31.1Postquam ex īnsulā Crētā rediit, Herculēs ab Eurystheō in Thrāciam missus est, ut equōs Diomēdis redūceret.After he returned from the island of Crete, Hercules was sent by Eurystheus into Thrace, to bring back the horses of Diomedes. 31.2Hī equī carne hominum vēscēbantur; Diomēdēs autem, vir crūdēlissimus, illīs obiciēbat peregrīnōs omnīs quī in eam regiōnem vēnerant.These horses fed on human flesh; and Diomedes, a very cruel man, threw to them all the strangers who had come into that region. 31.3Herculēs igitur magnā celeritāte in Thrāciam contendit et ab Diomēde postulāvit ut equī sibi trāderentur.So Hercules hurried into Thrace with great speed and demanded of Diomedes that the horses be handed over to him.Note. postulō, like imperō, takes ut + subjunctive. sibi refers back to Hercules. 31.4Cum tamen ille hoc facere nōllet, Herculēs īrā commōtus rēgem interfēcit et cadāver eius equīs obicī iussit.But since Diomedes refused to do this, Hercules, moved to anger, killed the king and ordered his body to be thrown to the horses.Note. īrā commōtus … interfēcit: often best translated with two verbs: 'became furious and killed'. 31.5Ita mīra rērum commūtātiō facta est; is enim quī anteā multōs cum cruciātū necāverat ipse eōdem suppliciō necātus est.So a wonderful change of fortune took place; for the man who had before killed many people with torture was himself killed by the same punishment.Note. mīra rērum commūtātiō: noun, adjective and genitive in this order is common.
31.6Cum haec nūntiāta essent, omnēs quī eam regiōnem incolēbant maximā laetitiā adfectī sunt et Herculī meritam grātiam referēbant.When this was reported, all who lived in that region were filled with the greatest joy and gave Hercules the thanks he deserved. 31.7Nōn modo maximīs honōribus et praemiīs eum decorāvērunt sed ōrābant etiam ut regnum ipse susciperet.They not only honored him with the greatest honors and rewards, but also begged him to take the kingship himself.Note. modo, 'only', is the adverb; modō with a long ō is the ablative of modus. 31.8Ille tamen hoc facere nōlēbat, et cum ad mare rediisset, nāvem occupāvit.He, however, did not want to do this, and when he had returned to the sea, he took possession of a ship. 31.9Ubi omnia ad nāvigandum parāta sunt, equōs in nāvī conlocāvit; deinde, cum idōneam tempestātem nactus esset, sine morā ē portū solvit, et paulō post equōs in lītus Argolicum exposuit.When everything was ready for sailing, he put the horses on board; then, when he had found suitable weather, he set sail from the harbor without delay, and a little later landed the horses on the shore of Argolis.Note. ad nāvigandum: ad + gerund shows purpose, 'for sailing'. post here is an adverb, 'later'.