The son of Zeus when he raped Alcmene, Hera delayed his birth to trap Heracles into being forced to undertake his 12 labours, then tried to kill the infant by putting serpents into his cradle.
Mei
Six from the hundred stories told by the 7 women and 3 men who fled from the Black Death in Florence. With a bonus story, the most famous, at the end.
A gruesome tale of a daughter’s lover killed by her father, and his heart cut out. Also of one of Hogarth’s few failed paintings.
Juno won’t let the labour of Hercules’ mother progress, so one of maids tricks Lucina into allowing the infant’s delivery, for which the maid is turned into a weasel.
The seven painted stories, with paintings by Mei, Millais, Leighton, Botticelli, Stillman, and Lancret, and links to each article.
The story of Ghismonda and her lover Guiscardo is not well-known in paintings, but has been well covered, most recently by Hogarth.
How a maidservant brings a protracted labour to a successful conclusion, the origin of the Milky Way, and an infant who strangles serpents for fun.
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