Creon agreed to allow Amphitryon the use of the Theban army to punish the cattle thieves and recover the gold-but only if he first performed a favour for Thebes.

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    "What now?" thought Zeus, up on Mt Olympus and awaiting his chance with Alcmena. It transpired that Thebes was plagued by a savage vixen that had made its lair upon Mount Teumessos. The fox was so large it preyed not only upon chickens and small animals, but even upon children and the elderly.

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    "If you rid us of this pest", said Creon to Amphitryon, "I'll lend you my army". 

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   The Teumessian Vixen was so fast that no creature could catch it. With the unseen, cunning guidance of Zeus, Amphitryon visited Cephalos in Athens to borrow his dog, Laelaps, whose name means Hurricane. Nothing was fast enough to escape Laelaps.

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    Back in Thebes with his wonderful hound, Amphitryon set him on the trail of the Teumessian Vixen. What a chase that was-the uncatchable pursued by the inescapable!

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    The hunt went on and on and on, with neither animal making progress, until eventually Zeus couldn't stand it any longer. He turned them both to stone. Amphitryon went back to Creon. "It's done!" he said. "That vixen won't bother you anymore." Creaon turned the Theban forces over to him.

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    Alcmena had come to Thebes with Amphitryon, and she promised she would be there waiting for him when he came back victorious; and it was a splendid victory. His troops destroyed the bandits, retrieved the gold, and turned to march back to Thebes in triumph.

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    But Amphitryon's journey back to Thebes seemed to take forever-because Zeus had put a carefully-thought-out plan into action.

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    Zeus had long deliberated about what disguise he should adopt to get close to Alcmena. She was different from most of the Goddess and women he had seduced: a virtuous woman who would not betray her husband. He hit upon what seemed to him a perfect plan: he would take on the form of Amphitryon himself.

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    The siring of a Hero as great as this one would be was not something to be undertaken casually, and it could not be achieved in just one night. Zeus appointed Hermes, experienced in assisting in his Immortal father's amours, to arrange the timeline of this seduction.

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    Hermes went first to Helios, the Sun God, and ordered him to stay in his cave in the West, and not come around to the East to start a new day until told to. The Horae, or Hours, are daughters of Zeus and Themis: Eunomia [good order],Dice [justice],and Irene [peace]. They were told to count each hour three times before moving into the next.

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    Selene the Moon was commanded to shine brightly in the sky, not just for the duration of one night but for three consecutive nights. Eos the Dawn was given the same directions as Helios: don't call us, we'll call you. Eos spent this time in her cave with her mortal husband, Tithonus. Hypnos, God of Sleep, was ordered to have all the people in and around Thebes sleep soundly for all this long night, three times normal.

 

    Alcmena was delighted when Amphitryon suddenly appeared in the doorway. He was travel-stained and still in his battle dress, but he was home, and he was hers. Messengers had brought her the news of his victory over the cattle thieves, but she hadn't expected him home until morning. Yet here he was, her beloved husband. She hugged him tightly.

 

    Although he should have been exhausted from the battle and the long journey from Elis, Amphitryon didn't seem tired at all. As the long night wore on, he seemed to draw on reserves of energy. Between bouts of passionate lovemaking, he told her of the Theban army, how bravely they had fought. Though the bandits had desperately defended their stronghold, Amphitryon's leadership had inspired his troops to victory.

 

   Alcmena thrilled to hear her lover's stories of the battle. How modestly he spoke of his own heroism!   "But enough talk now. We have more important matters to attend to," he whispered in her ear.

 

    Helios, Selene, the Horae, Eos and Hypnos all followed Hermes' instructions. The only grumbling came from old Helios, the Sun Titan. "When Kronos was in charge, the days and nights were regular. He never went down to seduce maidens and interfere with my system!" As Kronos with his sickle is sometimes depicted as Old Father Time, and the term chronology is derived from his name, he probably did have more respect for Time that Zeus did.  

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