Athletes LVII - Herakles and the Mythical Origin of Wrestling
The scene describes a very famous episode from Greek mythology: the struggle between Herakles and Apollo for the “Delphic Tripod”. Herakles and Apollo are shown fighting over the tripod. Herakles is on the left. He stands, turned right, holding the tripod upper part. His club is lying on the ground near his feet, his quiver is hanging on the background behind him. He looks at Apollo, who grabs with his hands two of the tripod legs. The posture of the two contenders closely resembles the iconography used to describe wrestling or pankration athlete. Both characters are named: Heracles' left, in large letters: hερακλεες, retr. To right of Apollo's back: Απολλον.
The myth,
Hercules contracted a terrible disease, as a result of his violent outburst. Hercules then journeyed to the oracle at Delphi, in hopes that the priestess there would advise him on how to cure himself. But Hercules was to be disappointed. When he questioned the Pythian priestess, she was unable to answer him in oracles. Hercules, outraged at priestesses unwillingness to help, began tearing the temple apart. When Hercules came upon the Delphic tripod, he started to make off with it, thinking that he would establish an oracle of his own. Apollo, however, was not about to let Hercules carry off the prized tripod from his sacred site. He began to wrestle with Hercules over its possession; Apollo was supported by his sister, Artemis, while Hercules was supported by his patron, Athena. In the midst of their tug-of-war contest, Zeus dropped in and tried to break up the feuding brothers (Apollo and Hercules are, after all, half-brothers by Zeus). And as parents are often forced to do, Zeus decided that it would be best to separate the brothers, hurling one of his mighty thunderbolts between them. After the two siblings were pried apart, Hercules finally received an oracle, instructing him to be sold into slavery for a year, and to pay Eurytus in compensation for the loss of his son. The tripod remained at Delphi and Hermes sold Hercules to Omphale, Queen of Lydia, for whom he performed women's work for his year of servitude.
Source @ www.perseus.tufts.edu
CAV / CAVI @ www.beazley.ox.ac.uk
Attic red-figured kylix
Attributed to Phintias and Deiniades by signature
Last quarter sixth. Ca. 520
From Vulci.
Munich, Antikensammlungen, inv. no. 2590
Athletes LVII - Herakles and the Mythical Origin of Wrestling
The scene describes a very famous episode from Greek mythology: the struggle between Herakles and Apollo for the “Delphic Tripod”. Herakles and Apollo are shown fighting over the tripod. Herakles is on the left. He stands, turned right, holding the tripod upper part. His club is lying on the ground near his feet, his quiver is hanging on the background behind him. He looks at Apollo, who grabs with his hands two of the tripod legs. The posture of the two contenders closely resembles the iconography used to describe wrestling or pankration athlete. Both characters are named: Heracles' left, in large letters: hερακλεες, retr. To right of Apollo's back: Απολλον.
The myth,
Hercules contracted a terrible disease, as a result of his violent outburst. Hercules then journeyed to the oracle at Delphi, in hopes that the priestess there would advise him on how to cure himself. But Hercules was to be disappointed. When he questioned the Pythian priestess, she was unable to answer him in oracles. Hercules, outraged at priestesses unwillingness to help, began tearing the temple apart. When Hercules came upon the Delphic tripod, he started to make off with it, thinking that he would establish an oracle of his own. Apollo, however, was not about to let Hercules carry off the prized tripod from his sacred site. He began to wrestle with Hercules over its possession; Apollo was supported by his sister, Artemis, while Hercules was supported by his patron, Athena. In the midst of their tug-of-war contest, Zeus dropped in and tried to break up the feuding brothers (Apollo and Hercules are, after all, half-brothers by Zeus). And as parents are often forced to do, Zeus decided that it would be best to separate the brothers, hurling one of his mighty thunderbolts between them. After the two siblings were pried apart, Hercules finally received an oracle, instructing him to be sold into slavery for a year, and to pay Eurytus in compensation for the loss of his son. The tripod remained at Delphi and Hermes sold Hercules to Omphale, Queen of Lydia, for whom he performed women's work for his year of servitude.
Source @ www.perseus.tufts.edu
CAV / CAVI @ www.beazley.ox.ac.uk
Attic red-figured kylix
Attributed to Phintias and Deiniades by signature
Last quarter sixth. Ca. 520
From Vulci.
Munich, Antikensammlungen, inv. no. 2590