In Greek mythology, Antaeus—whose name is presented here as meaning “rival”—was a giant whose mother was Gaia, goddess of the earth, and whose father was Poseidon, god of the seas.

Antaeus blocked the path of travellers and demanded that they choose between death and wrestling with him. Over the years many heroes tried to defeat him and lost their lives in the attempt.

Antaeus killed everyone he defeated and used their skulls in the construction of a temple for Poseidon, his father. He was invincible not because of his own strength, but because of a secret no hero knew.

Antaeus was never defeated because every hero who fought him tried to throw him to the ground, and the “earth” was his mother and the source of his power.

He allowed them to cast him down because this was where he drew his strength. He would rise with doubled force and destroy his opponent.

Antaeus drew power from the earth and in this way killed every hero until at last he blocked the path of Heracles. Heracles understood his secret and, instead of throwing him to the ground, lifted him away from the earth and broke his back in the air.

That cruel and deceptive bandit possessed no power when he was no longer in contact with the earth, and Heracles tore him away from it.

What draws its strength from the depths and from what is low cannot be destroyed at the source of its own power or by its own methods.

Antaeus can be defeated only by being lifted from the earth and overcome in the heights, where he has no power.

No darkness in the world has ever been defeated by darkness; darkness has only perpetuated itself. Only ascent can strip what is bound to the depths of its power and bring its destructive force to an end.

Aydin Areta