Geryon in the ancient sources

Ancient Sources / Figures / Geryon

6 passages from 5 ancient authors that tell of Geryon, in the original with English translation, author by author in the order the Greeks read them. Geryon was a giant (not to be confused with the Gigantes) in Greek mythology, who lived on the island Erytheia of the Hesperides. He was the son of Ch... For the story in one place, read our article on Geryon.

Apollodorus (1)

Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 2.5.7–10The Labours of Heracles (7-10): the Cretan Bull to Geryon's CattleHeracles brings the Cretan bull to Mycenae and takes the man-eating mares of Diomedes of Thrace, founding Abdera. For the belt of Hippolyte he sails to the Amazons, kills her after Hera stirs up trouble, and on the way home saves Hesione from the sea monster at Troy, which Laomedon will not pay for. For the tenth labour he crosses to Erytheia, kills Geryon and his herdsman and dog, and drives the cattle home through Italy and Sicily, wrestling Eryx and enduring Hera's gadfly.

Ovid (1)

Ovid, Metamorphoses 15.1–59Numa and MyscelusAfter the death of Romulus the Romans seek a new king, and Numa, a Sabine who has studied philosophy, is chosen. The founding of Crotona is told, how Heracles (Hercules), after the death of Geryon, came there and promised that a city should be built on the spot, and how Myscelus, warned in a dream, founded it.

Pausanias (2)

Pausanias, Description of Greece 1.35.1–8Salamis and the island of Helene; the bones of giants and the grave of AjaxPausanias describes the islands off Attica, Helene and Salamis, whose history he traces from Cychreus and Telamon to the Athenian expulsion of the Salaminians. He notes the temple of Ajax, the stone where Telamon sat and the flower that sprang from Ajax’s blood. He then lists remarkable large bones and bodies, among them Ajax’s knee bones, the ribs of Protophanes, the corpse of Asterius at Lade and the skeleton found at Temenothyrae, which locals took for Geryon.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 5.19.1–10Olympia: the Chest of Cypselus, fourth and fifth fieldsPausanias describes the fourth field, including Boreas and Orithyia, Hercules and Geryon, the fight of Achilles and Memnon, the Dioscuri rescuing Helen, scenes from the Trojan war, the judgment of Paris and the sons of Oedipus. He then gives his readings of the unlabelled uppermost field, such as Ulysses and Circe, and guesses that the verses are by Eumelus of Corinth.

Nonnus of Panopolis (1)

Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 25.194–270Book 25: Heracles compared; the poet turns back to the warThe poet measures the labours of Heracles (the Lernaean hydra, the deer, the Cretan bull, Geryon and the rest) against the exploits of Dionysos and finds them small. He asks Homer's pardon, says he will not compare Dionysos with Achilles, and prays for inspiration to return to the Indian war.

Parthenius of Nicaea (1)

Parthenius of Nicaea, Love Romances 29.1–32.5Daphnis; Celtine and Heracles; Dimoetes; AnthippeDaphnis of Sicily, loved by the nymph Echenais, is made drunk by a princess and goes blind for breaking her ban on mortal women. Celtine hides the cattle of Geryon until Heracles lies with her, and their son Celtus gives the Celts their name. Dimoetes, whose wife Evopis, his niece, hangs herself, builds a barrow for the body of a drowned woman and kills himself at her tomb. Anthippe is hit by a javelin that Cichyrus, the king's son, hurls at a leopard, and he falls to his death.