In Greek mythology, Heracles defeated Antaeus by lifting him away from the earth.
Antaeus was a Libyan giant and the son of Poseidon and Gaia. He challenged travelers to wrestling matches and was extraordinarily difficult to defeat because contact with his mother, the Earth, restored his strength whenever he fell.
Heracles discovered the secret during a wrestling match. Instead of pinning Antaeus to the ground, he raised him into the air and held him there until the giant weakened and died. This episode occurred during Heracles’ journey to obtain the golden apples of the Hesperides in some traditions. Antaeus is not one of the twelve labors, which is why the story is sometimes mistakenly included in lists of Heracles’ official tasks.