Hercules in greek mythology

Hercules in greek mythology

Hercules in greek mythology;The greatest Greek mythological hero was Hercules. He was well-known for his extraordinary bravery, strength, and intelligence. His Roman name is actually Hercules. He went by Heracles among the Greeks.

Who was Heracles in Greek mythology?

Birth of Hercules

Hercules was a god. He was, therefore, a hybrid of a god and a human. Zeus, the gods’ monarch, was his father, and Alcmene, a stunning human princess, was his mother.

Hercules was extremely strong, even as a newborn. Upon learning of Hercules, Zeus’s wife, the goddess Hera, desired to have him killed. Two big snakes that she slipped into his cot. But little Hercules took the snakes by the neck and used his own hands to strangle them!

Growing Up

Alcmene, Hercules’ mother, made an effort to raise him like a typical child. Like other mortal children, he attended school and studied math, reading, and writing. But one day he lost it and accidentally killed his music teacher by hitting him in the head with his lyre.

Hercules relocated to the highlands and began working as a cattle herder there. He was a fan of nature. When Hercules was eighteen, a large lion attacked his herd one day. Hercules killed the lion with his bare hands.

Hercules is Tricked

Megara was the princess that Hercules wed. They were happy, with a family of their own. The goddess Hera became enraged by this. Hercules was duped into believing his family was made up of snakes. After killing the snakes, Hercules discovered they were his wife and children. He was overcome with sadness and remorse.

Oracle of Delphi

Hercules desired to be free of his shame. He went to consult the Oracle of Delphi for guidance. Hercules was given a 10-year mission to serve King Eurystheus and complete any assignment the king assigned him, according to the Oracle. He would no longer feel guilty and would be pardoned if he did this. The monarch assigned him what are known as the Twelve Labors of Hercules.

The Twelve Labors of Hercules

Every one of Hercules’ Twelve Labors is its own adventure and tale. The monarch wanted Hercules to fail because he disliked him. Every time, he increased the difficulty of the assignments. The last mission even required going to the Underworld and returning with Cerberus, the vicious guardian with three heads.

1. Slay the Lion of Nemea
2. Slay the Lernean Hydra
3. Capture the Golden Hind of Artemis
4. Capture the Boar of Erymanthia
5. Clean the entire Augean stables in one day
6. Slay the Stymphalian Birds
7. Capture the Bull of Crete
8. Steal the Mares of Diomedes
9. Get the girdle from the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta
10. Take the cattle from the monster, Geryon
11. Steal apples from the Hesperides
12. Bring back the three-headed dog Cerberus from the Underworld

Hercules not only used his strength and courage to accomplish the twelve labors, but he also used his intelligence. For example, when stealing the apples from Hesperides, the daughters of Atlas, Hercules got Atlas to get the apples for him. He agreed to hold up the world for Atlas while Atlas got the apples. Then, when Atlas tried to go back on the deal, Hercules had to trick Atlas to once again take the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Another example of Hercules using his brain was when he was tasked with cleaning the Augean stables in a day. There were over 3,000 cows in the stables. There was no way he could clean them by hand in a day. So Hercules built a dam and caused a river to flow through the stables. They were cleaned out in no time.

Other Adventures

Hercules went on a number of other adventures throughout Greek mythology. He was a hero who helped people and fought monsters. He continuously had to deal with the goddess Hera, who was trying to trick him and get him into trouble. In the end, Hercules died when his wife was tricked into poisoning him. However, Zeus saved him, and his immortal half went to Olympus to become a god.

Hercules in greek mythology

Facts about Hercules

• Hercules was originally only supposed to do ten labors, but the king said that the Augean stables and the slaying of the hydra didn’t count. This was because his nephew Iolaus helped him kill the hydra, and he took payment for cleaning out the stables.
• Walt Disney made a feature film called Hercules in 1997.
• The story of Hercules and Hesperides is part of the popular book The Titan’s Curse from the series Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan.
• Hercules wore the pelt of the Lion of Nemea as a cloak. It was impervious to weapons and made him even more powerful.
• He joined the Argonauts on their search for the Golden Fleece. He also helped the gods fight the giants.

Read also: Greek gods and mythology