The Celts call Heracles Ogmios in their native tongue, and they portray the god in a very peculiar way. To their notion, he is extremely old, baldheaded, except for a few lingering hairs which are quite gray, his skin is wrinkled, and he is burned as black as can be, like an old sea-dog. You would think him a Charon. or a sub-Tartarean Iapetus Chief of the Titans, who warred on Zeus and after their defeat were buried for ever in the bowels of the earth, below
Tartarus. —
anything but Heracles! Yet, in spite of his looks,
he has the equipment of Heracles: he is dressed in
the lion’s skin, has the club in his right hand, carries
- the quiver at his side, displays the bent bow in his
left, and is Heracles from head to heel as far as
that goes.

 

I thought, therefore, that the Celts had
committed this offence against the good-looks of
Heracles to spite the Greek gods, and that they were
punishing him by means of the picture for having
once visited their country on a cattle-lifting foray,
at the time when he raided most of the western
nations in his quest-of the herds of Geryon.

 

But
I have not yet mentioned the most surprising thing



 

in the picture. That old Heracles of theirs drags
after him a great crowd of men who are all tethered
by the ears! His leashes are delicate chains
fashioned of gold and amber, resembling the
prettiest of necklaces. Yet, though led by bonds so
weak, the men do.not think of escaping, as they
easily could, and they do not pull back at all or brace
their feet and lean in the opposite direction to that
in which he is leading them. In fact, they follow
cheerfully and joyously, applauding their leader and
’ all pressing him close and keeping the leashes slack
in their desire to overtake him; apparently they
would be offended if they were let loose! But let
me tell you without delay what seemed to me the
strangest thing of all. Since the painter had no
place to which he could attach the ends of the
chains, as the god’s right hand already held the
club and his left the bow, he pierced the tip of his
tongue and represented him drawing the men by
that means! Moreover, he has his face turned
toward his captives, and is smiling.

 

I had stood for a long time, looking, wondering,
puzzling and fuming, when a Celt at my elbow, not
unversed in Greek lore, as he showed by his excellent
use of our language, and who had, apparently,
studied local traditions, said: “I will read you the
riddle of the picture, stranger, as you seem to be
very much disturbed about it. We Celts do not agree
with you Greeks in thinking that Hermes is
Eloquence: we identify Heracles with it, because heis far more powerful than Hermes. And don’t be
surprised: that he is represented as an old man, for
eloquence and eloquence alone is wont to show its


 

full vigour in old age, if your poets are right in
saying
 A young man hath a wandering wit Hom. Il. 3.108 .
and Old age has wiser words to say than youth. Eur. Phoen. 530 


That is why your Nestor’s tongue distils honey, Iliad 1, 249. and
why the Trojan counsellors have a voice like flowers Iliad 3, 152. 
(the flowers mentioned are lilies, if my memory
serves).


 

This being so, if old Heracles here drags
men after him who are tethered by the ears to
his tongue, don’t be surprised at that, either: you
know the kinship between ears and tongue. Nor is
it a slight upon him that his tongue is pierced.
Indeed,” said he, “I call to mind a line or two of
comedy which I learned in your country:
the talkative
Have, one and all, their tongues pierced at the tip. Source unknown (Kock, Com. Att. Fragm., adesp. 398).