Hercules in Gibraltar
10th Herculean Labour: The Cattle of Geryon
Ancient Greeks knew the northern entrance to the Mediterranean, the Rock of Gibraltar and its southerly counterpart across the strait, Jebel Musa as the Gates (or Pillars) of Hercules. According to legend, Hercules created these pillars to commemorate his rather epic voyage westwards in a goblet** . Well, that's how one story goes. Needless to say, there are many, many variations on a theme here, so we"ll follow the story of our hero in the the footsteps of mythographer , Apollodorus. (See Wiki links Apollodorus and The labours of Hercules.)
Gibraltar Strait is thought to be the location of the 10th Herculean Labour. (Are you seeing a chance for a bit of a theme here?) In this neck of the woods, Hercules was obliged to fight Geryon, a three-headed, six legged ogre for his famous cattle. The cows (were just that!) wandered and gods meddled, so getting said beasties back home to Greece was the most challenging part of his task. A good Aussie cattle dog would have done him proud, right?
We'll add photos and further finds about our hero as we meander through the Mediterranean and opportunities arise. There is nothing left on Gibraltar of the shrines and temples said to have been set up for ancients & the adventurous who ventured here seeking a bit of godly advice, safe journeys and perhaps refuge from the elements. At the very least, I imagine!
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