[Greek heroic] Eurystheus, for his tenth labor, gave Heracles the task of bringing back the cattle, which belonged to the monster Geryon. This involved killing the sentinels who watched over the cattle and their master, then, driving the herd over land and sea back to Greece single handed, which made this a very precarious adventure. This monstrous beast was the son of Chrysaor, which makes him nephew of the Gorgon, Medusa. Geryon had three bodies, six arms, six legs and three heads and his appearance was that of a warrior. He lived on Erytheia, a mythical island far to the west, Geryon was the owner of huge herds of cattle, and they were protected by the herdsman Eurythion and the two-headed watch-dog Orthrus. Heracles set out on his expedition, and while crossing the Libyan desert, found the heat unbearable, so much so that in his anger he shot an arrow toward the sun. Helios the sun god (in some versions it was Apollo) pleaded with Heracles to shoot no more. With this request the hero promised ...
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