Classical Mythology

Heracles

First he cleared the grove of Zeus of a lion, and put its skin upon his back, hiding his yellow hair in its fearful tawny gaping jaws.Euripides, Hercules, 359

1. Nemean Lion

Hercules with Athena and Hermes over the Nemean Lion. Color reconstruction of the Metope from the Temple of Zeus, Olympia, 460s.

2. Lernean Hydra

Hercules and the Lernean Hydra. Color reconstruction of the Metope from the Temple of Zeus, Olympia, 460s.

3. Cerynean Hind

Hercules and the Cerynean Hind. Color reconstruction of the Metope from the Temple of Zeus, Olympia, 460s.

4. Erymanthian Boar

Hercules and the Erymanthian Boar Presented to Eurystheus. Color reconstruction of the Metope from the Temple of Zeus, Olympia, 460s.

5. Augean Stables

Herakles and Athena at the Augean Stables. Metope from the Temple of Zeus, Olympia, 460s. Olympia, Archeological Museum.

6. Stymphalian Birds

Herakles Presenting Athena the Stymphalian Birds. Metope from the Temple of Zeus, Olympia, 460s. Olympia, Archeological Museum.

7. Cretan Bull

Herakles and the Cretan Bull. Metope from the Temple of Zeus, Olympia, 460s. Olympia, Archeological Museum.

8. Mares of Diomedes

He mounted on a chariot and tamed with the bit the horses of Diomedes, that greedily champed their bloody food at gory mangers with unbridled jaws, devouring with hideous joy the flesh of men.Euripides, Hercules, 380

Hercules and One of the Mares of Diomedes. Color reconstruction of the Metope from the Temple of Zeus, Olympia, 460s.

9. Hippolyta’s Belt

Hercules and Hippolyta. Color reconstruction of the Metope from the Temple of Zeus, Olympia, 460s.

And the daughter of Ocean, Callirrhoe . . . bore a son who was the strongest of all men, Geryones, whom mighty Heracles killed in sea-girt Erythea for the sake of his shambling oxen. Hesiod, Theogony, 980

10. Geryon’s Cattle

Hercules and Geryon. Color reconstruction of the Metope from the Temple of Zeus, Olympia, 460s.

11. Apples of the Hesperides

Athena, Herakles, and Atlas with the apples of the Hesperides. Metope from the Temple of Zeus, Olympia, 460s. Olympia, Archeological Museum.

12. Cerberus

A monster not to be overcome and that may not be described, Cerberus who eats raw flesh, the brazen-voiced hound of Hades, fifty-headed, relentless and strong.Hesiod Theogony 310

Hercules Tames Cerberus with the Aid of Hermes. Color reconstruction of the Metope from the Temple of Zeus, Olympia, 460s.

Olympia. Aerial view of site and surroundings, from W.  Photograph by Raymond V Schoder.

Model of Temple of Zeus, Olympia, ~470-457 (Biers 218-23)

Parthenon, cutaway perspective.

Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. Phidias and the Elgin Marbles, 1868. Birmingham, Museum and Art Gallery

The Origin of the Milky Way. Jacopo Tintoretto, ca.1575–1580. London, National Gallery.

Herakles fighting Busiris. Attic red-figure pelike, ca 470. Athens, National Archaeological Museum.

Hercules strangling the snakes before Amphitryon and Alcmene. Fragment of a fresco from the House of the Vettii in Pompeii.60—79 CE.

Hercules, Nessos, and Deianira. Attic black figure Tyrrhenian amphora, ca 550-540. Munich, Antikensammlungen.

Hercules trades in his old lionskin for the new cloak Deianira has woven him. Attic red figure pelike, ca 440-430. London, British Museum.

Athena and Hercules leave the funeral pyre, headed for Mount Olympus. Attic red figure pelike, ca 410. Munich, Antikensammlungen.

Cartoons from Punch. “Another Labor for Hercules” (23 Aug 1933), “The Infant Hercules” (29 Mar 1925).

Pietro Francisci, Hercules, with Steve Reeves (1958)

Ron Clements, John Musker, Hercules (1997)

Brett Ratner, Hercules, with Dwayne Johnson (2014)

Farnese Hercules. Copy by Glycon of Athens (early III CE) of an original by Lysippos (mid V). Naples, Archaeological Museum.Engraving by Hendrick Goltzius, 1591.