Hercules’ Tenth Labor – The Cattle of Geryon

CNG 108, Lot: 472. Estimate $1000. Sold for $3750. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Drachm (32mm, 20.63 g, 12h). Dated RY 10 (AD 146/7). Laureate head right / L ΔЄ-KA-TOV (date), Hercules standing left, grabbing horn of one of two bulls of Geryon with right hand, holding club and lion’s skin in left; at feet to left, the dead body of Eurytion lying left. Köln 1542; Dattari (Savio) 2621; K&G 35.341; Emmett 1542.10 (R4). Fine, even green patina. Very rare.

For his tenth labor, Herakles was required to travel to Erytheia to capture the Cattle of Geryon. En route, while crossing the Libyan Desert, he became so frustrated at the heat that he shot an arrow at Helios. Admiring the hero’s courage, Helios gave him the golden cup, which Helios used to sail nightly across the Ocean from west to east, and Herakles used it to help him reach Erytheia. Upon arriving there, Herakles was confronted by the two-headed watchdog, Orthros, and the herdsman Eurytion, each of whom he killed with his club. Hearing what was happening, Geryon, armed with three shields, three spears, and wearing three helmets, pursued Herakles to the River Anthemus. Once there, Herakles shot Geryon dead with an arrow he had poisoned with the blood of the Lernaean Hydra. To annoy Herakles as he drove the cattle back to Eurystheus, Hera sent a gadfly to scatter the herd by biting them. After a year’s labor, Herakles recovered the herd, but was further hindered by a flood, also caused by the goddess. Herakles eventually returned to Tiryns, and Eurystheus sacrificed the cattle to Hera.