Hercules he is a very well-known character from Greek mythology (in which he is called Heracles). He was a hero and a demigod, for he was the son of a mortal named Alcmene and of Zeus, the chief god of the Greeks. He was known for his great physical strength.
Throughout his life, he was heavily persecuted by Hera, wife of Zeus, who was jealous of her husband's affair with Alcmene. Hercules committed numerous feats, the main one being the 12 labors, missions of great difficulty that he carried out at the behest of his cousin Eurystheus.
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Hercules Summary
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Hercules was a hero and demigod of Greek mythology known for having great physical strength.
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Hercules is the name of this hero given by the Romans, while the Greeks called him Heracles.
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He was a demigod, as he was the son of Zeus and a woman, Alcmene.
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he was pursued by Hera, and, in a fit of madness, caused by the goddess, killed his first family.
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After he died, he was raised to Mount Olympus by order of Zeus.
What is the origin of Hercules?
Hercules is the name of one of the most famous heroes of Greek mythology, and the Greeks knew him by the name of Heracles. F became known for having great physical strength and for carrying out missions considered humanly impossible.
Hercules was a demigod , as he was the son of an Olympian god and a mortal. Your His father was Zeus , the most powerful god in the Greek pantheon and who ruled over Mount Olympus. His mother, Alcmene , was a mortal who had been tricked by Zeus.
She was tricked by Zeus when he took the form of Host , her husband, causing her to lie with him. Later, Alcmene lay with her husband, being fertilized, simultaneously, by both. Hercules was the son of Zeus, and his brother, Iphicles , was the son of Amphitryon. Anyway, Hercules was raised by his stepfather as if he were his own son.
The myths about Hercules are believed to refer to some great personality who inhabited the region at an unknown period. Myths involving him have become popular, and the hero is one of the most influential in all of Greek mythology.
Hercules' life was marked by his enmity and with Ivy , wife of Zeus and one of the most powerful goddesses in the Greek pantheon. That's because Hera was very jealous of her husband, and one of the extramarital affairs he had was with the hero's mother. Hera often turned against her husband's mistresses, and Alcmene was one of them.
Hera delayed the birth of Hercules, and when he was born, she sent two serpents to kill him in his cradle. The little hero, in turn, showed his great strength and survived the attack by killing the two snakes by choking them. Despite Hera's wrath, Hercules enjoyed the friendship of other deities, such as Athena.
What were the 12 labors of Hercules?
The 12 labors of Hercules were missions of great danger and difficulty performed by Hercules and which were his main achievement. They emerged after a family tragedy experienced by the hero.
Hercules had a family formed by his several children with Megara, daughter of Creon, king of Thebes. The number of children varies according to the source of the myth. Anyway, at one point, Hercules was taken away to madness for an Hera enchantment .
During his outbreak, he saw his wife and children as enemies in battle, murdering the whole family . After he came to his senses, he realized what he had done. Sadness took hold of him, and the hero began to desperately seek to spy out his guilt.
He went to Apollo at the Delphic oracle for advice on how to get rid of guilt, and Apollo advised him to seek Eurystheus , the king of Mycenae, Tiryns and Argos. Much to Hercules' misfortune, his cousin had been convinced by Hera to request the most difficult jobs possible.
Hence the 12 labors of Hercules :
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kill the Nemean Lion;
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kill the Lernaean Hydra;
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capture the Cerynean doe;
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Capture the Erymanthian Boar;
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clean up the Augean stables;
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kill the birds of Lake Stymphalus;
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kill the Cretan bull;
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capture the horses of Diomedes;
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steal the belt of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons;
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capture Geryon's cattle;
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capture the golden apples of the Garden of the Hesperides;
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capture the dog of Hades, Cerberus.
The completion of the last work demonstrated the strength of Hercules and frightened Eurystheus himself, who feared Cerberus. Throughout the challenges, Hercules relied on Athena's help several times.
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How did Hercules die?
Some time after the 12 labors, Hercules met Dejanira , daughter of Aeneus, king of Calidon. He married her, and they were happily married. On one occasion, they were both on a trip when they needed to cross a river. Hercules swam across the river, and paid for his wife to be carried across the river by Nesus , a centaur.
During the crossing, Néssus tried to kidnap Dejanira, but was hit by an arrow launched by Hercules. While convalescing, Néssus orient or Dejanira saving some of her blood , claiming that he was able to ensure that Hercules loved her forever, and so Dejanira did.
A long time later, Dejanira was shaken by some rumors that Hercules was enchanted by a beautiful woman named Iole, daughter of Eurito, king of Eucalia. She decided to bathe one of her husband's clothes in the centaur's blood, preventing the garment from getting stained with the color of blood.
Hercules put on the outfit, and contact with it caused her skin to immediately burn and turn raw. Hercules returned to his home, and, when Dejanira realized what she had done, she went into deep regret, deciding to kill herself.
After being told that his wife has committed suicide, Hercules constr wow a big bonfire, tie or- if in it , and asked his friend Philoctetes to set it on fire. Fire consumed the hero's earthly body, but his divine part of him ascended to Mount Olympus , where he took up residence. The myth therefore suggests that Hercules was made a god through his father, Zeus.