Hercules Ninth Labor: Hippolyte s Belt By: Molly Cummings and Sarah Neuschotz
Hippolyte Hercules needed to get the belt of Hippolyte and bring it back to King Eurystheus.This belt was not an ordinary belt, it was worn by the Queen of the Amazons. Eurytheus wanted this belt as a present for his daughter, Admete.
Hippolyte s Belt This belt was made of leather and she wore it across her chest to carry her sword and spear. It was given to her by Ares because she was the best warrior in all the Amazons.
The Expedition Hercules friends knew he could not complete the expedition of his own, so they organized a group including Telamon and Thessus. They armed a ship and sailed across the Thermodon River. They were welcomed to the island by the female warriors. Hercules explained the situation to Hippolyte, and she gave him her belt as a gift.
Hera Causes Havoc When Hippolyte was giving Hercules the belt, Hera was there under a disguise. She was dressed like an Amazon warrior. She did not want Hercules to be successful in this labor. Therefore, she started rumors to the Amazons saying that the strangers were there to kidnap Hippolyte.
The Outcome The Amazon warriors attempt to attack Hercules for capturing their queen. They come riding in on horseback with their weapons in hand. Hercules sees them coming towards him. He assumes it is an evil plan made by Hippolyte so he needs to defend himself. He then takes his sword and kills Hippolyte and grabs her belt.
The Victory After Hercules grabs the belt, he and the Greeks have a huge battle against the Amazon warriors. When they had finally been defeated, Hercules and his friends left. He brought the belt back to King Eurystheus. The King was extremely impressed with Hercules skills in completing such a difficult challenge.
Roman Painting (Uploaded in 2013)
Roman Painting In this painting the Romans are showing Hercules killing Hippolyte because he believed she was tricking him into being attacked by her warriors. In the background the Amazon women are battling. We can see Hippolyte laying on the ground and Hercules looming above her, showing that he has more power than her. He is also holding her belt in his hand.
Greek Vase (c. 510-500 B.C.)
Greek Vase Hercules fights Hippolyte and the Amazon warriors. Hippolyte then falls to one knee which is shown on the vase. She has her shield on her left arm attempting to fight back. On her waist she has a wrapped object in black which is probably meant to represent the belt. Hercules is once again standing above her which shows that he is more powerful.
Greek Vase vs. Roman Painting The Greek vase shows the labor to be weaker because it is not as detailed as the painting and does not show all of the harm that was done. It does not show the other warriors in the back and it does not look too violent. This painting portrays the labor as more powerful, because it shows all of the damage that was done and is more detailed. It has the warriors in the back and the battle looks a lot more intense and violent.
Pottery vs. Painting The pottery shows more of a 360 degree view and allows the viewer to see more of the scene in one viewing. The Greeks also had pottery more available to them and it was a common item that was being used so it was a good way to have ordinary objects display facts about the time. The painting allows the viewer to see more detail because it is easier to show the details of the scene and to show the entire scene on a flat surface.
Viewers Point of View Roman Painting The Roman painting provides a clear straight view of the scene. We can see everything perfectly. Greek Vase The Greek vase is a little bit harder to see, because we can not look at the whole scene at the same time since it is a 360 surface. The picture is also a little zoomed and cuts off the top and bottom of the vase.
Hercules vs Hercules Roman Painting Hercules looks stronger, in this painting we can see his abs. Hercules looks more successful in the painting because he is firmly clutching Hippolyte s belt. He does not look as violent in the painting because he is just holding his sword by his side. Greek Vase Hercules does not look very strong, on the vase we are not shown any muscles. Hercules looks like he defeated her, but he did not complete the task yet because the belt is still on Hippolyte. Hercules looks more violent on the vase because he is holding his sword high above Hippolyte ready to strike down on her.
Artists Message Roman Painting I think the artists message in the Roman painting is to show how much damage Hercules did to the Amazon warriors. Although Hercules is extremely powerful and caused a lot of destruction, he completed the task and got the belt for the king, as he is seen holding it proudly. Greek Vase I think the artists message in the vase is to show that Hercules is powerful. He is pictured standing tall above Hippolyte waiting to strike down on her. I think the artist depicted this scene in a simple way. Even though he did not provide lots of details, the story is still present.
Sources: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/herakles/amaz on.html http://www.talesbeyondbelief.com/mythstories/ninth-labor-of-hercules.htm http://www.pantheon.org/articles/g/girdle_of _hippolyte.html http://mythologian.net/the-twelve-labors-ofhercules/