Hercules’ Fifth Labor – The Augean Stables

289, Lot: 276. Estimate $1000. Sold for $3250. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Drachm (32mm, 21.52 g, 12h). Dated RY 10 (AD 146/7). Laureate head right / L ΔЄKAT-OV, Hercules standing right, lion skin over left shoulder, reaching towards rocky outcropping from which water flows through a human-headed spigot into a basin below; muck rake between Hercules and fountain. Köln 1540; Dattari (Savio) 2606; K&G 35.343; Emmet 1539 (R3). Good Fine, brown patina, minor pitting. Rare.

Hercules, made temporarily insane by the goddess Hera, murdered his wife and children. Once recovered, and distressed by his actions, Hercules consulted the Delphic Oracle to find a means of expiating his sin. As a punishment, Apollo replied that the hero would have to serve his cousin Eurystheus, the king Tiryns, a man whom Hercules despised, for a period of twelve years. Because Eurystheus also hated Hercules, he devised a series of ten feats of such difficulty that they would be either insurmountable, or Hercules would die in the attempt. Because Hercules received assistance in completing two of the tasks, Eurystheus added two more. Each labor became more fantastic, and eventually Hercules was compelled to break the bonds of the supernatural in order to complete his task. Once he accomplished the Labors, Hercules was absolved of his guilt, and preceded to perform many other heroic feats.

For his Fifth Labor, Hercules was to muck out the stables of Augeas, king of Elis, in a single day. Eurystheus hoped that by doing this, the dirtiest of all the Labors, Hercules would be demeaned and, as the stables had never been cleaned, the completion of the task would be impossible. However, Hercules succeeded by rerouting the rivers Alpheus and Peneus to wash out the filth. Augeas became irate because he had promised Hercules one-tenth of his cattle if the job was finished in one day. He refused to honor the agreement. Hercules therefore slew Augeas; in his place, he installed Augeas' son, Phyleus, as king, as the boy had supported the hero.