The twelve labours (in Greek dodekathlos) of Hercules are a series of episodes of Greek mythology, brought together in a single story, which concern the accomplishments of the hero to expiate him of being guilty of his family's death. To the superhuman exploits of Hercules, often accomplished with a defiant attitude to death, one can also attribute a philosophical, moral and allegorical meaning that overcomes the immediate one of simple narration of heroic deeds. The figure of Hercules represents a tradition of inner mysticism and facts can be safely interpreted as a sort of spiritual journey. This, in particular, was the third effort undertaken by Hercules, namely having to capture the deer of Cerinea; a special deer for its horns of gold and much loved by Artemis, the touchy goddess of hunting.
In fact, the statue represents young Hercules when he fights with the deer, dominating it with his left knee on the body of the animal and grabbing with both hands the horns of the deer.
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