Greek Mythology - On Non Greek Stamps!

Want to send a letter in a hurry in Spain?
Give it to a horse with wings!



Pegasus on Spain Special Delivery 1942 SC#E20

In Greek mythology Europa was a Phoenician woman of high lineage who was abducted by Zeus in the form of a white bull. Here is an image of a stamp depicting "The Rape of Europa," printed by photogravure, and issued by Spain on September 28, 1966, Scott No. 1375.

- nethryk

Ajax or Aias was a mythological Greek hero, the son of Telamon and Periboea, and king of Salamis. He plays an important role in Homer's Iliad and in the Epic Cycle, a series of epic poems about the Trojan War. According to myth, Ajax, boasting of his own power, defied the lightning to strike him down, and was instantly struck by it. Here is an image of a stamp depicting Ajax defying lightning, designed by Italian artist Giuseppe Rondini (1885-1955), printed by photogravure, and issued by Italy on July 1, 1936 as one of a set of 13 stamps commemorating the 2,000th anniversary of the birth of Roman lyric poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus (65 BC – 8 BC), known in the English-speaking world as Horace, Scott No. 361.

- nethryk

In ancient Greek mythology, Amphitrite was a sea-goddess and the wife of Poseidon; she has been celebrated by poets as the personification of the sea. Here is an image of a stamp depicting Amphitrite joining together undersea cables, designed and engraved by Frank Davies Manley (1894-1976), printed by John Ash, and issued by Australia on April 4, 1936 as one of a set of two similar stamps commemorating the opening of submarine telephone communication between Tasmania and Victoria, Scott No. 158.

- nethryk

Here are images of a couple of Red Cross semi-postal (charity) stamps illustrating Labors of Hercules, designed by French artist Pierrette Lambert (1928- ), engraved by Claude Haley, and issued by Monaco on October 28, 1986, Scott Nos. B110 & B111. Bonuses: Fruit (Golden Apples) & Dog

- nethryk

Hercules slaying Ladon at the Garden of the Hesperides


Hercules fighting Cerberus

Here is an image of a Europa stamp depicting the Greek mythological hero Hercules and Port Hercule, the only deep-water post in Monaco, designed by American artist Steve Carpenter (1945- ), engraved by Martin Mörck, and issued by Monaco on May 5, 1997, Scott No. 2044.

- nethryk

I was immidiatly thinking about one particular stamp from my home country, The Netherlands ..

Its a stamp issued in 1943 (during the German occupation of the Netherlands)a stamp in the serie Germanic Symbols.
The design is by Pijke Koch, this particular stamp in the series is called Waterpaard / Waterhorse



You can clearly see it is based on the legend of the hippocamps , the warhorses of Poseidon so to say .. as depicted here on an old mosaic that is estimated to date back to the late Roman or early Byzantine era and discovered in Turkey.

Here are images of the two stamps in a set depicting (respectively) Hercules separating Europe from Africa, and Hercules straddling the Straits of Gibraltar, along with the Pillars of Hercules, printed by lithography, and issued by Gibraltar on February 24, 1981, Scott Nos. 400 & 401. Cheeky!

- nethryk

In Greek mythology, Pyrene, the daughter of King Bebrycius, was a lover of Hercules. When Pyrene bore a serpent, she became so terrified that she fled to the woods where she died. Hercules created a tomb for her by piling up rocks, thus forming the mountain range of the Pyrenees, named after her. Here is an image of a stamp depicting a part-mountain, part-woman trophy representing Pyrene, Hercules and Pyrene, and a map of the Hautes-Pyrénées department, designed by French artist Pierrette Lambert (1928- ), engraved by Georges Bétemps, and issued by France on October 2, 1976 to publicize the 10th International Tourist Film Festival, held in Tarbes, France, Scott No. 1501, Y&T No. 1906.

- nethryk

"Apollo and Daphne," designed after a sculpture by Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680), combined engraved by Tullio Mele and lithography, and issued by Italy on November 20, 1980, Scott No. 1444, plus a photo of Bernini's life-sized Baroque marble sculpture.

- nethryk

Here is an image of a stamp depicting a detail from an ancient mosaic of the "Abduction of Europa," printed by photogravure, and issued by France on February 17, 1999, Scott No. 2705, Y&T No. 3224, plus an image of the entire mosaic from Byblus, on display in the National Museum, Beirut, Lebanon.

- nethryk

Statue of the Greek goddess Pallas Athena, and the National Council Chamber, designed by Austrian artist Otto Stefferl, combined engraved by Georg Wimmer and lithography, and issued by Austria on May 25, 1964 to publicize the 2nd Parliamentary and Scientific Conference, held in Vienna, Scott No. 726, plus a photo of the statue, which stands in front of the Austrian Parliament Building. Note: Athena is holding the winged goddess Nike ("Victory") in her right hand.

- nethryk

nethryk, when I saw your Austrian Athena stamp it reminded me of my
visit to Vienna last September.

Here is a pic I took at the Athena Fountain in front of the Parliament.



And an Austrian stamp showing the exterior of the building
including the fountain.
Superbly engraved by Kurt Leitgeb.

lithograving - Nice work!

In Greek mythology, Clio is the muse of history, and (like the other muses) a daughter of Zeus and the Titaness Mnemosyne. Here is an image of a stamp depicting Clio blowing a horn while holding an open book, and a globe, printed by lithography, and issued by Uruguay on August 24, 1943 as one of a set of four similar stamps commemorating the centenary of the Historic and Geographic Institute of Uruguay, Scott No. 527, plus an image of a painting of Clio by French artist Pierre Mignard (1612-1695), called "Le Romain."

- nethryk

In Greek mythology, the Amazons were a nation of all-female warriors from a region bordering Scythia in Sarmatia (in modern Ukraine). Here is an image of an engraved semi-postal (charity) stamp depicting a couple of Amazons riding "bareback," designed by German artist Richard Klein (1890-1967), and issued by Germany on July 20, 1941 to publicize the "Brown Ribbon of Germany" horse race, run annually in Munich from 1934 to 1944, Scott No. B192, Michel No. 780, plus an image of an Art Nouveau bronze sculpture (1897) of an Amazon on horseback by German artist Franz Stuck (1863-1928).

- nethryk