The pediment shows the story of Herakles stealing Apollo's tripod that was strongly associated with his oracular inspiration.

According to another legend reported by Tzetzes, he was slain by Herakles.

It was this tree with which Herakles crowned himself to celebrate his return from the underworld.

It has been suggested that behind the vague outlines of this tale lurks an older myth having to do with Herakles ' encounter with the river deity Achelous, who had chthonic associations and whose name was the subject of speculative theological etymology among the Greeks, in this case involving acherōïs, another Greek word for " poplar.

At Elis, white poplar was the only wood used in sacrifices to Zeus, according to Pausanias, because Herakles imported the tree and used it to burn the thigh bones of sacrificial victims at Olympia.

Graves, for instance, holds that the back of the poplar leaf was turned white by the sweat of Herakles.

Sisyphus, son of Aiolos was a more than mortal figure: for mortals Thanatos usually presents an inexorable fate, but he was only once successfully overpowered, by the mythical hero Herakles.

Herakles, the great Greek hero, was taught the art of wrestling by Autolycus ( Apollodorus 2. 4. 9 ).

However, Autolycus was a source of some controversy in Herakles ' life, because Autolycus stole some cattle from Euboea and Eurytus, who accused Herakles of the deed and, upon his going mad about these accusations, Herakles killed them plus another one of Autolycus ' sons, Iphitus.

Also in another parallel, the characteristic protector deity of Demetrius ( Herakles standing with his club over his arm, as seen on the reverse of his coins ), was represented in the Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara as the protector deity of the Buddha.

Herakles was used in Greco-Buddhist art to represent Vajrapani, the protector of the Buddha, and his representation was then used in China and Japan to depict the protector gods of Buddhist temples.

The third principle after the two was engendered by these -- Ge ( mud ) and Hydros ( Water ), that is -- and was a Serpent ( Drakon ) with extra heads growing upon it of a bull and a lion, and a god ’ s countenance in the middle ; it had wings upon its shoulders, and its name was Khronos ( Unaging Time ) and also Herakles.

This Herakles was the " thumb "; his brothers were Aeonius ( forefinger ), Epimedes ( middle finger ), Jasius ( ring finger / healing finger ), and Idas ( little finger ).

Herakles was used in Greco-Buddhist art to represent Vajrapani, the protector of the Buddha, and his representation was then used in China and Japan to depict the protector gods of Buddhist temples.

A dedication in Greek to Hermes and Herakles was found engraved on one of the pillars.

The Attic cults of Herakles were often closely connected with youth: at several of his cult sites there was a gymnasion attached, and there was a mythological tradition ( perhaps originating in Boeotia ) that after Heracles died he was translated to Olympus, where he married Hebe, the personification of youth.

Kermanshah sights include Kohneh Bridge, Behistun Inscription, Taghbostan, Temple of Anahita, Dinavar, Ganj Dareh, Essaqwand Rock Tombs, Sorkh Deh chamber tomb, Malek Tomb, Hulwan, Median dakhmeh ( Darbad, Sahneh ), Parav cave, Do-Ashkaft Cave, Tekyeh Moavenalmolk, Dokan Davood Inscription, Sar Pol-e-Zahab, Tagh e gara, Patagh pass, Sarab Niloufar, Ghoori Ghale Cave, Khaja Barookh's House, Chiyajani Tappe, Statue of Herakles in Behistun complex, Emad al doleh Mosque, Tekyeh-e Beglarbagi, Hunters cave, Jamé Mosque of Kermanshah, Godin Tepe, Bas relief of Gotarzes II of Parthia, and Anobanini bas relief.

The white poplar might be worn as a crown at athletic contests in honor of Herakles, a patron of the Olympic games.

A sculptural group excavated at the Hadda site of Tapa-i-Shotor represents Buddha surrounded by perfectly Hellenistic Herakles and Tyche holding a cornucopia.

Herakles strangling the snakes sent by Hera, Attica | Attic red-figured stamnos, ca.

It has been suggested that it means the " wrestler " or " struggler " and is an epithet of Heracles, with whom Melqart is identified by interpretatio graeca and referred to as the Tyrian Herakles, but there does not appear to be any traditional connection between Heracles and Palaemon.

* Leon: the lion headed giant slain by Herakles in the giants war

The association of white poplar leaves with Herakles is also attested by archaeological remains, such as the poplar-leaf motif carved on a statue base found in a small sanctuary to Herakles ( Roman Hercules ) along the Tiber river.

This part of the mythology concerning Herakles appears to have origins in a corruption of an Egyptian myth concerning Osiris ' sacrifice by Set, and subsequent resurrection ( see Legend of Osiris and Isis ).

Samson bears many similar traits to the Greek Herakles ( and the Roman Hercules adaptation ), inspired himself partially from the mesopotamian Enkidu tale: Herakles and Samson both battled a Lion bare handed ( Lion of Nemea feat ), Herakles and Samson both had a favorite primitive blunt weapon ( a club for the first, an ass's jaw for the latter ), they were both betrayed by a woman which led them to their ultimate fate ( Herakles by Dejanira, while Samson by Delilah ).

Both heroes, champion of their respective people, die by their own hand: Herakles ends his life on a pyre while Samson makes the Philistine temple collapse upon himself and his enemies.

The adoptionist theology had its roots in Gothic Arianism, which denied the divinity of Jesus, and in Greco-Roman paganism, with examples of heroes like Herakles who, after their death attained the apotheosis.

By virtue of his battle prowess and invention of Ogham, he is compared with Ogmios, a Gaulish deity associated with eloquence and equated with Herakles.

Herakles, having slain Hippolyte and taken her axe away from her with the rest of her arms, gave it to Omphale.

A mosaic depicting the hero Herakles with Cerberus, a three headed dog, who, according to mythology, guarded Hades.

In fact, the Greeks credited several mythological figures with athletic accomplishments, and even male gods ( especially Apollo and Herakles, patrons of sport ) were commonly depicted as athletes.

Coin of Perdiccas III, with figure of Herakles.

On the interior of the Pergamon Altar is a frieze depicting the life of Telephus, son of Herakles, whom the ruling Attalid dynasty associated with its city and utilized to claim descendance from the Olympians.

File: Herakles Olympos Louvre F30. jpg | Herakles with a hat.

To his Etruscan founders the meaning of this triad might have been related to peculiarly Etruscan ideas on the association of the three gods with the birth of Herakles and the siege of Troy, in which Minerva plays a decisive role as a goddess of destiny along with the sovereign couple Uni Tinia.

In Gandharan art, the Buddha is often shown under the protection of the Greek god Herakles, standing with his club ( and later a diamond rod ) resting over his arm.

In particular, Herakles ( of the type of the Demetrius coins, with club resting on the arm ) has been used abundantly as the representation of Vajrapani, the protector of the Buddha.

Antaios pictures my complaint admirably ; only I am a more stubborn combatant than they ; for many a Herakles.

" In a founding myth of the 1st century BC, Herakles is supposed to have established the Arvernian oppidum of Alesia, the name of which likely derives from the Gaulish word for poplar.

This led to Herakles serving three years of punishment for the deed to repent for this ( Apollodorus 2. 6. 3 ).

His bronze coins are square and original in that they combine the club of Herakles with a Scythian-type bowcase ( for a short recurve bow ) inside a victory wreath, suggesting contacts or even an alliance with horse-mounted people originating from the steppes, possibly either the Scythians ( future Indo-Scythians ), or the Yuezhi who had invaded Greco-Bactria.