Smithsonian Education - Myths in Words and Pictures: Achelous and Hercules

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Myths in Words and Pictures: Achelous and Hercules

Interactive

Lesson Ideas - Achelous and Hercules Myth - Achelous and Hercules Interactives

In a fun game, students compare sculptures of three Greek immortals. The sculptures include subtle symbols of the subjects' stories. So who is who? Play Symbols in Art: Who's Who?.


An interactive version of the Achelous and Hercules mural by Thomas Hart Benton lets students apply their understanding of symbolism. They look for what is symbolic in the mural and the myth it is based on. They use their computer mouse or finger on a tablet to reveal the artist's own words about the characters and objects. Explore Symbols in a Story: What's What?

Image Information

Psyche, Hiram Powers, 1848. Smithsonian American Art Museum
Diana, Hiram Powers, 1853. Smithsonian American Art Museum
Clytie, Hiram Powers, ca. 1867. Smithsonian American Art Museum
Moon image. National Air and Space Museum
Butterfly image. National Museum of Natural History
Sunflower image. National Museum of Natural History
Drinking cup depicting Achelous and Hercules. Greek, ca. 560–550 B.C. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Running Atalanta, Paul Manship, 1958. Smithsonian American Art Museum
Atalanta, Paul Manship, 1921. Smithsonian American Art Museum
Ceres, Roman, n.d. Smithsonian American Art Museum
Harvest, Sondra Freckelton, 1978. Smithsonian American Art Museum
American Gothic stamp. National Postal Museum, © United States Postal Service, all rights reserved
Hercules and the Hydra, Paul Manship, 1964. Smithsonian American Art Museum
Hercules and the Nemean Lion, Paul Manship, n.d. Smithsonian American Art Museum
Pyxis depicting Nike. Greek, 450–430 B.C. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Corinthian coin. Greek, ca. 415 B.C. National Numismatic Collection, Smithsonian Institution



	Achelous and Hercules
	Achelous and Hercules, 1947, Thomas Hart Benton, 62 7/8 x 264 1/8 in. Smithsonian American Art Museum. Gift of Allied Stores Corporation, and museum purchase through the Smithsonian Institution Collections Acquisition Program