Omphale

Heracles returned to Thebes after his labours and gave Megara to Iolaos. He then sought a new marriage. He went to Oichalia, where King Eurytos had offered his daughter Iole to whoever could defeat him and his sons at archery. Heracles surpassed them, but Eurytos refused to give him Iole. Eurytos and his sons feared that Heracles might kill his children, as he had done before. Soon afterwards, cattle were stolen from Euboea. Eurytos suspected Heracles, although his eldest son Iphitos did not. Iphitos went to meet Heracles and was killed by him.

Heracles was struck by a severe illness because of the murder. He went to Delphi and asked how he could be freed from it, but the Pythia refused to answer. He seized the tripod and tried to carry it away so that he could establish an oracle of his own. Apollo confronted him, and they fought until Zeus hurled a thunderbolt between them. The oracle then declared that Heracles would recover if he were sold into slavery for three years and the price paid for him were given to Eurytos as compensation. Hermes put him up for sale, and Omphale, daughter of Iardanos and queen of Lydia, bought him. She had inherited the kingdom after the death of her husband, Tmolos. Eurytos refused the money when it was offered.

While serving Omphale, Heracles regained his strength. He drove the robbers from her territory and performed other tasks that required courage and physical power. When Omphale discovered that her slave was the famous Heracles, she granted him his freedom. One account says that she also offered him her hand and her kingdom. During his time at her palace, Omphale took his lion skin and club and wore them, while Heracles dressed in women’s clothing and sat at her feet spinning wool. He told her about his former adventures as he worked. When his period of bondage ended, he left the palace and regained control of his actions.