Augean stables

[ aw-jee-uhn stey-buhlz ]

plural noun

, Classical Mythology.

1. the stables in which King Augeas kept 3,000 oxen, and which had not been cleaned for 30 years. The cleaning of these stables was accomplished by Hercules, who diverted the river Alpheus through them.

Augean stables

plural noun

1. Greek myth the stables, not cleaned for 30 years, where King Augeas kept 3000 oxen. Hercules diverted the River Alpheus through them and cleaned them in a day

Augean stables

1. Stables that figured in the Greek myth of the Labors of Hercules . The stables, which belonged to King Augeas, housed a large herd of cattle and had not been cleaned for years. Hercules was ordered to clean out these filthy stalls. He did so by diverting the course of two rivers so that they flowed through the stables.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Augean stables¹

First recorded in 1590–1600

Example Sentences

She made everyone else look overdone and overdressed, washing the Augean stables of Cannes clean.

From New York Times

He likened the Internet to the Augean stables in Greek mythology, which needed Hercules to divert two rivers to wash away decades of manure.

From Reuters

The fifth labor was to clean the Augean stables in a single day.

From Literature

No one’s ever actually done that — not on such a scale with three stars all volunteering to clean the Augean stables.

From Washington Post

Instead, it is going to take an effort akin to Hercules cleaning out the Augean stables to repair, rebuild and strengthen America.

From The Guardian