Geryon of the Shambling Oxen
The key point in the lost Geryoneis by the poet Stesichorus seems to be whether our hero would prove a deathless god or a short-lived mortal in the fight to come with Hēraklēs. Read more
Herakles
Rhodes: the Isle of Helios
"The ancient stories of men tell that when Zeus and the immortals were dividing the earth among them, Rhodes was not yet visible in the expanse of the sea, but the island was hidden in the salty depths. Helios was absent, and no one marked out a share for him; in fact they left him without any allotment of land, although he was a holy god." In this post, I… Read more
Gallery | Hēraklēs, part 2: Other depictions of Hēraklēs
"Even by the look of him it was plain that he was a son of Zeus; for his body measured four cubits, and he flashed a gleam of fire from his eyes; and he did not miss, neither with the bow nor with the javelin." Apart from the Labors, there were many other episodes in the myth of Hēraklēs, and these also provided inspiration for artworks and visual representations. In… Read more
Gallery | Hēraklēs, part 1: the Labors
The Hēraklēs myths have inspired many artworks from classical times onward: he is probably the most represented of all the ancient Greek heroes. So we have prepared two galleries with a selection. This first includes depictions of the Twelve Labors of Hēraklēs. Read more
Hēraklēs and the Sea
During his numerous and formidable adventures Hēraklēs had to face the sea and to brave storms. In this post we are exploring some of Hēraklēs’ maritime journeys. He assembled large fleets for distant expeditions. While on one of his labors he also set up the Pillars of Hēraklēs, very far away from Greece. And he traveled in the golden cup-boat of Helios. Read more