the task because his daughter [[Admete]] wanted to have the belt for herself.<ref>Gantz, p. 399; [[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0548.tlg001.perseus-eng1:2.5.9 2.5.9].</ref> In earlier sources, however, the purpose of the labour was seemingly for Heracles to overcome the Amazons, with Eurystheus requiring the belt as evidence of his success.<ref>Gantz, p. 398.</ref>

Accompanied by a group of companions, Heracles set sail for the land of Amazons, which was generally believed to be along the shore at the southern end of the [[Black Sea]].<ref>Hard, [https://books.google.com/books?id=r1Y3xZWVlnIC&pg=PA263 p. 263].</ref> Sources vary on who came with him: [[Hellanicus of Lesbos|Hellanicus]] states that he was accompanied by all of the [[Argonauts]],<ref>Mayor, [https://books.google.com/books?id=l1c1EAAAQBAJ&pg=PA126 p. 126]; [[Hellanicus of Lesbos|Hellanicus]], [https://books.google.com/books?id=j0nRE4C2WBgC&pg=PA193 fr. 106 Fowler, p. 193] [= Scholia on [[Pindar]]'s ''Nemean'' 3.64b].</ref> while [[Pindar]] mentions that [[Peleus]] came on the voyage,<ref>Gantz, p. 398; [[Pindar]], [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/pindar-fragments/1997/pb_LCL485.407.xml fr. 172 Race, pp. 406, 407] [= Scholia on [[Euripides]]' ''[[Andromache (play)|Andromache]]'', 796.</ref> [[Philochorus]] considered [[Theseus]] to have been his companion,<ref>Hard, [https://books.google.com/books?id=r1Y3xZWVlnIC&pg=PA357 p. 357]; ''[[Brill's New Jacoby|BNJ]]'' [https://scholarlyeditions.brill.com/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:fgrh.0328.bnjo-2-tr1-eng:f110 328 F110].</ref> and an early Corinthian vase shows [[Iolaus]] and another figure named Pasimelon by his side.<ref>Amyx, p. 557; Gantz, p. 397.</ref> The number of ships they leave in also varies: Apollodorus says they went in a single ship,<ref name="2.5.9">[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0548.tlg001.perseus-eng1:2.5.9 2.5.9].</ref> while [[Herodotus]] states that there were three, and in a late account there were nine.<ref>Mayor, [https://books.google.com/books?id=l1c1EAAAQBAJ&pg=PA126 p. 126].</ref> Apollodorus relates that on the way to [[Themiscyra (Pontus)|Themiscyra]], where the Amazons lived, he and his crew stopped at the island of [[Paros]], where several of the sons of [[Minos]] lived; when these sons killed two of Heracles' companions, he retaliated by murdering them. When he began threatening others, he was offered two of Minos' grandchildren, [[Alcaeus (mythology)|Alcaeus]] and [[Sthenelus]], whom he took into his crew. Continuing on their voyage, they next arrived at the court of [[Lycus (mythology)|Lycus]] in [[Mysia]]; in a battle between Lycus and King [[Mygdon of Bebryces]], Heracles killed the rival king and gained land from the [[Bebryces]], and gifted it to Lycus, who named it Heraclea.<ref name="2.5.9"/>

All would have gone well for Heracles had it not been for Hera. Hippolyta, impressed with Heracles and his exploits, agreed to give him the belt and would have done so had Hera not disguised herself and walked among the Amazons sowing seeds of distrust. She claimed the strangers were plotting to carry off the queen of the Amazons. Alarmed, the warrior women set off on horseback to confront Heracles. According to [[Diodorus Siculus]], [[Aella (Amazon)|Aella]] was the first Amazon to charge Heracles. Her name, meaning "stormswift," signified her remarkable speed and agility, but even she could not withstand Heracles and was ultimately defeated.<ref>Diodorus Siculus, ''Bibliotheca historica'', 4.16.3</ref> Believing that Hippolyta had betrayed him, Heracles, now convinced of treachery, killed her, took the belt, and returned to Eurystheus.<ref name="Mayor2021">Mayor, pp. [https://books.google.com/books?id=l1c1EAAAQBAJ&pg=PA127 127], [https://books.google.com/books?id=l1c1EAAAQBAJ&pg=PA132 132].</ref>