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Hercule Étouffant Antée, 1839
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From the collection of John Birks
1988 Restrike
This medal won the Premier Grand Prix de Rome in 1839
Antaeus in Greek and Berber mythology was a giant of Libya, the son of Poseidon and Gaia, and his wife was Tinjis. He was extremely strong as long as he remained in contact with the ground (his mother earth), but once lifted into the air he became as weak as water. He would challenge all passers-by to wrestling matches, kill them, and collect their skulls, so that he might one day build out of them a temple to his father Poseidon. Heracles, finding that he could not beat Antaeus by throwing him to the ground, discovered the secret of his power and held Antaeus aloft until he died (Apollodorus ii. 5; Hyginus, Fab. 31). The myth of Antaeus has been used as a symbol of the spiritual strength which accrues when one rests one's faith on the immediate fact of things. The struggle between Antaeus and Heracles is a favourite subject in ancient sculpture.
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![Hercule Étouffant Antée, 1839
[b]From the collection of John Birks[/b]
1988 Restrike
This medal won the Premier Grand Prix de Rome in 1839
Antaeus in Greek and Berber mythology was a giant of Libya, the son of Poseidon and Gaia, and his wife was Tinjis. He was extremely strong as long as he remained in contact with the ground (his mother earth), but once lifted into the air he became as weak as water. He would challenge all passers-by to wrestling matches, kill them, and collect their skulls, so that he might one day build out of them a temple to his father Poseidon. Heracles, finding that he could not beat Antaeus by throwing him to the ground, discovered the secret of his power and held Antaeus aloft until he died (Apollodorus ii. 5; Hyginus, Fab. 31). The myth of Antaeus has been used as a symbol of the spiritual strength which accrues when one rests one's faith on the immediate fact of things. The struggle between Antaeus and Heracles is a favourite subject in ancient sculpture.](albums/userpics/10001/Vauthier-Galle_Andre_HERCULE_ETOUFFANT_ANTEE_small.jpg "Hercule Étouffant Antée, 1839
[b]From the collection of John Birks[/b]
1988 Restrike
This medal won the Premier Grand Prix de Rome in 1839
Antaeus in Greek and Berber mythology was a giant of Libya, the son of Poseidon and Gaia, and his wife was Tinjis. He was extremely strong as long as he remained in contact with the ground (his mother earth), but once lifted into the air he became as weak as water. He would challenge all passers-by to wrestling matches, kill them, and collect their skulls, so that he might one day build out of them a temple to his father Poseidon. Heracles, finding that he could not beat Antaeus by throwing him to the ground, discovered the secret of his power and held Antaeus aloft until he died (Apollodorus ii. 5; Hyginus, Fab. 31). The myth of Antaeus has been used as a symbol of the spiritual strength which accrues when one rests one's faith on the immediate fact of things. The struggle between Antaeus and Heracles is a favourite subject in ancient sculpture.")
