In Grecian fable, Hercules is said to have been swallowed by a whale, at a place called Joppa, _and to have lain three days in his entrails_.
Bernard de Montfaucon, speaking of Jonah being swallowed by a whale, and describing a piece of Grecian sculpture representing Hercules standing by a huge sea monster, says:
"Some ancients relate to the effect that Hercules was also swallowed by the whale that was watching Hesione, _that he remained three days in his belly_, and that he came out bald-pated after his sojourn there."[78:2]
Bouchet, in his "Hist. d'Animal," tells us that:
"The great fish which swallowed up _Jonah_, although it be called a whale (Matt. xii. 40), yet it was not a whale, properly so called, but a _Dog-fish_, called _Carcharias_. Therefore in the Grecian fable _Hercules_ is said to have been swallowed up of a _Dag_, and to have lain three days in his entrails."[78:3]
"The story of _Jonas_ swallowed up by a whale, is nothing but part of the fiction of _Hercules_, described in the Heracleid or Labors of Hercules, of whom the same story was told, and who was swallowed up at the very same place, _Joppa_, and for the same period of time, _three days_. Lycophron says that Hercules was three nights in the belly of a fish."[78:4]
We have still another similar story in that of "_Arion the Musician_," who, being thrown overboard, was caught on the back of a _Dolphin_ and landed safe on shore. The story is related in "Tales of Ancient Greece," as follows:
Arion was a Corinthian harper who had travelled in Sicily and
Italy, and had accumulated great wealth. Being desirous of again seeing his native city, he set sail from Taras for Corinth. The sailors in the ship, having seen the large boxes full of money which Arion had brought with him into the ship, made up their minds to kill him and take his gold and silver. So one day when he was sitting on the bow of the ship, and looking down on the dark blue sea, three or four of the sailors came to him and said they were going to kill him. Now Arion knew they said this because they wanted his money; so he promised to give them all he had if they would spare his life. But they would not. Then he asked them to let him jump into the sea. When they had given him leave to do this, Arion took one last look at the bright and sunny sky, and then leaped into the sea, and the sailors saw him no more. But Arion was not drowned in the sea, for a great fish called a dolphin was swimming by the ship when Arion leaped over; and it caught him on its back and swam away with him towards Corinth. So presently the fish came close to the shore and left Arion on the beach, and swam away again into the deep sea.[79:1]
