Ancient Greek Art: Heracles & Nereus or Achelous

Heracles wrestling Achelous or Nereus | Greek vase, Athenian black figure lekythos

"Herakles took hold of him as he lay sleeping, and bound him fast as Nereus changed himself into all sorts of shapes; he did not let him loose until Nereus told him where the apples and the Hesperides were." - Apollodorus, The Library 2.114

O20.2 HERAKLES WRESTLING NEREUS OR AKHELOIOS

Museum Collection: Musée du Louvre, Paris, France
Catalogue Number: Louvre CA 823
Beazley Archive Number: 300106
Ware: Attic Black Figure
Shape: Lekythos
Painter: In the manner of the Gorgon Painter
Date: ca 600 - 580 BC
Period: High Archaic

SUMMARY

Herakles wrestles a shape-shifting, fish-tailed god. The image of the panther is indicative of his metamorphoses. The god may be Nereus or Akheloios, although the latter is usually depicted crowned with a bull's horn.

ARTICLESNereus, Akheloios