Hercules - Versailles, France
Posted by: 
Metro2
N 48° 48.317 E 002° 06.893
31U E 435008 N 5406188
Hercules is the son of Zeus...and famous for his strength.
Waymark Code: WMD01M
Location: Île-de-France, France
Date Posted: 10/31/2011
Views: 12
This 1661 marble sculpture is located in the gardens of the Versailles Palace and is entitles "Hercule au Serpent" or "Hercules with a Serpent". It depicts Hercules bearded and barechested to his midriff. He carries his iconic club...and a snake is wrapped, apparently dead, around his arms. A lion's skin is wrapped over his left arm.
The artist is Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665).
Wikipedia (
visit link) informs us that:
"According to mythology, Hercules was the illegitimate son of Jupiter (Zeus) and Alcmene, the wisest and most beautiful of all mortal women. Juno (Hera) was enraged at Jupiter for his infidelity with Alcmene, and even more so that he placed the infant Hercules at her breast as she slept and allowed him to feed, which caused Hercules to be partially immortal, thus, allowing him to surpass all mortal men in strength, size and skill.
Juno held a spiteful grudge against Hercules and sent him into a blind frenzy, in which he killed all of his children and his wife. When Hercules regained his sanity, he sought out the Oracle at Delphi in the hope of making atonement. The Oracle ordered Hercules to serve Eurystheus, king of Mycenae, who sent him on a series of tasks known as the Labors of Hercules."