King Diomedes

The king of Thrace in those years was Diomedes, a wild and evil man. Any foreigner who passed through there, while in all other Greece he was regarded as a holy person, here he faced a terrible death.

For Diomedes had some wild horses with jaws of bronze and teeth of iron. They stayed for days and nights tied up in the stables and fed only on human meat. All strangers were thrown on these wild horses. Eurystheus again ordered Heracles to go and bring them alive to Mycenae.

Hercules in Thrace

So Hercules set out with a few companions and a boat. Once he arrived in Thrace. But when they approached, they saw on the shore a great army. Diomedes had learned of his coming and sent his soldiers to catch him and throw him on his horses. The battle that took place was terrible, but Hercules was victorious and killed all the soldiers of the fierce king.

The completion of the feat

From there he went to the palace, where he caught Diomedes and threw him to the horses that ate him. Then he slowly accustomed them to eat grass. And one day he tied them tightly and brought them by boat to Mycenae. Eurystheus, when he saw them, was afraid again and ordered them to be set free. They say they then set off for Mount Olympus where they were lost. Surely the wild beasts must have eaten them.