Heroes Trail
INTRODUCTION
Mercury: On this trail you are going to meet three heroes from Greek and Roman
mythology. All three are well known for their bravery and different skills. You will help
them complete their heroic tasks through a series of questions so, at the end, you too
could become a hero!
You only get one chance to answer each question so you must think carefully about your
answers
HERCULES
Mercury: Hello, this is Hercules, son of Jupiter and Alcmene. He has to complete 12
Labours as a punishment. You are going to help him by answering 12 questions. You will
collect tokens for each correct answer and these will help Hercules complete his tasks.
Remember to look closely at the works of art to help you with your answers. Good Luck!
Hercules and the Nemean Lion
1) Hercules’s first task was to kill a scary lion that was terrorising Nemea. It could not be
killed with ordinary weapons. How you do think Hercules killed the lion?
a) with his bare hands
b) with a bow and arrow
c) by drowning it
Answer responses:
a) CORRECT! The lion’s skin was so tough that Hercules had to strangle it to
complete his task.
b) WRONG! Although you can see Hercules carrying a quiver of arrows on his
back, normal weapons didn’t work on the lion.
c) INCORRECT! Look again at the sculpture. What is Hercules doing?
2) Hercules is one of the most famous heroes. Artists have used him as a subject for
hundreds of years. What material has this artist used to create his version of Hercules?
a) paper and glue
b) marble
c) wood
Answer responses:
a) WRONG! This statue has to survive bad weather outside. Would paper and glue
last in the rain and wind?
b) CORRECT! Marble was a very popular material for sculptors to use. It lasts a
very long time, looks good and, with lots of practice, can be carved in great detail.
c) WRONG! Take a good look at the sculpture. Does it look like wood?
Hercules and Hydra Shield
3) This shield shows Hercules’s second task where he had to kill the Lernaean Hydra
which lived in the swamp. It had many heads and whenever Hercules cut one off, 2 more
grew back. Hercules asked his nephew to help him. You can see the nephew here. What
is he doing to help?
a) charming the heads to sleep with his flute
b) using his club to stun the Hydra
c) burning the necks after Hercules has removed the heads
Answer responses:
a) NO! Look carefully. Hercules’s nephew is not holding a flute.
b) INCORRECT! Make sure you are looking at the right figure. The man with the
club is Hercules.
c) WELL DONE! The only way to stop the heads from growing back was to burn or
‘sear’ the necks after the heads had been chopped off. In this way, Hercules and
his nephew managed to kill the Lernaean Hydra.
4) This shield would have belonged to a prince or another very rich man almost 500 years
ago. Why do you think they wanted a picture of Hercules on their shield?
a) because beards were very popular then
b) because Hercules was strong and brave and they wanted to be like him
c) because the owner was called Hercules
Answer responses:
a) WRONG! Hercules is well known for having a beard but this is a silly reason to
put him on a shield!
b) CORRECT! The owner believed that having an image of Hercules on his shield
would be a way of telling others that he was as brave and strong as Hercules
c) INCORRECT! We do not know what the owner of the shield was called but he is
unlikely to have been called Hercules
5) This object is made of metal and could only have been made by a master-craftsman.
Which tools do you think were used to make this shield?
a) hammer and chisel
b) saw and blowtorch
c) paint and paintbrush
Answer responses:
a) CORRECT! A very skilled craftsman would have spent about 6 weeks
hammering this metal into shape and creating all the detail.
b) INCORRECT! A saw would not have been much use to make this shield and
blowtorches had not been invented 500 years ago
c) WRONG! A shield made with a paintbrush would have been useless
Hercules and Erymanthian Boar
6) One of Hercules’s Labours was to capture an enormous boar alive. He did this by
driving it into a snowdrift but how did Hercules get it home?
a) on a sledge
b) by clubbing it and dragging it
c) by carrying it on his shoulder
Answer responses:
a) NO! Look carefully at the object. Is there a sledge in it?
b) WRONG! Clubbing the boar might have killed it and Hercules does not look to be
dragging it in this sculpture
c) CORRECT! Hercules had to carry the boar all the way home. It was a good job
Hercules was so strong!
Farnese Hercules
7) Is this object a …
a) pencil drawing?
b) sculpture?
c) computer-generated image?
Answer responses:
a) WRONG! This object is actually a three-dimensional piece of artwork
b) CORRECT! This sculpture is made out of bronze that has been given an attractive
surface colour or ‘patinated’. It can be walked around and looked at from all
angles.
c) WRONG! Although you are looking at this object on the computer, it is a real
object sitting in a museum.
8) Hercules is often shown with two objects so that he is easily recognisable. One is his
club and can you spot the other? (Clue: It is taken from one of Hercules’ Labours)
a) a head from the Lernaean Hydra
b) the skin of the Nemean Lion
c) the teeth of the Erymanthian Boar
Answer responses:
a) WRONG! Look carefully at the object. There is no Hydra’s head there.
b) CORRECT! Hercules kept the skin of the lion. It was so tough that it was very
useful. Hercules wore it and it protected him from any weapons.
c) INCORRECT! Hercules had to keep the boar alive, remember, so did not remove
its teeth.
Hercules and Nessus
9) Here is Hercules wrestling with a centaur. What is a centaur?
a) half man, half horse
b) half man, half goat
c) half man, half snake
Answer responses
a) CORRECT! There are many centaurs in Roman and Greek mythology. You might like
to find out more about centaurs
b) WRONG! Look at the object. Is the centaur the right size to be half goat?
c) INCORRECT! Look again at the object. Can you see a snake’s body?
10) Hercules also kept other trophies from his Labours. He kept the blood of the Hydra
on his arrow as it was a deadly poison. One day, after Hercules had completed his
Labours, a centaur called Nessus attacked Hercules’s wife and Hercules shot Nessus with
the poisoned arrow.
However, there is no arrow shown in this sculpture. Why is Hercules shown with a club
instead?
a) the sculptor didn’t know the story very well
b) the sculptor liked clubs
c) so that the man was recognisable as Hercules
Answer responses:
a) WRONG! Although myths can change and vary, the poisoned arrow is an
important part of this story and the sculptor would have known that.
b) INCORRECT! The sculptor may have liked clubs, we don’t know, but this is not
the best answer.
c) CORRECT! We have already seen that the club was one of Hercules’s ‘attributes’
(this means it was one of his symbols) and to show us that the man is Hercules,
the sculptor changed the arrow for the club.
The Apotheosis of Hercules
11) Before Nessus died, he tricked Hercules’s wife. He told her to use his blood as a love
potion on Hercules, knowing that his blood was poisoned by the arrow. Hercules’s wife
used the potion on Hercules’s clothes, which caused Hercules great, unstoppable agony.
Jupiter, his father, snatched Hercules from the Earth and took him up to Mount Olympus
to live there as an immortal, as reward for completing his 12 Labours.
Whom did Jupiter send to collect Hercules in a chariot?
a) Apollo
b) Mars
c) Mercury
Answer responses:
a) WRONG! Apollo did have a chariot that he used to carry the sun across the sky,
but is this chariot carrying the sun?
b) INCORRECT! Mars is in this picture. He is the man in armour because he was
the God of War. He would have been too busy and important for Jupiter to send.
c) CORRECT! Mercury is the Messenger of the Gods and was often sent on errands.
Also, he is recognisable from his winged helmet.
12) This painting is now kept at a beautiful house called Waddesdon Manor. Where do
you think it appears in the Manor?
a) on a wall
b) on the ceiling
c) on the floor
Answer responses:
a) WRONG! This painting was not meant to be looked at on a wall. Look at it again.
b) CORRECT! Imagine having this painting on your ceiling at home, isn’t it
amazing? The artist painted it very carefully so when you look up at it, it looks as
if you are looking up into the sky and the figures really are floating above you.
c) WRONG! Such beautiful paintings need to be well looked after and treated
gently. An artist would not have wanted his painting to be stuck to the floor where
it could be walked on and have furniture placed on it.
PERSEUS
Mercury: This is Perseus, son of Jupiter and Danaë. He is most famous for killing
Medusa, the snake-haired Gorgon. Perseus is also famous for other heroic deeds.
In this activity you will help Perseus complete one of his deeds. His success depends on
how many questions you get right.
Perseus and Andromeda (Titian)
1)What is Perseus doing here?
a) Rescuing the princess Andromeda from a sea monster
b) Rescuing the goddess Venus from a sea monster
c) Falling off a cliff
Answer responses:
a) CORRECT! Perseus was on his way home from killing Medusa when he spotted
Andromeda chained up.
b) WRONG! Venus was never in danger of being attacked by a sea monster. As a
goddess, Venus was very powerful.
c) NO! It may look like Perseus is falling but the, artist, called Titian, painted this
450 years ago and guessed at how a human would look if flying with winged
sandals. How do you think Perseus should be positioned?
Perseus and Andromeda (Hoet)
2) Here is another image of the same story. Why do you think Andromeda is chained up?
a) as a punishment
b) to make the task more difficult for Perseus
c) as a sacrifice
Answer responses:
a) INCORRECT! The sea monster was sent to attack the kingdom of Andromeda’s
parents by the sea god Neptune as a punishment because Andromeda’s mother
had insulted him, but Andromeda was not put in chains as a punishment.
b) WRONG! It was a coincidence that Perseus flew by Andromeda when he did. It
was not known that Perseus would appear and save her.
c) CORRECT! The sea monster had been sent by Neptune, god of the ocean, to
attack Andromeda’s parents’ kingdom because Andromeda’s mother had insulted
him. Gods often demanded sacrifices if they had been insulted by mortals and
daughters were often picked to be the sacrifice. Andromeda was chained up so the
sea monster could kill her and then leave her parents’ kingdom alone.
Both Perseus and Andromeda paintings
3) Look carefully at these two paintings. Although they’re of the same story, these
pictures were painted 200 years apart and have some differences, for example the winged
horse. Why are there these differences in the pictures?
a) people had found out more about the story in the 200 years between the two artists.
b) the later artist liked horses
c) the stories are old and complicated and there are many different versions
Answer responses:
a) WRONG! The story is several thousands of years old. In the 200 years between
the artists, the myth would not have changed.
b) WRONG! It is possible that the later artist did like horses but that is probably not
why he painted a horse in his picture.
c) CORRECT! As myths are so old, different versions have been written and artists
can choose between them. Perseus used winged sandals and a helmet when he
went to kill Medusa and, as he was on his way back from that task when he saw
Andromeda, the first artist has shown these in his painting. The second artist
chose to paint Pegasus, the winged horse. Perseus found Pegasus after he killed
Medusa so it would make sense that he was flying him home when Perseus came
across Andromeda.
4) In order to complete his task with Medusa, Perseus was given a winged helmet and a
special sword by a god. Which one do you think it was?
a) Mercury
b) Mars
c) Cupid
Answer responses:
a) CORRECT! Mercury was well known for his winged helmet. You may remember
seeing this elsewhere on this site. Mercury allowed Perseus to borrow it.
b) INCORRECT! Mars was god of war but did not own a special winged helmet.
c) WRONG! Cupid had a bow and arrow, not a sword. Also, Cupid was normally far
too interested in creating mischief to help someone out!
Marriage of Perseus and Andromeda
5) After saving Andromeda, Perseus fell in love with her. Here you can see them getting
married. See if you can find Cupid. Why do you think he is there?
a) he was their child
b) as a symbol of love
c) he sneaked into the picture while the artist was painting it.
Answer responses:
a) WRONG! Cupid was Venus’s child.
b) CORRECT! Cupid is the god of love and spread love with his bow and arrow. It
makes sense for the artist to include him here to show how the couple love each
other.
c) INCORRECT! This picture on the cup is not a photograph and would have taken
a long time to create. Also, Cupid is not real so he couldn’t have just ‘appeared’ in
the picture.
6) The cup is about 200 years old but Perseus is dressed as a Roman Centurion. Why do
you think this is?
a) the artist is trying to show that the story is very old
b) it was a fancy-dress wedding
c) Perseus was a Roman Centurion
Answer responses:
a) CORRECT! If the figures had been painted in 18th-century costumes, the cup and
saucer would look very different and the people would have been hard to
recognise as Perseus and Andromeda. The artist chose costumes he thought would
look right.
b) WRONG! People wear very special clothes for weddings and fancy dress is not
normally suitable!
c) WRONG! Perseus is a character from Greek mythology that was then turned in to
Roman mythology. Roman Centurions were around many, many years after
Perseus is supposed to have existed.
Finish
Congratulations. You answered all the questions correctly and have helped Perseus save
Andromeda. Click here to find out your hero-rating.
or
Bad luck. You didn’t get all of your questions right so Perseus did not save Andromeda.
Click here to find out your hero-rating.
You could always try again to help Perseus save Andromeda.
ORPHEUS
Mercury: Here is another hero, called Orpheus. You are going to help him with his task
of rescuing his wife from the Underworld.
Orpheus clock
1) Believe it or not, this is a clock that, instead of chiming, plays a tune every hour on the
pipe organ inside the base. Orpheus is the figure on top. Why do you think he was
chosen?
a) Orpheus was very musical and it is a musical clock
b) Orpheus liked clocks
c) The artist didn’t have enough marble to carve Hercules’s big muscles
Answer responses:
a) CORRECT! It made sense for the artist to decorate a musical clock with a musical
character.
b) WRONG! Clocks like these would not have been invented in the time when
Orpheus is supposed to have lived.
c) INCORRECT! Hercules would have been a strange choice as decoration for a
musical clock because he was not a musical person.
Orpheus embroidery
2) Here is another image of Orpheus. Look at it carefully. What is it made of?
a) paint on canvas
b) papier mâché
c) needle and thread
Answer responses:
a) WRONG! Look again carefully. Could these effects be achieved with paint?
b) INCORRECT! Papier mâché can be used to create 2-D and 3-D effects such as
can be seen here but it was not the material used in this case.
c) CORRECT! Someone, probably a lady, spent many hours creating careful stitches
to build up this image. She also padded certain parts to make some of the animals
look 3-D and look as if they’re coming out of the object.
3) Orpheus had special powers. Look at this object and see what this power was.
a) being good at sewing
b) charming the animals
c) making trees sprout leaves
Answer responses:
a) NO! The sewing is just the material that was chosen to depict Orpheus in this
case.
b) CORRECT! Orpheus played such beautiful music (generally on a lyre) that it
could charm even the wildest animal.
c) WRONG! This was not the special skill that Orpheus’s music had. Look again at
the embroidery.
Orpheus at Charon’s Boat Maiolica
4) Orpheus’s wife, Eurydice, was bitten by a snake and died. Orpheus was heartbroken
and decided to try to bring her back to life. He had to go on a journey to the Underworld,
where all the dead went. To get to the Underworld he had to get across the River Styx
that was guarded by Charon. Charon is the figure in the centre of this bowl. Look
carefully. What was his job?
a) ferryman
b) fisherman
c) warrior
Answer responses:
a) CORRECT! It was Charon’s job to ferry all the dead across the River Styx. As
Orpheus was not dead, this was a problem.
b) INCORRECT! Charon is in a boat but the River Styx was the river of the dead
and probably did not contain any fish.
c) WRONG! Look again at the bowl. Does Charon look like a warrior? What is he
standing in?
5) How did Orpheus persuade Charon to help him?
a) by sitting on the floor and crying
b) by soothing him with beautiful music
c) by turning into a three-headed monster
Answer responses:
a) WRONG! You are looking at the wrong person in the bowl. That is a dead man
waiting to cross the River. Look again for Orpheus.
b) CORRECT! Charon was so impressed that he helped Orpheus on his way to the
Underworld
c) INCORRECT! The three-headed monster on the bowl is Charon’s dog, Cerberus,
that guarded the Underworld fiercely.
Orpheus and Eurydice figures
6) When Orpheus reached the Underworld he charmed its god, Pluto, with his music.
Pluto said that Eurydice could follow Orpheus to safety but there was one condition.
What was Orpheus not supposed to do?
a) look back at his love
b) play any more music
c) leave the Underworld
Answer responses
a) CORRECT! Pluto told Orpheus that Eurydice would follow him but that he could
not look back at her until they had left the Underworld.
b) INCORRECT! Pluto actually told Orpheus that Eurydice would follow him but
that he could not look back at her until they had left the Underworld.
c) INCORRECT! Pluto actually told Orpheus that Eurydice would follow him but
that he could not look back at her until they had left the Underworld.
If you really want to know if Orpheus managed to complete his task and save Eurydice
then you can click here, but we don’t recommend it! A
Or, to finish this task click here. B
A Oh dear. You have been as curious as Orpheus was. He looked back and so Eurydice
disappeared back to the Underworld. Despite being so brave, Orpheus never did get her
back and ended his days heartbroken and alone.
B Well Done! You did not fall for our trick. Orpheus did look back and he lost Eurydice
for ever. By choosing this option you have helped Orpheus save Eurydice and they can
finally have their happy ending. You really are a hero!