Hercules (as Heracles was known among the Romans and as he is better known today) was a hero present in Greek mythology, being a A very popular figure marked by his great courage and physical strength, which allowed him to perform feats impossible for men common. He was also considered a demigod because he was the son of Zeus, an Olympic god, with a mortal woman.
Read too: Poseidon — the Greek god of rivers and seas
Summary about Hercules
Hercules (to the Romans, or Heracles to the Greeks) is known as a hero and demigod in Greek mythology.
He was very popular and known for his great physical strength.
He was chased by Hera for much of his life and driven mad by this goddess.
After murdering his own family, he sought to free himself from guilt by carrying out the 12 labors at the behest of his cousin, King Eurystheus, this being his most famous adventure.
The end of his life was tragic and he died in a fire, but his immortal part was rescued by Zeus and ascended to Mount Olympus.
Who was Hercules?
Hercules (as he was known among the Romans and as he is better known today) or Heracles (as he was called by the Greeks) is one of the best-known characters in Greek mythology, being marked as a hero of great physical strength. This strength added to this hero's courage made him perform numerous feats considered impossible for ordinary men.
Hercules, besides being a hero, he was a demigod, for he was the son of an Olympian god and a mortal woman. His father was Zeus, god of thunder and the heavens, the most powerful of the world. Greek pantheon and the king of Olympus. Her mother was a woman named Alcmena. Hercules also had an adoptive father, Amphitryon, his mother's husband.
We can see, therefore, that the birth of Hercules was fruit of an extramarital affair between Zeus and Alcmene. This is because, as we saw, Alcmena was married, and Zeus was also married to Hera, goddess of women and marriage. Hera, moreover, was quite jealous due to her husband's frequent betrayals.
Thus, there are several cases of Hera seeking revenge on Zeus's lovers. Leto, the mother of Apollo and Artemis, was one of these victims, as was Alcmena. Against the latter, Hera delayed the birth of Hercules, and, after the hero was born, was persecuted at various times by Zeus's wife. Soon after Hercules was born, Hera sent two snakes to kill him in his cradle, but the hero, demonstrating his strength and courage, killed the two strangled snakes.
12 Labors of Hercules
Hera's pursuit of Hercules continued throughout the hero's adult life and even provoked the most famous journey of his life: the 12 labors. Firstly, we need to understand a detail of the Greek hero's personal life: Hercules married Megara, daughter of the king of Thebes, Creon, and started a family with her, having several children.
At a certain point in the myth, Hera cast a spell on Hercules, causing him to go temporarily insane. During this outbreak, Hercules mistook his wife and children for battle enemies and murdered them. After he regained consciousness, he was overcome with sadness and guilt and sought to redeem himself for his action.
So he consulted the oracle, who indicated that he should look for his cousin and offer his services to him. His cousin was Eurystheus, the king of Mycenae, Tiryns and Argos. Once again, Hera took action and manipulated Hercules' cousin into requesting only the most difficult jobs for the hero, which became known as the 12 labors of Hercules:
Kill the Nemean Lion;
Kill the Hydra of Lerna;
Capture the hind of Cerineia;
Capture the boar of Erymanthus;
Clean Aúgias’ stables;
Kill the birds of Lake Stymphalus;
Kill the bull of Crete;
Capture Diomedes' horses;
Steal the belt of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons;
Capture Gerião’s cattle;
Capture the golden apples of the Garden of the Hesperides
Capture Hades' dog, Cerberus.
Hercules carried out all the work, reinforcing his fame and freeing himself from the guilt for the mistake he had committed with his family.
See too: Athena — the Greek goddess of wisdom
Death of Hercules
The 12 labors were Hercules' greatest feats, but they were not the only ones. Hercules is a recurring character in Greek myths and there are countless narratives of his deeds and adventures. Hercules remarried, but before that he served a queen called Omphale for three years.
After that, Hercules met It is married Dejanira, the daughter of Aeneus, king of Calydon. Together they had a happy marriage, although with a tragic ending, which began on a trip the couple was taking. Both needed to cross a river, and Hercules decided to swim to the other bank.
Dejanira, in turn, crossed the river with the help of a centaur called Néssus. After the crossing, Nessus tried to kidnap her, being stopped by Hercules. The hero hit the centaur with an arrow, killing him. Just before she died, the centaur convinced Dejanira to keep some of his blood, claiming that he had the magical power to ensure Hercules' lifelong love for her.
Dejanira fell for the centaur's lie and kept some of his blood. Years later, she began to have doubts about her husband's love because of rumors about Hercules being interested in a woman named Iole. Dejanira then remembered the centaur's blood and performed an incantation with it.
In fact, what she didn't know is thatO blood had the power to burn Hercules' skin. She smeared the centaur's blood on one of the hero's clothes, and when he put it on, his skin immediately began to burn, leaving him deeply injured. Regretful of having unintentionally injured Hercules, Dejanira committed suicide.
After learning what had happened, overcome by sadness, Hercules formed an incendiary pyre to end his life. He was tied to the pyre and it was lit by Philoctetes, a great friend of his.
As the bonfire burned, Zeus rescued Hercules and took him to Mount Olympus, allowing his mortal body to die, but elevating his immortal part, making the place the hero's new home. Hercules' ascension to Olympus is understood by many as his transformation into a god.
