"#Iolaos, who shared the labours of #Herakles and fought by his side, was beloved of him and Aristotle says that even in his day lovers plighted their faith at Iolaos' tomb.
It was natural, then, that the band should also be called sacred, because even #Plato calls the lover a divine friend."

@antiquidons @histodons #PrideMonth #LGBTQ #LGBTQHistory #gayHistory #ancientGreece #MosaicMonday

Today I learned (from my colleague Emma Stafford's inaugural professorial lecture) that one tradition of #Herakles and his nephew #Iolaos fighting the many-headed #Hydra is that #Hera sent a crab to nip at Herakles's ankles to make his job even harder.

My great contribution to #Classical scholarship for today is that although the octopedal pincher looks small, it represents all the #admin jobs that Herakles had to get through before he could get anything done on the actual Second Labour, and is the main explanation for why he had to get Iolaos in to do the main job.

(Los Angeles, Getty Museum 83.AE.346, 520–510 BCE., https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/object/103VHE)

#Hercules #Karkinos #LeedsUniversity