Augean stables(book) - trans. about something that is very neglected, polluted, where extreme disorder reigns (in Greek mythology - the huge barnyard of King Avgius, not cleaned for 30 years and cleaned by the hero Hercules in one day) (Explanatory Dictionary, 1935-1940, "Stable ")

Augean stables(book) - about an extremely neglected room, as well as (transl.) about affairs that are in extreme disorder [according to the ancient Greek myth about the stables of King Avgii, which had not been cleaned for 30 years]. (Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language (1992), N. Yu. Shvedova, "Avgiev")

One of the twelve works of Hercules, which required (extraordinary) Herculean strength, is the cleansing of the stables of Avgeas, king of Elis, which had been neglected for many years. To do this work, Hercules led two rivers through these stables and cleaned them out in one day (Great explanatory and phraseological dictionary (1904)).

According to ancient Greek legend, Augeus (the king of the Epei tribe in Elis) was a passionate lover of horses. He had about three thousand horses. However, the stalls in which the horses were kept had not been cleaned for thirty years, and they were overgrown with manure up to the very roof. When Hercules entered the service of King Avgius (among the Romans he was called Hercules), the king instructed him to clean the stables. Hercules came up with an ingenious way to clean the stables. He diverted the channel of the river Alfea to the gates of the stables (blocking the river with a dam), and the flow of water washed out all the dirt from there in a day. By agreement with Avgiy, Hercules was supposed to receive a tenth of his herd as a reward, but Avgiy did not give the promise, and a war broke out between them.

The cleaning of the Augean stables by Hercules is considered the sixth of the twelve labors of Hercules.

The historian (1877 - 1940) in "Legends and Myths of Ancient Greece" describes this legend:

“Soon, Eurystheus gave a new assignment to Hercules. He had to clear the entire barnyard of Avgius, king of Elis, the son of the radiant Helios, from manure. The sun god gave his son innumerable riches. snow, feet, two hundred bulls were red like Sidon purple, twelve bulls dedicated to the god Helios were white like swans, and one bull, distinguished by its extraordinary beauty, shone like a star. the court, if he agrees to give him a tenth of his flocks. Augeas agreed. It seemed impossible for him to do such a job in one day. Hercules broke the wall that surrounded the barnyard from two opposite sides, and diverted the water of two rivers, Alpheus and Peneus, into it. The water of these rivers in one day carried away all the manure from the barnyard, and Hercules again laid down the walls.When the hero came to Avgiy to demand a reward, the proud king did not give him the promised tenth of the herds, and Hercules had to return to Tiryns with nothing.

The great hero took terrible revenge on the king of Elis. A few years later, already freed from the service of Eurystheus, Hercules invaded Elis with a large army, defeated Avgius in a bloody battle and killed him with his deadly arrow. After the victory, Hercules gathered an army and all the rich booty near the city of Pisa, made sacrifices to the Olympic gods and established the Olympic Games, which since then have been celebrated by all Greeks every four years on the sacred plain, planted by Hercules himself dedicated to the goddess Pallas Athena.

Hercules took revenge on all the allies of Avgiy. The king of Pylos, Neleus, paid especially. Hercules, having come with an army to Pylos, took the city and killed Neleus and his eleven sons. The son of Neleus, Periklimen, was not saved either, to whom Poseidon, the ruler of the sea, gave the gift of turning into a lion, a snake and a bee. Hercules killed him when, turning into a bee, Periclymenes mounted one of the horses harnessed to Hercules' chariot. Only Neleus' son Nestor survived. Subsequently, Nestor became famous among the Greeks for his exploits and great wisdom.

What is the meaning of the phraseological unit "Augean stables"?

As we know, one of the exploits of Hercules was precisely to clear the stables from manure that had not been removed for a long time, which turned out to be a very difficult task. Currently, this phraseological unit is used as a solution to many old questions.

Augean stables - this idiom is still used today, it means a strong mess, a mess, neglect in work. It is difficult to clean up a stable of manure that has accumulated there for decades, and it is also difficult to sort out many old cases, not only about cleaning.

In one of the 12 labors, Hercules cleared the stables of King Avgii by breaking down the wall and directing the channels of two rivers into them. The myths describe that manure was not removed from these stables for thirty years. And not horses lived there, but several thousand bulls, so it would be more correct to call these premises not stables, but stables. However, it was the Augean stables that became a popular expression. It is used to describe the extreme degree of disorder.

Cleaning the Augean stables was the sixth labor of Hercules, the ancient Greek demigod hero, which is not surprising, since King Augeas had not cleaned his stables for so long that they became unnecessarily dirty. Thus, the expression denotes a matter that requires painstaking and long resolution, which is complex and difficult.

Augean stables, this phraseological unit in our time means a great neglect in business, a great mess. The Greek king Avgiy had many horses, loved them very much and had about three thousand of them in the stable, no one was able to put things in order in these stables. Until the king hired the strongman Hercules, who turned the river into a stable and all the dirt was carried away by the stream of water.

The expression Augean stables, which has become a phraseological unit that has firmly entered the Russian language, is rooted in ancient Greece, namely, in mythology. As you know, Hercules, the famous ancient Greek demigod hero, performed a dozen valiant feats. Clearing the Augean stables was the sixth feat on this list.

According to the myth, King Augius had many horses, and his stables were hopelessly neglected, extremely polluted with the dung of the king's horses. The success of such a complex task as clearing the stables seemed impossible, but Hercules managed to achieve it. It was not physical strength that had to be used, but resourcefulness and cunning.

Today, the Augean stables are a neglected state of affairs, problems and work that have accumulated over a long period of time, and sometimes a very dirty room.

The case is very old. Covered in a web of history and mythology. According to one legend, King Augius was an avid horse breeder, just a fan - there were about three thousand horses in his personal stables. However, it is not known for what reason, for 30 years no one cleaned these stables, the place was constantly vacant. And when Hercules tried to make himself an image, that is, to become famous in the field of exploits, the king instructed him to clean them up. Hercules led the river Alfea inside the stables and the stream of water washed away all the horse excrement. Since then, the expression Augean stables has been used for any very neglected business or polluted object. That is - to the last limit crap. Absolutely.

This expression came into our lives from the myths of ancient Greece. There was a demigod named Hercules, an incredible strong man. He was known for having performed 12 feats that were considered beyond the power of man. So one of these feats was the clearing of the stables of King Avgiy. Avgiy was a great lover of horses and kept three thousand horses in the stables, and for exactly thirty years no one cleaned up after them, so that the stables were overgrown to the very roof. Only Hercules could cope with cleaning the stables, but that's not the point. The expression itself has come to mean a long-abandoned work that has been accumulated over the years, but which suddenly the time has come to do it. Dealing with such a neglected case is sometimes no easier than cleaning out real stables. It is in this sense that the expression is used in the modern world.

Phraseologism Augean stables originated in the myths of ancient Greece. One of the exploits of Hercules (Hercules) was associated precisely with clearing the stables of King Avgiy, which were overgrown with manure almost above the roof. To cope with the task, Hercules had to change the course of the river, using its current in order to wash away the accumulated sewage. One does not have to admire the ingenuity of Hercules, since the damage to the environment was enormous.

Now the expression Augean stables is used mainly in case someone has to turn a mountain of seemingly impossible things that have been put off for a long time until better times.

Less often, this expression is used to refer to a dirty, neglected place or to refer to extremely neglected cases.

do the dirty work that has been piling up for decades. Pitiful in one fell swoop

First, let's remember a little who was who.

There was the sun god Helios, he is most often depicted with a crown on his head, similar to the rays of the rising sun. Helios had many sons from different wives, one of the most famous was Phaeton, who was ruined by parental love. Helios indulged the whims of his beloved son and allowed him to sit in his chariot, Phaeton could not cope with the horses and Zeus had to throw lightning at Phaeton to save the earth from fire. Phaeton died.

But from Girmina, Helios had two sons, and one of them was called Avgiy. His father gave Avgius a herd of beautiful bulls, but it so happened that no one was cleaned in the corral with bulls for 30 years. And at one moment Hercules turned up, who, on a dare, undertook to clear the corral in 24 hours. If Hercules won the argument, then he could get a tenth of the herd. Hercules was not only a strong man, Hercules was very smart. He directed the flow of the rivers to the stables and the water cleared the paddock from the accumulated manure. True, Hercules won the argument, but the bulls were not given to him and the agreement was considered unfulfilled, because everyone expected that the hero would work with his hands, but he worked with his head.

The expression Augean stables is now a catch phrase and means it is an extremely neglected state of affairs or a very dirty room that needs general cleaning, where several people can do it, but not one.

And the leader of the world proletariat, Vladimir Lenin, called estates, monarchy, the Augean stables, which must be completely cleaned out.

Any person, even without a literary education, should know what they are Augean stables and their significance. The story is like this.

In ancient Greek mythology, King Augeas had huge herds. All of them were kept in special stables. It should be clarified here that stables are usually reserved for horses. However, at Avgiy there were mainly bulls and goats.

For many years (according to some sources, 30 years), manure was not taken out of these stables, so terrible chaos was created there. In order to clear the barnyard of a lot of dirt, King Avgiy hired a famous character - Hercules (aka Hercules). It was this task that became one of, because the work was beyond the power of anyone else.

How did Hercules cleanse the Augean stables? Our hero was not only incredibly strong, but also smart. Therefore, in order not to clean the neglected buildings manually, he in a cunning way diverted water from two rivers there, which simply washed away all the manure from there.

For this feat, Augeas had to pay a tenth of all his numerous herds. However, he did not do so. And really, why is this, because the stables have already been cleaned!

True, then the mighty Hercules killed him.

Augean stables - the meaning of phraseology

Surely you already guess what the expression "Augean stables" means. From the previous text, this follows quite logically. But we will explain. Three values ​​should be highlighted.

Now you know what the Augean Stables are, as well as the meaning of this phraseological unit.

So it was like this. The Greeks had the oligarch god Helios. And he had a son, Augius. And Helios gave Obadiah a whole herd of horses and many other horned animals, also selected breeds. Well, the gods-oligarchs have their own desires and opportunities. But Avgiy was still that gouging. All these herds were on the drum for him, he was more and more special in girls, weed, parties and fashionable cars. Golden youth. So he did not see his horses and sheep, he did not hear. And you can imagine what was going on in their stables and stables. But then Hercules showed up. Hercules was a noisy pepper, a bodybuilder and a karateka, his father had Zeus, an even more reckless god than Helios. Avgiy and Hercules squatted, hung out in the same company. And somehow Avgiy, already drunk, says to Hercules: “If you, he says, are such a cool kid, cleanse my Augean stables

". And Hercules replied: “Easily. One, two, three." Well, they scored a bottle. And Hercules freed all the stables from their offal in a day.

Actors and performers

• Helios- in the pantheon of the ancient Greek gods - the radiant god of the Sun. Rushing across the sky on a fiery chariot harnessed by four winged horses, and in the evening descends into the Ocean. In his honor, the Greeks erected a statue of the Colossus of Rhodes, 30 meters high. One of the seven wonders of the world
• Augius- the son of Helios, the king of one of the tribes in northwestern Greece. According to legend, Hercules did not just try for Avgius, but for a tenth of the herds. Avgiy agreed with the condition, but did not keep his word.
• Zeus- the supreme Greek god, lived in the sky above Mount Olympus, ruled over gods and people. He had one legal wife Hera and at least 17 concubines. Many children from all.
• Hercules son of Zeus and Alcmene. When Hercules was born, Zeus decided to cheat and put him to the sleeping Hera (what he hoped for is not clear). Hera, of course, was indignant, and at her insistence, Hercules was sent to serve Eurystheus, the king of one of the cities in the northeast of the Peloponnese peninsula and his cousin, until he completed 12 labors.
  To clear Augean stables Hercules built a dam and passed the water of two rivers through the stalls.

Cleansing the Augean stables - the fifth feat of Hercules

Augean stables. Author

The legend of the cleaning of the Augean stables by Hercules was first voiced by the ancient Greek historian Diodorus Siculus, who lived in the first century BC. Diodorus Siculus wrote a historical work in three parts. In the first he spoke about the existing countries of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, Scythia, North Africa, Greece and Europe. In the second, about the history of the world from the Trojan War to the campaigns of Alexander the Great. In the third, he continued the story, starting with the generals of Alexander and ending with the Gali campaign of Julius Caesar. The books of Diodorus Siculus are a compilation of works by more ancient authors - Polybius, Megasthenes, Herodotus and others, subjected, however, to significant literary processing.

Phraseologism Augean stables meaning

Augean stables- King Augeas lived in Ancient Greece. He was a passionate lover of horses. Three thousand horses stood in his stables. However, their stalls had not been cleaned for thirty years and were overgrown with manure up to the very roofs.
Fortunately, the legendary strong man Hercules (among the Romans he was called Hercules) entered the service of King Avgius, whom the king instructed to clean the stables, because no one else could do it.
Hercules was not only powerful, but also smart. He diverted the river through the gates of the stables, and the turbulent stream washed away all the dirt from there.
Expression Augean stables we use when we want to talk about extreme neglect, pollution.

Option 2: 1. A very polluted place, neglected room. In figurative speech: something littered with papers, books, extra things that are not needed for work. “This incident happened (did not answer the letter) because our desk represents the Augean stables, and only now I could find a piece of paper.” Mussorgsky. Letter to V.V. Stasov, March 31, 1872.
2. Extreme disorder in business. “What were the main manifestations, remnants, remnants of serfdom in Russia by 1917? Monarchy, estates, land ownership and land use, the position of women, religion, oppression of nationalities. Take any of these "Augean stables" ... you will see that we have cleaned them clean. V. I. Lenin.
3. clean (clear) Augean stables. “Then Kirov patted Ilyushin on the shoulder. - And you gather the fighters. I'll come for half an hour and talk (about the purge of the regiment and the mobilization of the communists in the guards). Well, be healthy! Let's clean out your Augean stables together." G. Kholopov. Lights in the bay.
From the literal phrase Augean stables, i.e. the huge stables of Augeus, king of Elis. According to the myth, Hercules cleaned these stables, which had not been cleaned for 30 years, in one day, directing the waters of the turbulent Alpheus River through them.
Another version:
AUGEAN STABLES. A very dirty, neglected place that requires a lot of effort to clean.
“When Raya opened the pantry once a week to clean the Augean Stables, both roosters shot out with bullets and, realizing that their time was very limited, they tried to do as many dirty tricks as possible” (A. Kanevsky).
(The expression came from Greek mythology. The Augean stables belonged to the king of Oedipus Augius and were not cleaned for many years. Hercules cleared them of manure, who directed the river through the stables. For the first time this myth is found in the Greek historian Diodorus Siculus in the 1st century BC.)