Table of Contents
Erytheia is an ancient island from Greek mythology, known for its association with the myth of Heracles (Hercules). It was one of the Hesperides, the islands at the westernmost edge of the known world in the Mediterranean. The name “Erytheia” translates to “the red one” or “reddish,” possibly referencing the red sky of sunset in the western horizon.
Key points related to the island:
1. Heracles’ Labor
Erytheia plays a significant role in the Tenth Labor of Heracles. Heracles was tasked by King Eurystheus to retrieve the cattle of the giant Geryon, who resided on Erytheia. Geryon was a monstrous creature with three bodies. The island was guarded by Orthrus, a two-headed dog, and the cattle were herded by a giant named Eurytion. Heracles had to fight both Geryon and Orthrus to accomplish the labor.
2. Geography in Myth
Erytheia was part of the mythical geography of the far west, often associated with other legendary locations like the Hesperides. Some ancient geographers and historians equated Erytheia with real locations near the Atlantic coast. A common identification was with the island of Cádiz, located off the southwestern coast of Spain View, or the nearby region of Tartessos, which was thought to be rich in resources.
3. Symbolism
Erytheia’s position as one of the farthest known islands in Greek mythology represents the boundary between the known and the unknown. It was linked to the setting sun, a motif of death, transition, and the distant west, which was often viewed as a gateway to the afterlife in Greek thought.
4. Historical Interpretations
Some ancient writers, including Strabo, located Erytheia in the region of Gadeira (modern-day Cádiz), and it has been speculated that the island represents early Greek contact with the western Mediterranean and beyond.
Erytheia and Atlantis
Several ancient and modern authors have made connections between Erytheia and Atlantis, often linking these mythical locations due to their positioning in the far west of the known world or the Atlantic. Some of the notable authors and their contributions to the discussion include:
1. Strabo (63 BCE–24 CE)
Strabo was a Greek geographer who identified Erytheia with the region of Gadeira (modern Cádiz). While he doesn’t explicitly connect Erytheia to Atlantis, his writings about the geography of the Atlantic coast and the mythical associations of places like Tartessos indirectly contribute to later speculative connections between Erytheia and Atlantis.
2. Plato (428–348 BCE)
Plato is the original source for the Atlantis legend in his works Timaeus and Critias, though he does not mention Erytheia directly. However, his description of Atlantis as a powerful island civilization located beyond the Pillars of Heracles (modern Strait of Gibraltar View) has led later scholars to consider parallels between Atlantis and western mythological islands like Erytheia.
3. Proclus (412–485 CE)
Proclus was a Neoplatonist philosopher who commented on Plato’s works, including the Atlantis myth. In his commentary, he mentions other ancient sources that spoke of islands in the Atlantic, possibly referencing islands like Erytheia. He contributes to the later tradition of connecting various western islands, including Erytheia, to the Atlantis story.
4. Ignatius Donnelly (1831–1901)
Donnelly was a 19th-century writer who revived the Atlantis myth in his book Atlantis: The Antediluvian World (1882). While his work is largely speculative, he included various ancient western locales, including islands such as Erytheia, in his broader discussion of Atlantis as a once-real place in the Atlantic Ocean.
5. J. V. Luce (1920–2011)
J.V. Luce, in his book The End of Atlantis (1969), explored the idea that Atlantis could be connected to the geography and mythical traditions of the western Mediterranean, including the mythological islands like Erytheia.
These authors either make indirect connections through geographic and mythological links to the western seas or provide speculative theories linking Atlantis with the broader myths of the ancient world, including Erytheia.
