Having obtained the Cattle of
Geryon as his
tenth labour, Heracles was passing through Liguria, on his way back to
Mycenae from
Iberia. Bergion and Albion were supported by a numerous army. The battle that followed was fierce. Hercules and his army were in a difficult position so he prayed to his father
Zeus for help. With the aegis of Zeus, Heracles won the battle and both brothers were killed.[1][5] It was this kneeling position of Heracles when prayed to his father Zeus that gave the name
Engonasin ("Εγγόνασιν", derived from "εν γόνασιν"), meaning "on his knees" or "the Kneeler" to
Hercules' constellation. The story is also alluded to in
Hyginus[6] and
Dionysius.[7]
^Murray, John (1833). A Classical Manual, being a Mythological, Historical and Geographical Commentary on Pope's Homer, and Dryden's Aeneid of Virgil with a Copious Index. Albemarle Street, London. p. 78.
John Tzetzes, Book of Histories, Book II-IV translated by Gary Berkowitz from the original Greek of T. Kiessling's edition of 1826.
Online version at theio.com