And when she had thus spoken she gave up the ghost.

Then the King said to the old men that were gathered together to comfort
him, "I will see to this burial. And do ye sing a hymn as is meet to the
god of the dead. And to all my people I make this decree: that they
mourn for this woman, and clothe themselves in black, and shave their
heads, and that such as have horses cut off their manes, and that there
be not heard in the city the voice of the flute or the sound of the harp
for the space of twelve months."

Then the old men sang the hymn as they had been bidden. And when they
had finished, it befell that Hercules, who was on a journey, came to the
palace and asked whether King Admetus was sojourning there.

And the old men answered, "'Tis even so, Hercules. But what, I pray
thee, bringeth thee to this land?"

"I am bound on an errand for King Eurystheus; even to bring back to him
horses of King Diomed."

"How wilt thou do this? Dost thou not know this Diomed?"

"I know nought of him, nor of his land."

"Thou wilt not master him or his horses without blows."

"Even so, yet I may not refuse the tasks that are set to me."

"Thou art resolved then to do this thing or to die?"