Hercules and Hercules Constellation - Versailles, France
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Metro2
N 48° 48.417 E 002° 06.565
31U E 434609 N 5406378
Known as Hercules by the Romans and as Heracles by the Greeks.
Waymark Code: WMD06Y
Location: Île-de-France, France
Date Posted: 11/01/2011
Views: 21
This undated marble sculpture is entitled "Hercule Farnese" which suggests that the work came from the Farnese family collection in Rome. It depicts the demigod naked but for fig leaves standing and leaning against his club. He holds a lion's head between his left arm and chest. he is bearded and looks at the viewer.
The artist is anonymous.
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."
As for the Hercules Constellation, Wikipedia (
visit link) informs us:
"Hercules is a constellation. It is named after Hercules, the Roman mythological hero adapted from the Greek hero Heracles. Hercules was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations today. It is the fifth largest of the modern constellations."