ABSTRACT
In The Clouds, Aristophanes answered the question ‘tell me of the sons of Zeus who do you reckon was the best man in soul and performed most labours (ponoi)?’, as follows: ‘I judge no man better than Heracles.’1 In the story, as young Heracles contemplates which course he should take in life, two women approach him. One embodies both Happiness and Mischief and promises him the easiest and most enjoyable course of life. The other, Virtue (Aretê), says that she will always tell him the truth, while adding, ‘of all that is good and noble the gods give nothing to man without toil and diligence. But’, Virtue continues, ‘after completing such labours, Heracles, child of noble parents, you can win the most blessed happiness’.2 The path that Heracles chose is well known.
