Gustave Moreau: Diomedes devoured by his horses, 1865."In ancient times, Diomedes, the King of Thrace, kept four man-eating horses in his stables. These foul beasts were not naturally carnivorous. The tyrant-king Diomedes spent eight long years training them to prefer flesh to oats. Diomedes used these horses to torture his political enemies. Tale of Diomedes' creatures spread throughout the Hellenic world and Heracles (also called Hercules) was tasked with stealing the abominations to make penance for his wife's murder. Hercules, with the help of his best friend Abderus stole the horses at night. Heracles left his friend alone with the horses while he did something else and the beasts quickly devoured Abderus. Hercules was so distraught over the death of his friend that he fed Diomedes to his own horses as poetic revenge."
Text credit Wikipedia. Image found at Uncertain Times.
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