Limestone relief
The relief depicts Herakles rustling the cattle of Geryon. Recognizable by the lionskin falling over his back, the hero stands at the far left. In the upper register, Geryon's three-headed dog has an arrow in one neck. In the lower register, Eurytion, the herdsman, is characterized as uncivilized by his satyrlike features and by the stone and tree that he uses as weapons. Geryon's herd is represented with particular attention to the calves in the foreground and the lead animals that look back. Since this relief as well as the statues of Geryon and Herakles were all found near the temple of Goloi, the question arises whether they were originally associated in some way.
Artwork Details
- Title: Limestone relief
- Period: Archaic
- Date: end of the 6th century BCE
- Culture: Cypriot
- Medium: Limestone
- Dimensions: WebPub GR 2012 Cesnola: 20 1/2 × 34 3/8 × 2 15/16 in., 98 lb. (52 × 87.3 × 7.5 cm)
- Classification: Stone Sculpture
- Credit Line: The Cesnola Collection, Purchased by subscription, 1874–76
- Object Number: 74.51.2853
- Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art
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