Plate 86: The Birth of Hercules (Iuno compreßis genibus Alcumenae partum differt), from Ovid's 'Metamorphoses' 1606

This etching by Antonio Tempesta, titled "Plate 86: The Birth of Hercules (Iuno compreßis genibus Alcumenae partum differt)," depicts a scene from Ovid's *Metamorphoses*. The central figure, Alcmene, is giving birth to Hercules, as Juno, the Roman goddess of marriage and childbirth, kneels beside her, delaying the delivery. The scene is a powerful visual representation of the conflict between the gods and mortals, and the role of fate in human life. This artwork is a part of a series illustrating the *Metamorphoses*, showing the influence of Classical mythology in Renaissance art. The use of a single, intricate scene captured within a small frame characterizes the work as an etching and reflects the popular artistic genre of the time.