Stymphalos
placeLake Stymphalia was the marsh in Arcadia where Heracles drove away the Stymphalian Birds for his sixth labour — the lake and birds may reflect real ecological memory.
The Myth
The Stymphalian Birds had multiplied in the marshes until they devastated the surrounding countryside. Heracles used a bronze rattle from Hephaestus to flush them into the air, then shot them down. The survivors fled to the Isle of Ares. Pausanias visited the site in the 2nd century AD and noted aggressive marsh birds still nesting there. Some scholars suggest the myth preserves memory of real ecological crisis — overpopulation of cormorants or ibises damaging crops.
Symbols
Fun Fact
Modern ecologists have noted that the Stymphalian Birds myth may describe a real pest-bird crisis in ancient Arcadia.
Explore Further
Ares
godGod of the brutal, savage side of war. Unlike Athena's strategic warfare, Ares represented the raw...
Hephaestus
godThe divine blacksmith of Olympus, god of fire and the forge. Despite being lame, Hephaestus created...
Hera
godQueen of the Olympian gods and goddess of marriage. Known for her jealous rages against Zeus's...
Heracles
heroThe greatest hero of Greek mythology, son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmene. Famous for his...
Stymphalian Birds
creatureThe Stymphalian Birds were a flock of man-eating birds with beaks of bronze and toxic dung,...
Acheron
placeThe Acheron was the River of Woe in the underworld, which the dead had to cross — in some...