Hercules’ Ninth Labor - The Golden Girdle of Hippolyte

Sale: Triton XI, Lot: 435. Estimate $3000.  Closing Date: Monday, 7 January 2008.  Sold For $5250. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

THRACE, Anchialus. Gordian III. AD 238-244. Æ Medallion (40mm, 44.52 g, 6h). Labor of Hercules type. AVG GORDIANO C • AVT • K • M • ANT •, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust left, holding spear forward in right hand and shield decorated with eagle on left arm / OVPI ANWm N AGCI ALEWN, Hercules standing right, lion skin over left shoulder, holding club overhead in raised right hand and holding in left by hair Hippolyte, who is seated right on horse fallen right; Hippolyte tries to extract Hercules from his hold with her right hand and holds shield in raised left. Voegtli type 5j and 11b = Knobloch 206 (same dies); Stoll, Herakles -; AMNG II -; Varbanov -. Good VF, dark green patina, a few areas of roughness. Extremely rare.

From the James E. Cain Collection. Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 29 (11 May 2005), lot 612.

At the request of Admete, Eurystheus' daughter, Hercules as his Ninth Labor went to sieze the golden girdle of Hippolyte, a garment that gave power and supremacy to the wearer. The daughter of Otrera and the god Ares, Hippolyte was the queen of the Amazons, an all female race who lived near the slopes of the Caucasus. To carry off this Labor, Hercules organized an expedition, which included the Athenian hero Theseus. Upon the heroes’ arrival, the Amazon women greeted them warmly, while Hippolyte offered the girdle as a gift. Hera, on hearing this, took the form of an Amazon, spreading a rumor that Heracles had come to steal away their queen, and take her back with him to Greece. The female warriors, in protection of their queen, began fighting the heroes. In the melée that followed, Hercules slew Hippolyte, thinking she had betrayed him. Winning the battle, Hercules headed back for Mycenae. On the way, he saved the life of Hesione, daughter of Laomedon, king of Troy. Laomedon, however, refused to reward the hero for his service. In retribution, Hercules slew the king and all his sons, save the youngest, Podarces, who later became known as Priam.