Hercules (classical mythology)

Hercules is the Roman name given to the hero Heracles from Greek mythology. He is the illegitimate son of a mortal woman and Zeus, the king of all Olympian gods, and is renowned for his extraordinary strength. He also was a brutal character who murdered his family and many others over his lifetime. For his early sins, Hercules was forced to surmount twelve nearly impossible feats of might and courage as part of a penance that has come to be known as the Twelve Labors of Hercules. As a repentant warrior, Hercules was a member of the elite Argonauts, who conquered Troy and were critical in helping the gods defeat the Titans in an epic battle to wrest control of Mount Olympus from the deities. In recognition of his tremendous accomplishments, Hercules was granted divinity, becoming the only mortal hero to become a full god and resident of Mount Olympus after his human demise.

Brief History

According to Greek mythology, Zeus disguised himself as the husband of a woman named Alcmene and seduced her, fathering Hercules in the process. Zeus’s wife, Hera, despised Hercules because he was a constant living reminder of her husband’s infidelity. She tried to murder him when he was an infant by sending two snakes into his crib, but Hercules killed them and used them as playthings. By the time he came of age, Hercules had proved himself to be an accurate marksman with bow and arrow, a champion wrestler, and a warrior with superhuman strength.

Hera left Hercules alone until he had married and had children of his own. Still jealous, she sent Hercules into a temporary state of insanity during which he killed his three children and, by some accounts, his wife Megara as well. Seeking to atone for his murderous spree, Hercules sought advice from the Oracle at Delphi. However, Hera stepped in again and wielded her influence, guiding the Oracle to punish Hercules even more by directing him to serve an inferior king called Eurystheus for what turned out to be twelve years. Hercules had to do whatever the king asked of him. While in service to the king, Hercules endured what has become known as his Twelve Labors, which were feats of great strength and courage.

Hercules continued his heroism by teaming up with the Argonauts. During one adventure, he fell in love with a woman named Iole but was rebuffed by her father and brothers—so he killed them. To make amends, he went into another three years of service for Queen Omphale, who became his second wife. He continued to have legendary adventures slaying monsters and rescuing heroines for many more years until his third wife, Deianira, inadvertently poisoned him. In torment, Hercules threw himself onto a pyre of flames to bring his mortal being to an end. At that point he became a full god and joined his father on Mount Olympus, where he married his fourth and last wife, Hebe, who was the goddess of perpetual youth.

Overview

Hercules was a strong and brutal character. As a youth, he murdered his music teacher with his lyre in a fit of anger. At the age of eighteen, he killed a lion on the Kithairon mountain range of Greece and wore its skin as a trophy for the rest of his life. In depictions, Hercules is characteristically portrayed wearing the lion’s skin and carrying an olive club as a weapon.

Hercules was taught how to drive a chariot as a youth and was educated in the battle crafts of wrestling, fencing, and archery. According to one version of the myth, a young Hercules was sitting at a crossroads when two beautiful girls—Virtue and Evil—passed by. Virtue suggested that he take the narrow path rife with thorns and sharp stones. She said the path would be difficult to traverse, but would lead to love and recognition for him. Evil suggested he take the easier path, which was wide and straight and free of obstacles. That path would lead to a contented life and prosperity, but to achieve those qualities he would have to be unjust and inequitable along the way. One might suspect that the murderous demigod chose the road of Evil, but he actually followed the path of Virtue. This gave him eternal glory and recognition for his good deeds, as evidenced by his immortality and hero status as a mythical figure.

Hercules is one of the most popular heroes in Greek mythology, with his accomplishments continually being told and depicted throughout the ages in art and literature. Among the most popular stories about Hercules are the details of his victorious clash with the giants over control of Mount Olympus, his daredevil campaigns with the Argonauts, and the acts of his Twelve Labors, which included killing a multi-headed serpent called a hydra, stealing four man-eating horses, and capturing the three-headed guard dog of the Underworld known as Cerberus.

In addition to his exploits in momentous battles, Hercules also managed to engage in a tremendous number of love affairs. In addition to four wives and an ongoing stream of lovers, Hercules is purported to have impregnated forty-nine of the fifty daughters of his hunting companion, King Thespius. After each day’s hunt, the story goes, Hercules spent the night with a different one of the king’s daughters. Collectively, the women gave birth to fifty-one sons, who legend has it then colonized Sardinia. Thespius was not the only king to claim familial lineage with Hercules. The hero reportedly fathered innumerable children—many royal heirs—thus passing on his strength and godlike characteristics to a horde of Greek descendants for ages to come. Adding to Greek pride, Hercules also is considered to have founded the Olympic Games.

Bibliography

“12 Labours.” Ancient Greece, Mythology, University Press, 2003–2023, ancientgreece.com/s/Heracles/12Labours/. Accessed 5 Sept. 2024.

Bodri, William. The Little Book of Hercules: The Physical Aspects of the Spiritual Path. Top Shape, 2011.

Bremmer, Jan N., and Andrew Erskine. The Gods of Ancient Greece: Identities and Transformations. Edinburgh UP, 2010.

Colavito, Jason. “The Archetype: Heroes and Villains.” Jason and the Argonauts through the Ages, McFarland, 2014, pp. 128–145.

"Heracles." Britannica, 22 Aug. 2024, www.britannica.com/topic/Heracles. Accessed 5 Sep. 2024.

"Hercules." History, 17 Apr. 2024, www.history.com/topics/ancient-greece/hercules. Accessed 5 Sep. 2024.

Osborn, Kevin, and Dana Burgess. “The Labors of Heracles.” The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Classical Mythology, Alpha, 1998.

Seal, Graham. Outlaw Heroes in Myth and History. Anthem, 2011.

Waterfield, Robin. “Heracles.” The Greek Myths, Random House, 2012.

Woff, Richard. A Pocket Dictionary of Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses. Getty, 2003.