Editing Alcyoneus (section)

===Iconography===
[[File:Paestum metope heracles.jpg|thumb|left|250px|[[Heracles]] and Alcyoneus, [[metope (architecture)|metope]] from the first [[Heraion (disambiguation)|Heraion]] at [[Heraion at the mouth of the Sele|Foce del Sele]]]]

Depictions of Heracles fighting Alcyoneus, named by inscription, are found on several sixth century BC pots (e.g., Louvre F208). The earliest extant representation of their battle probably occurs on a [[metope (architecture)|metope]] from the first temple dedicated to Hera at [[Heraion at the mouth of the Sele|Foce del Sele]], which shows Heracles holding a large figure by the hair, while stabbing him with a sword. Such a scene is also depicted on several shield-band reliefs from [[Olympia, Greece|Olympia]] (B 1801, B 1010).<ref>Gantz, p. 420. Louvre F208: Beazley Archive [http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/record/4843C327-7B54-4D3C-9675-56AB63AA7465 6561]; Moon, [https://books.google.com/books?id=Gd81AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA65 p. 65]. Metope: Bennett, [https://books.google.com/books?id=R7PP3wNr4zMC&pg=PA124 p. 124]. For a detailed discussion see Andreae 1962.</ref>

A terracotta frieze (Basel BS 318) and the sixth century BC pots show a reclining Alcyoneus. And on some of the pots Alcyoneus is apparently sleeping, with a winged [[Hypnos]] nearby (Melborne 1730.4, Getty 84.AE.974, Munich 1784, Toledo 52.66). These depictions suggest the existence of a story in which Heracles takes advantage of a sleeping opponent.<ref>Gantz, p. 420; Stafford, [https://books.google.com/books?id=3JDj7MRQAn4C&pg=PA118 p. 118]. Melborne 1730.4: Beazley Archive [http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/record/DE569155-E2D3-4B0F-91BC-39717EDEE899 201048]; ''LIMC '' [http://ark.dasch.swiss/ark:/72163/080e-75077887769e9-a 25109 (Alkyoneus 11)]. Getty 84.AE.974:  Beazley Archive [http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/record/1A2F7CAA-E6BF-4425-BC11-F0BFB61EB60C 16201]; Cohen [https://books.google.com/books?id=SCA2AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA66 p. 66&ndash;68]. Munich 1784: Beazley Archive [http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/record/51C4CA4F-2EC3-493A-83E0-1929852B219D 351331]. Toledo 52.66: Beazley Archive [http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/record/8C99CB41-B339-44E1-8CF5-116FED746C10 2190]; Moon [https://books.google.com/books?id=Gd81AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA65 p. 65].</ref>

The presence of cattle on several of the pots suggests that the story also involved cattle in some way (e.g., Tarquinia RC 2070, Taranto 7030). This last pot depicts Heracles, with a headlock perhaps dragging his opponent, which might be a representation of Heracles dragging Alcyoneus out of his homeland.<ref>Gantz, p. 420. Tarquinia RC 2070: Beazley Archive [http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/record/7D225D1A-D9C2-48B4-BAA6-F5D5839AC97B 332028]. Taranto 7030: Andreae, pp. 188, 189; ''LIMC'' [http://ark.dasch.swiss/ark:/72163/080e-75029c283c045-a 24768 (Alkyoneus 17)].</ref>