high peace and security, but in Greece and the countries about it
the like villainies again revived and broke out, there being none
to repress or chastise them. It was therefore a very hazardous
journey to travel by land from Athens to Peloponnesus; and
Pittheus, giving him an exact account of each of these robbers and
villains, their strength, and the cruelty they used to all
strangers, tried to persuade Theseus to go by sea. But he, it
seems, had long since been secretly fired by the glory of
Hercules, held him in the highest estimation, and was never more
satisfied than in listening to any that gave an account of him;
especially those that had seen him, or had been present at any
action or saying of his. So that he was altogether in the same
state of feeling as, in after ages, Themistocles was, when he said
that he could not sleep for the trophy of Miltiades; entertaining
such admiration for the virtues of Hercules that in his dreams
were all of that hero's actions, and in the day a continual
emulation stirred him up to perform the like. Besides, they were
related, being born of own cousins. For Aethra was daughter of
Pittheus, and Alcmena of Lysidice; and Lysidice and Pittheus were
brother and sister, children of Hippodamia and Pelpos. He thought
it therefore a dishonorable thing, and not to be endured, that
Hercules should go out everywhere, and purge both land and sea
from the wicked men, and he should fly from the like adventures
that actually came his way; not showing his true father as good
evidence of the greatness of his birth by noble and worthy
actions, as by the tokens that he brought with him, the shoes and
the sword.

With this mind and these thoughts, he set forward with a design to
do injury to nobody, but to repel and avenge himself of all those