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Hercule Omphale | Telephus | Nessus
Frescoes depicting Hercules and his son Telephus at the Archaeological Museum of Naples in Italy
Hercules and Telephus, Herculaneum, Augusteum
Fresco - Water-based pigments on coating (218 x 182 cm) 20–79 AD
Hercules and Telephus Telephus was the son of Hercules and Auge.
Hercules, seen from behind, watches Telephus suckling from the udder of a doe who cares for him and licks him as if he were her own young, hence his nickname: “Telephus of the doe”.
Telephus was adopted by a doe because his mother had to abandon him along the way and hide him in a bush after giving birth without the knowledge of her guardian, who was tasked with taking him away from his family.
Telephus, son of Hercules and grandson of Zeus, thus found himself under the divine protection of the majestic mother earth crowned with leaves, who is seated next to a basket overflowing with magnificent fruit; behind her stands a small faun with his pan flute and curved shepherd's crook.
Hercules and Telephus A young winged woman with her olive wreath and ears of wheat is a messenger of peace and joy for Hercules, showing him his son being nursed by a wild animal.
Hercules is naked and at rest, leaning on one leg, with his lion skin, quiver and bow under his arm; a peaceful lion and an eagle are beside him and at his feet.
The eagle is the animal of the peaks associated with Zeus, Hercules' father, who is himself associated with the generous heart, strength and courage of the lion.
The Oracle of Delphi had predicted to the King of Tegea that his daughter Auge would give birth to a son who would murder his uncles.
From then on, Auge was consecrated to the goddess Athena so that she would preserve her virginity.
Hercules and Telephus Unfortunately, the prophecy came true when Heracles was received at the king's court, where he became drunk and raped Auge, who became pregnant with Telephus.
The king instructed a trusted person to take his daughter as far away from her family as possible.
On the way, Auge gave birth to Telephus, whom she hid in a bush without the knowledge of her guardian, who sold her to people who were sailing to Asia Minor, where she became the wife of Teuthras, king of Mysia.
When he reached adulthood, Telephus joined his mother and succeeded the king of Mysia a few years later, which led him to participate in the defence of Troy and unwittingly fulfil the Oracle's prophecy.
Hercule Omphale | Telephus | Nessus
Mythology Achilles | Aeneas | Alcestis | Alexander | Aphrodite | Apollo | Arianne | Artemis | Ceres | Chryseis | Cupid | Daedalus | Dionysus | Dirce | Endymion | Flora | Galatea | Ganymede | Graces | Hephaestus | Hercules | Io Argos | Iphigenia | Isis | Leda | Marsyas | Medea | Nereids | Niobids | Odysseus | Pan | Paris | Perseus | Phaedra | Phrixus | Pirithous | Saturn | Satyrs | Sophonisba | Theseus | Troy | Zeus
Frescoes Mythology | Portraits | Life Leisure | Animals | Religion | Landscapes | Decoration
Artworks Sculptures | Frescoes | Eroticism
MANN Artworks | Schedule Tickets | Location | Authorizations
Museums Borbonica | MANN | Catacombs | Capodimonte | Royal | Jago | Neapolis | Diocesano | Martino | C.Elmo | Zevallos | Floridiana | Filangeri | C.Nuovo | Aquarium | Natural H. | Archivio | Pignatelli | Madre
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