Stymphalian Birds

Pronunciation

Locales

The Stymphalian Birds lived near Lake Stymphalus in northeastern Arcadia.^[1] They gathered in the woods around the lake in large numbers, perhaps as protection against wolves.^[2]

Some sources claimed that after Heracles chased the Stymphalian Birds away from Arcadia, they made their new home on the island of Ares in the Black Sea.^[3] The geographer Pausanias also knew of a breed of birds called “Stymphalian” that lived in Arabia; these creatures supposedly attacked people with their beaks, easily piercing even armor.^[4]

Appearance and Abilities

In the earliest accounts, there does not seem to have been anything especially remarkable about the Stymphalian Birds except for their large numbers. But in later traditions, the birds acquired more aggressive and outlandish attributes, with several sources claiming they had bronze feathers that they fired as missiles at people and animals alike.^[5] One author, Pausanias, even described the Stymphalian Birds as man-eating.^[6]

Iconography

The Stymphalian Birds were not very popular in ancient art. When they were depicted, they usually looked similar to geese, with short bodies and long necks. Heracles was invariably shown slaughtering them, either with a sling, bow and arrow, club, or even his bare hands.^[7]

The Sixth Labor of Heracles

Heracles was sent to exterminate the Stymphalian Birds as the sixth of his Twelve Labors.^[8] These labors were assigned by Eurystheus, king of Mycenae, who wished to destroy Heracles—a desire he shared with the goddess Hera. The first half of Heracles’ labors were more or less local affairs, pitting the hero against opponents in the Peloponnese, while the second half took Heracles to more exotic locations. The Stymphalian Birds were the last of Heracles’ “Peloponnesian Labors” (at least by Apollodorus’ count).

The Stymphalian Birds had infested the woods around Lake Stymphalus in Arcadia. In some traditions they were aggressive, though earlier accounts seem to have imagined them merely as pests, with the main complaint being their large number.

Heracles defeated the birds using a bronze rattle or castanets, which he either made himself or received as a gift from Athena. Using this tool, Heracles created a great racket that drew the birds out of the trees and into the open air. Sources are divided on what happened next. According to some, Heracles allowed the birds to fly away from Stymphalus unharmed.^[9] But other sources claim he picked them off with his bow and arrow, shooting them out of the sky until they were all dead.^[10]

With his task fulfilled, Heracles returned to Mycenae. In some accounts, he delivered a few of the dead birds to Eurystheus as proof that he had done as he was commanded.^[11]

The Argonauts

Some sources continued the tale of the Stymphalian Birds, suggesting that they fled to the island of Ares in the Black Sea after Heracles drove them from Arcadia. Later, when the Argonauts sailed past this island on their voyage to Colchis, the Stymphalian Birds pestered them until the heroes finally chased them away.^[12]