Tradition: Greek Mythology
Alternative Names: Gēryṓn, Gēryónēs, Gēryoneús
Category: Giant
The Myth
Geryon was a fearsome giant who dwelt on the island of Erytheia, in the far west of the Mediterranean, near the mythical land of the Hesperides. He was the son of Chrysaor and Callirrhoe, the grandson of Medusa, and the nephew of Pegasus. His name is associated with shouting, roaring, or crying out. Geryon was commonly depicted as a monstrous but largely humanoid warrior, although descriptions of his appearance differed between ancient authors. According to Hesiod, he possessed a single body with three heads, while other traditions described him as having three bodies, either with three heads or a single head. The poet Stesichorus described him as winged, with six hands and six feet, and some artistic representations portrayed him with three bodies joined to a single pair of legs.
Geryon was famed for his magnificent herd of red cattle, which he kept on Erytheia. The herd was guarded by Orthrus, a fearsome two-headed dog and brother of Cerberus, and by the herdsman Eurytion. Geryon’s cattle became the target of the Greek hero Heracles, who was ordered by King Eurystheus to bring them back as his tenth labour. To reach the distant island, Heracles crossed the scorching Libyan desert and eventually received a golden cup from the sun god Helios, which he used to sail across the sea.
Upon arriving at Erytheia, Heracles killed Orthrus with a mighty blow from his club. When Eurytion came to the dog’s aid, the hero killed him as well. Geryon soon learned of the attack and rushed to defend his cattle, carrying three shields, three spears, and wearing three helmets. He confronted Heracles near the River Anthemus, but the hero shot him with an arrow dipped in the poisonous blood of the Lernaean Hydra. The arrow pierced Geryon’s forehead, and the giant collapsed, his three-headed or three-bodied form falling like a flower whose petals scatter. Heracles then took possession of the cattle and began the long journey back to Eurystheus.
The journey home brought further dangers. In later Roman versions of the story, the cattle were partly stolen by Cacus, a fire-breathing monster who hid them in a cave on the Aventine Hill. Heracles eventually recovered them and killed Cacus. The goddess Hera also sent a gadfly to scatter the herd, forcing Heracles to spend a long time gathering the animals before he could finally deliver them to Eurystheus. Geryon’s defeat became one of the celebrated feats of Heracles, while the giant himself remained an unusual figure in Greek mythology because of the many different descriptions of his threefold body.
Sources
“Geryon.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 16, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geryon