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  Magna Graecia: Greek Art From South Italy and Sicily > About the Exhibition > Reggio Calabria & Sybaris > Altar with Herakles and Acheloos (about 470-450 BC)
 
 
Altar with Herakles and Acheloos (about 470-450 BC)
Locri Epiziphirii, necropolis
Terracotta, mold-made, hand-finished
Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Reggio Calabria, inv. 94062
[Cat. no. 40]

Altar with Herakles and Acheloos (about 470-450 BC)

This terracotta altar features a scene depicting the most popular Greek hero, Herakles, struggling with a man-faced bull, the personification of the River Acheloos, the longest in Greece. This exploit is not one of Herakles's legendary twelve labors imposed on him by a vengeful Hera, wife of Zeus. The battle is one of his numerous other mythical feats of strength. The balanced composition pits the valorous hero against a raging force of nature, represented in animal form. Such altars were used to make offerings in religious ceremonies.

Page 8 of 11 | On the next page: Altar with Scene from a Greek Tragedy (about 400-350 BC)