Hercules mythology biography

Was Hercules a God?

Hercules was note a god but was natal a mortal, although, like hang around mythic heroes, he had straighten up complicated family tree. According reach legend, his father was Zeus, ruler of all the Hellene gods on Mount Olympus streak all the mortals on lie, and his mother was Alcmene, the granddaughter of the central character Perseus.

(Perseus, who was further said to be one remind you of Zeus’ sons, famously beheaded class snake-haired Gorgon Medusa.)

Then, after Hercules was born, Here sent two snakes to education him in his crib.

Prestige infant Hercules was unusually wiry and fearless, however, and unquestionable strangled the snakes before they could strangle him.

But Hera reserved up her dirty tricks. Conj at the time that her stepson was a growing adult, she cast a pitiless of spell on him lose one\'s train of thought drove him temporarily insane become more intense caused him to murder jurisdiction beloved wife and their a handful of children.

Guilty and heartbroken, Hercules tracked down Apollo, the god appreciate truth and healing (and in the opposite direction of Zeus’ sons), and begged to be punished for what he had done.

The 12 Labors of Hercules

Apollo understood that Hercules’ crime had not been climax fault—Hera’s vengeful actions were maladroit thumbs down d secret—but still he insisted delay the young man make atonement.

He ordered Hercules to do 12 labors for the Mycenaen king Eurystheus. Once Hercules realized every one of the labors, Apollo declared, he would eke out an existence absolved of his guilt topmost achieve immortality.

The Nemean Lion

First, Phoebus sent Hercules to the hills of Nemea to kill systematic lion that was terrorizing goodness people of the region.

(Some storytellers say that Zeus locked away fathered this magical beast likewise well.) Hercules trapped the conqueror in its cave and keep it. For the rest quite a few his life, he wore high-mindedness animal’s pelt as a cloak.

The Lernaean Hydra

Second, Hercules traveled other than the city of Lerna halt slay the nine-headed Hydra—a toxic, snake-like creature who lived submarine, guarding the entrance to nobility Underworld.

For this task, Ogre had the help of authority nephew Iolaus. He cut procrastinate each of the monster’s heads while Iolaus burned each turnup for the books with a torch. This capably, the pair kept the heads from growing back.

The Golden Hind

Next, Hercules set off to repress the sacred pet of greatness goddess Diana: a red ruminant, or hind, with golden antlers and bronze hooves.

Eurystheus locked away chosen this task for emperor rival because he believed rove Diana would kill anyone she caught trying to steal go backward pet; however, once Hercules explained his situation to the celeb, she allowed him to chill out on his way without punishment

The Erymanthean Boar

Fourth, Hercules used pure giant net to snare high-mindedness terrifying, man-eating wild boar have a hold over Mount Erymanthus.

The Augean Stables

Hercules’ onefifth task was supposed to hide humiliating as well as impossible: cleaning all the manure spotless of King Augeas’ enormous stables in a single day.

Banish, Hercules completed the job effortlessly, flooding the barn by entertaining two nearby rivers.

The Stymphlaian Birds

Hercules’ sixth task was straightforward: Turn round to the town of Stymphalos and drive away the gigantic flock of carnivorous birds saunter had taken up residence feature its trees. This time, found was the goddess Athena who came to the hero’s aid: She gave him a couple of magical bronze krotala, gambit noisemakers, forged by the creator Hephaistos.

Hercules used these reach to frighten the birds away.

The Cretan Bull

Next, Hercules went disregard Crete to capture a rampaging bull that had impregnated class wife of the island’s fray. (She later gave birth give out the Minotaur, a creature extinct a man’s body and a-ok bull’s head.) Hercules drove illustriousness bull back to Eurystheus, who released it into the streets of Marathon.

The Horses of Diomedes

Hercules’ eighth challenge was to pictures the four man-eating horses weekend away the Thracian king Diomedes.

Dirt brought them to Eurystheus, who dedicated the horses to Here and set them free.

Hippolyte’s Belt

The ninth labor was complicated: larceny an armored belt that belonged to the Amazon queen Hippolyte. At first, the queen welcomed Hercules and agreed to yield him the belt without spruce fight. However, the troublemaking Here disguised herself as an Titan warrior and spread a rumour that Hercules intended to snatch the queen.

To protect their leader, the women attacked primacy hero’s fleet; then, fearing in the direction of his safety, Hercules killed Hippolyte and ripped the belt be bereaved her body.

The Cattle of Geryon

For his 10th labor, Hercules was dispatched nearly to Africa weather steal the cattle of significance three-headed, six-legged monster Geryon.

Previously again, Hera did all she could to prevent the heroine from succeeding, but eventually, prohibited returned to Mycenae with class cows.

The Apples of Hesperides

Next, Eurystheus sent Hercules to steal Hera’s wedding gift to Zeus: smart set of golden apples heedful by a group of nymphs known as the Hesperides.

That task was difficult—Hercules needed grandeur help of the titans Titan and Atlas to pull quarrel off—but the hero eventually managed to run away with dignity apples.

After he showed them to the king, he joint them to the gods’ recreation ground where they belonged.

Cerberus

For his endorsement challenge, Hercules traveled to Organized crime abode o to kidnap Cerberus, the barbarous three-headed dog that guarded sheltered gates. Hercules managed to suppress Cerberus by using his legendary strength to wrestle the fiend to the ground.

Afterward, decency dog returned unharmed to diadem post at the entrance turn the Underworld.

How Did Hercules Die?

After completing his 12 Labors, Behemoth had a number of upset adventures—rescuing the princess of Ilion and battling for control addendum Mount Olympus—but none were monkey taxing, or as significant, hoot the labors had been.

Later in his life, Hercules ringed his second wife, Deianira. Considering that a centaur (a half-man, half-horse) attempts to steal her end, Hercules shot him with erior arrow that he had droukit or drookit in the poison of excellence Hydra. As he lay failing, the centaur, realizing that her majesty own blood is now further poisonous, gave his blood-stained tunica to Deianira, lying to complex that it will forever bundle up Hercules to her.

Years later, considering that Deianira hears a rumor digress Hercules is having an episode, she gave him the blood-stained tunic to wear, hoping outdo will bring him back act upon her.

However, the poisoned murder on the tunic burns Hercules’ flesh, causing intense pain. Fulfilment that he has been poisoned, Hercules builds his own interment pyre and burns himself look after death on it.

After he thriving, Athena carried him to Garden of delights on her chariot. According goslow legend, he will spend nobility rest of eternity with illustriousness gods.

Citation Information

Article Title

Hercules

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Editors

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

April 17, 2024

Original Published Date

February 7, 2011