Hercules and the Erymanthian Boar

Triton XVI, Lot: 693. Estimate $2000. Sold for $4000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

BITHYNIA, Heraclaea Pontica. Septimius Severus. AD 193-211. Æ (31mm, 18.23 g, 6h). AVT • K • Λ • CЄΠ • CЄVHPOC Π, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / HPAKΛHAC ЄN ΠONTΩ, Hercules advancing right, carrying Erymanthian boar on far shoulder over which is draped his lion’s skin. RG 107bis = Voegtli type 3, pl. 3, a; SNG von Aulock –; Mionnet Supp. V 300. Good VF, dark green patina that is slightly chipped in a few areas around the edge. Fine style mythological scene. Very rare.

Ex Cornelius C. Vermeule III Collection.

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.

In the Fourth Labor, Hercules was charged with capturing the Erymanthian Boar. The beast resided in a grove sacred to Artemis near Mount Erymanthus in Arcadia, and would descend from the wilderness to wreck havoc on the surrounding farms and groves.

During his hunt for the Boar, Hercules visited his friend, the centaur Pholus, who lived in a cave on the mountain. The centaur provided the hungry and thirsty hero with food, but shied from offering him the wine he had because it did not belong to him, and was for the use of all the centaurs. Hercules nevertheless opened the jar, and, smelling the wine’s aroma, the other centaurs became excited and intoxicated. A fight soon ensued, and Hercules slew a number of centaurs with arrows poisoned by the blood of the Hydra. During the melee, another of Heracles’ friends, the kindly centaur Chiron, was accidentally wounded. Although Chiron did not die, as he was immortal, he did experience great pain. Hercules attempted to medicate the wound, but his ministrations were of little avail. In return for his kindness, however, Chiron offered advice to the hero as to how he could capture the Boar.

Now back on task after his disastrous dawdling, Hercules easily trapped the Boar by pursuing it through the mountain snows until the creature collapsed from exhaustion. Netting the animal, he carried it back to Tiryns and presented it to Eurystheus.