|
Hippolyte is the Queen of the Amazons, a great race of women warriors, to whom Venus, the Queen of Love, has given a girdle. Travelling to the shores of her kingdom, Hercules fights Hippolyte and kills her for the girdle. Too late, he realises that Hippolyte had not put up any struggle but offered the girdle to Hercules freely, under instruction from God. In a state of shock, Hercules sets forth to redeem this failure. While journeying back to the shores of the sea, he hears the screams of the beautiful Hesione being attacked and then swallowed by a sea monster. Hercules swims furiously out to sea to rescue her and, as the monster turns on him, opening its mouth to roar, Hercules rushes down the red tunnel of its throat, grasps Hesione and hews his way out of the serpents belly. Thus, after slaughtering the feminine principle that gave him what he needed, Hercules makes amends.
|
North Africa/Middle East
view full-size
image -- 2048 x 1536)