Der Held und die Versuchung des weiblichen Anblicks

In some versions of the story of Heracles at the crossroads, his decision is based exclusively on the visual aspects of the two options, incorporated in two female figures (most notably in Dio Chrysostom’s first Kingship Oration). The women do not explain in speeches what they represent ; it is only by their appearance that their moral significance is highlighted. This concentration on the visual aspects of the choice reflects the influence of the story of the judgement of Paris. Both myths have in common that the choice described does not reveal new insights into the different options on offer, but rather into the moral qualities of the one who chooses.