ka2 Searching for the labours of Hercules

Archaeological Museum of Madrid ●Location:

Serrano Street, 13, 28001 Madrid.

It was founded in 1867 by a

Royal Decree of Isabella II, and

its purpose was to be a depository

for numismatic,

archaeological,ethnographical and

decorative art collections

compiled by the Spanish

monarchs.In 2008 the museum

closed for renovation, it remained

closed until April 2014

a neoclassical building projected by architect Francisco Jareño and built from 1866 to 1892.

Mosaic of Hercules

Mosaic with the Labors of

Hercules, 3rd century AD,

found in Llíria (Valencia),

Some pieces of the mosaic: The labours

Some pieces of the mosaic: The labours

Central image: Hercules and

Omphale

Mosaic of Hercules ●Dimensions:

● Length = 550 cm

● Width = 450 cm

●Description: This mosaic is framed

by a border decorated with scrolls of

ivy leaves. The mosaic is divided into

two areas: one with geometric

decoration, (paintings formed by

triangles) and the other one consisting

of twelve paintings depicting the

labours of Hercules around a central

emblem, which represents Hercules

and Omphale.

Hercules stealing the golden apples from the Garden of

the Hesperides

●Description: Hercules

stealing the golden apples

from the Garden of the

Hesperides. Detail of The

Twelve Labours Roman

mosaic from Llíria

(Valencia, Spain).

Cretan Bull Heracles was sent to capture

the bull by Eurystheus as his

seventh task. He sailed to

Crete, whereupon the King,

Minos, gave him permission

to take the bull away as it

had been wreaking havoc on

Crete. Heracles snuck up

behind the bull and then used

his hands to strangle it, and

then shipped it to Eurystheus

in Tiryns.

Gerion´s oxen

Heracles was required to

travel to Erytheia, in order

to obtain the Cattle of

Geryon as his tenth

labour. On the way there,

he crossed the Libyan

desert and became so

frustrated at the heat that

he shot an arrow at

Helios, the Sun.

Capture of Cerberus (twelfth work)

In Greek mythology,

Cerberus, was the dog of

Hades, a three-headed

monster in the most

common tradition but fifty

heads according to

Hesiod, with a snake tail

instead.