CIRCA 1ST-2ND CENTURY A.D.

Hercules’ association with the cornucopia stems from his fight with the river god Achelous, which was staged in order to determine who would wed Deianeira, daughter of King Oineus of Kalydon. Achelous, possessing the ability to shape shift, first transformed himself into a serpent and then a bull to try to outmatch the hero. While in this latter form, Hercules ripped off one of his horns, effectively defeating the god. In an effort to regain it, Achelous traded Hercules the horn of Amalthea (the she-goat nurse of Zeus). Hercules then gave this horn to the Naiads who filled it with fresh produce. This endowed horn became known as the cornucopia, or the horn of the plenty, and is an occasional attribute of Herakles. For other examples in bronze, see nos. 559-560 in J. Boardman, “Herakles,” LIMC, vol IV.