Greek
Aegis
Aegis (Αἰγίς)
Shaken, it raises storms and sends enemy armies fleeing in terror.
ArmorFirst recorded c. 750 BCE
Loading artifact…
Photograph: A Cypriot limestone head of the early fifth century BCE. Heracles wears a lion skin over his head, framing his face.
Focus the photograph, then use the arrow keys to pan and the plus and minus keys to zoom. The buttons at the lower left also move it. Press a numbered button on the photograph to zoom to that note.
2,000 × 2,000 PX2000×2000
ArchiveGreek · Armor
Skin of the Nemean Lion
Nemean Lion's Skin
No sword or arrow can pierce it.
- Owner
- Heracles
- Maker
- Flayed by Heracles with the lion's own claws
- First record
- Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCE
- Gallery
- Greek
Notes on the photograph 3
Story
In the valley of Nemea lived a lion no weapon could wound. Sent to kill it as the first of his twelve labors, Heracles saw his arrows and sword bounce off, and so strangled the lion with his bare hands.
Skinning it remained. Since no blade would cut, Heracles slit the hide with the lion's own sharp claws.
After that he wore the lion's head as a helmet and the skin as a cloak. In Greek and Roman art a man in a lion skin is Heracles.
The object in the photo
The photograph shows Limestone head of Herakles wearing the lion skin(Cypriot, early 5th century BCE), a real museum object that evokes the legendary artifact.
More from Greek
GreekShield of Achilles
Shield of Achilles
A shield of five layers forged by a god, with the whole world engraved on its face.
ArmorFirst recorded c. 750 BCE
Greek
GreekAmbrosia and Nectar
Ambrosia & Nectar
Keeps the gods ageless and deathless.
ElixirFirst recorded c. 750 BCE