The Shield of Heracles

The Shield of Heracles is an ancient Greek epic poem attributed to Hesiod, depicting the heroic journey of Heracles and Iolaus as they confront Cycnus, the son of Ares, during their passage through Thessaly. This work may reflect historical tensions following the First Sacred War, featuring themes of conflict between Thessalian and Boeotian heroes. The poem opens with a fifty-six-line introduction sourced from the Hesiodic Catalogue of Women, which prompted later critics, such as Aristophanes of Byzantium, to question its authenticity.