heraklas heraklas heraklas (greek: ἡρακλᾶς) was a greek physician of the 1st century ad whose descriptions of surgeons' knots and slings are preserved in book 48 of oribasius' medical collections (ἰατρικαὶ συναγωγαί, iatrikai synagogai) under the title from heraklas. heraklas' sling xiii, the plinthios brokhos is produced in the same manner as a string figure. this example is formed in a doubled cord for better visibility. the diplous karkhesios brokhos or the modern bottle sling the epankylotos brokhos or the modern tom fool's knot describing them in detail, heraklas discussed 16 different knots and slings, including the earliest known written account of a string figure. accompanying illustrations of the knots were added later by renaissance copyists, but modern analysis of the writings by knot experts has shown many of these early drawings to contain significant errors or misinterpretations. the knots identified the current understanding of heraklas' knots results primarily from analysis and identification by hjalmar öhrvall, lawrence g. miller, and cyrus l. day, although slightly differing interpretations and refinements continue to be made. the table below shows the knots believed to have been described by heraklas. chaptergreek nametranslated namemodern equivalent iertos brokhosthreaded noosecow hitch iinautikos brokhosnautical nooseclove hitch iiikhiestos brokhoscrossed nooseoverhand noose ivboukolikos brokhos or sandalios brokhospastoral noose or sandal nooseoverhand noose variation vdrakon brokhosdragon nooseoverhand noose variation vihaploun hamma brokhossingle knot noose(no modern name) viilykos brokhoswolf noosereef knot viiiherakleotikon hammahercules knotreef knot ixhaplous karkhesios brokhossingle jug-sling noose"true lover's knot" (abok #1038) x–xiidiplous karkhesios brokhosdouble jug-sling noosebottle sling xiiitetrakyklos plinthios brokhosfour-looped rectangular noosestring figure, "the sun clouded over" xivepankylotos brokhosinterlooped noosetom fool's knot xvota brokhosears noose(no modern name) xvidiankylos brokhostwo-looped noose(no modern name) xviiankhon brokhosstrangler noosetrue lover's knot (abok #1038) xviiihyperbatos brokhostransposed nooseclove hitch