Of all the achievements of Herakles the most famous are the Twelve Labours, to which he was subjected by Hera at the hands of Eurystheus. We find them all represented on vases, with the exception of the cleansing of the Augean stables, which may be presumed to have offered too many difficulties to the painter; it only occurs once in the whole history of Greek art, on a metope at Olympia. The horses of Diomede only occur once, the Keryneian stag thrice, and the Stymphalian birds five times; but the rest may be described as common. In all these scenes Herakles is usually accompanied by Athena; also, but less frequently, by Iolaos and Hermes.
Of this subject we find two “normal” types on B.F. vases,[1137] with one or two abnormal versions; on R.F. vases the treatment is less stereotyped.
B.F. (1) Standing type:—Herakles plunges sword into lion’s neck (both upright): B.M. B 160, B 232, B 621 (Plate XXX.). H. strangles lion: Berlin 1720 = _Wiener Vorl._ 1888, 6, 3 (Exekias); _Wiener Vorl._ 1889, 6, 3 (Charitaios).
(2) Crouching type:—Herakles stoops and strangles lion: B.M. B 159, B 199, B 318 (Fig. 125); Petersburg 68 = _Wiener Vorl._ 1889, 4, 6 (Taleides).
(3) Abnormal:—Lion on its back; Herakles slays it with club: Reinach, ii. 52. Herakles pursues lion: Louvre F 108 = _Wiener Vorl._ 1890–91, pl. 1, 5 (Nikosthenes).
R.F. (1) Herakles with lion over shoulder about to hurl it on Eurystheus (type borrowed from Erymanthian Boar, see below): B.M. B 193 = Plate XXXII. (Andokides).
(2) Crouching type: Munich 415 = Reinach, i. 150 = Baumeister, i. p. 656, fig. 723; B.M. E 168; _Röm. Mitth._ v. (1890), pl. 12 = _Wiener Vorl._ 1890–91, 7, 2 (Nikosthenes, in Boston). See also B.M. E 104 (abnormal).
[Illustration: FIG. 125. HERAKLES AND THE NEMEAN LION (BRITISH MUSEUM).]
We may also note here a curious B.F. vase, on which Herakles is seen in the forests of Nemea preparing the lion’s skin for his own wear.[1138]
Type: Herakles seizes the bull from the front and ties its legs with a cord.
B.F. B.M. B 309; Berlin 1886, 1898; Helbig, 31; Reinach, ii. 55, 5 = Baumeister, i. p. 660, fig. 727.
R.F. B.M. E 104; _Wiener Vorl._ 1890–91, pl. 7, 2 (Nikosthenes, in Boston) = _Röm. Mitth._ v. (1890), p. 324.