Origin of Hercules: son of Alcmene. - Jealousy of the goddess Hera: descendants of Perseus. - Milk of Hera: the myth of the Milky Way. - Baby Hercules and snakes. - Hercules at the crossroads. - Rabies of Hercules.
Origin of Hercules: son of Alcmene
Hero Hercules(in Roman mythology - Hercules) came from a glorious family of heroes. Hercules is the greatest hero of Greek myth and the beloved national hero of the entire Greek people. According to the myths of ancient Greece, Hercules represents the image of a man with great physical strength, invincible courage and enormous willpower.
Performing the most difficult work, obeying the will of Zeus (Jupiter), Hercules, with the consciousness of his duty, humbly endures the cruel blows of fate.
Hercules fought and defeated the dark and evil forces of nature, fought against untruth and injustice, as well as against the enemies of social and moral orders established by Zeus.
Hercules is the son of Zeus, but Hercules' mother is mortal, and he is a true son of the earth and a mortal.
Despite his strength, Hercules, like mortals, is subject to all the passions and delusions inherent in the human heart, but in the human and therefore weak nature of Hercules lies the divine source of kindness and divine generosity, making him capable of great feats.
Just as he defeats giants and monsters, so Hercules conquers all the bad instincts in himself and achieves divine immortality.
They tell the following myth of the origin of Hercules. Zeus (Jupiter), the ruler of the gods, wanted to give the gods and people a great hero who would protect them from various troubles. Zeus descended from Olympus and began to look for a woman worthy of becoming the mother of such a hero. Zeus chose Alcmene, the wife of Amphitryon.
But since Alcmene loved only her husband, Zeus took the form of Amphitryon and entered his house. The son born from this union was Hercules, who in mythology is called either the son of Amphitryon or the son of Zeus.
And this is why Hercules has a dual nature - man and god.
This incarnation of deity in man did not at all shock popular beliefs and feelings, which, however, did not prevent the ancient Greeks and Romans from noticing and laughing at the comic side of this incident.
One antique vase preserves a picturesque image of an ancient caricature. Zeus is depicted there in disguise and with a large belly. He is carrying a ladder, which he is going to put against Alcmene’s window, and she is watching everything that is happening from the window. The god Hermes (Mercury), disguised as a slave but recognizable by his caduceus, stands before Zeus.
Jealousy of the Goddess Hera: Descendants of Perseus
When it's time to be born son of Alcmene, the ruler of the gods could not resist boasting in the assembly of the gods that on this day a great hero would be born into the family, destined to rule over all nations.
The goddess Hera (Juno) forced Zeus to confirm these words with an oath and, as the goddess of childbirth, arranged it so that on this day not Hercules was born, but the future king Eurystheus, also a descendant of Perseus.
And thus, in the future, Hercules had to obey King Eurystheus, serve him and perform various difficult works at the command of Eurystheus.
Hera's Milk: The Myth of the Milky Way
When the son of Alcmene was born, god (Mercury), wanting to save Hercules from the persecution of Hera, took him, carried him to Olympus and laid him in the arms of the sleeping goddess.
Hercules bit Hera's breast with such force that milk poured out of her and formed the Milky Way in the sky, and the awakened goddess angrily threw Hercules away, who nevertheless tasted the milk of immortality.
In a museum in Madrid there is a painting by Rubens depicting the goddess Juno breastfeeding the infant Hercules. The goddess sits on a cloud, and next to her stands a chariot drawn by peacocks.
Tintoretto interprets this mythological plot somewhat differently in his painting. Jupiter himself gives Juno a son, Hercules.
Baby Hercules and snakes
His brother Iphicles was born with Hercules. The vengeful goddess Hera sent two snakes that climbed into the cradle to kill the children. The baby Hercules grabbed the snakes of Hera and strangled him right in his cradle.
The Roman writer Pliny the Elder mentions a painting by the ancient Greek artist Zeuxis, depicting the myth of the infant Hercules strangling snakes.
The same mythological plot is depicted on an ancient fresco, on a bas-relief and a bronze statue discovered in Herculaneum.
Of the newest works on the same topic, paintings by Annibale Carracci and Reynolds are known.
Hercules at the crossroads
The young hero Hercules received the most careful education.
Hercules was instructed in academic subjects by the following teachers:
- Amphitryon taught Hercules how to drive a chariot,
- - shoot a bow and carry weapons,
- - wrestling and various sciences,
- musician Lin - playing the lyre.
But Hercules turned out to be little capable of the arts. Hercules, like all people whose physical development prevailed over mental development, had difficulty mastering music and would more willingly and easily pull the string of a bow than pluck the delicate strings of the lyre.
Angry with his teacher Lin, who decided to reprimand him about his game, Hercules killed him with a blow of the lyre.
ZAUMNIK.RU, Egor A. Polikarpov - scientific editing, scientific proofreading, design, selection of illustrations, additions, explanations, translations from ancient Greek and Latin; all rights reserved.
Hercules, in ancient Greek mythology, a hero, a demigod with enormous power.
Family and environment
Numerous myths about the further fate of Hercules, after his release from service, mainly come down not to victories over monsters, but to campaigns, the capture of cities and the birth of numerous children, whose descendants reigned in the city-states of Greece.
Herodotus writes that when Hercules passed through Scythia, he met a half-maiden, half-snake and entered into a marriage with her. The sons from this connection became the ancestors of the Scythians.
Hercules also took part in the Argonauts' campaign together with Hylas. According to one version, he was not just a participant, but a leader.
Hercules was also placed in the sky as a constellation. There are different versions of which constellation Hercules represents. Or it is Kneeling, which depicts the hero’s victory over the dragon at the Hesperides. Or Ophiuchus, since he strangled the serpent near the Sagaris River in Lydia. Either he became the constellation Gemini, along with Theseus or Apollo.
Name, epithets and character
At birth, Hercules was named Alcides. The very name "Hercules" most likely means "glorified Hero" or "thanks to Hera." This etymology was already known to ancient authors, who tried to reconcile the obvious contradiction between the meaning of the name Hercules and the hostility of Hera towards him. In different parts of Greece, Hercules was revered under different names. The Eryphaeans revered him as Ipokton, since he destroyed the worms that were eating away at the grapevine.
Kornopion is revered by the Eteans for ridding them of locusts, which they call "cornopes". In Iberia his epithet is Pevkei, in Thebes Promah.
Another epithet of Hercules is Melampyg, which is also the name of the rock at Thermopylae. According to Hesychius, this epithet means “brave, daring.”
A few more epithets found in different sources are Keramint, Mekistey, Musaget and Palemon.
The Greeks identified Hercules with the Phoenician patron god of navigation, Melqart, and the Celts revered him as the patron of writing and the art of bards. They adhered to the tradition according to which Hercules was an Idean Dactyl, whom they called Ogmius.
The descendants of Hercules were called Heraclides. In Roman mythology, Hercules corresponds to Hercules.
Cult and symbolism
The cult of Hercules was widespread throughout the Greek world, and sacrifices were performed in some cases according to the ritual customary for the gods, in others according to the ritual customary for heroes. According to Diodorus, the cult of Hercules as a god first arose in Athens. Hercules was revered as the patron of gymnasiums, palaestras and baths, often as a healer and averter of all kinds of troubles. Sometimes he was revered together with Hermes, the patron of trade.
Hercules very early turned into a pan-Greek hero, and the details of the legends that probably originally connected him with a particular locality or Greek tribe were erased. However, all attempts to connect the origin of the myths about Hercules with one specific place (either Thebes or Argos) or to consider Hercules as a specifically Dorian hero turn out to be unconvincing. The exploits of Hercules quite clearly fall into three cultural and historical types: curbing monsters, military exploits of an epic hero, and fighting against God.
Celebrations were held in Sikyon, Thebes and other cities in honor of Hercules - Heraclea. They were established to commemorate the death of a hero and were held on the second day of the month of Metageitnion (approximately August-September).
In Phocis there was a sanctuary of Hercules the Misogynist, whose priest was not supposed to sleep with a woman for a year.
Ovid writes that the birthday of Hercules was celebrated on the day of the winter solstice, as were the birthdays of Zeus, Apollo and other gods. According to Theocritus, Alcmene gave birth to Hercules on the day of the vernal equinox, when the Italians, Babylonians and other peoples celebrated the New Year. The fourth day of the month was dedicated to Hercules as the founder of the Olympic Games, and every fourth year also belonged to him.
A temple dedicated to Hercules stood in Thespiae, its servant was a virgin priestess. The sanctuary of Hercules the Horse Binder was established in Thebes.
The veneration of Hercules was widespread throughout Macedonia, whose kings were revered by his descendants.
The indispensable attributes of Hercules were the skin of the Nemean lion, which served as his armor, and a club made of oak (or ash, or olive).
In culture and art
Euripides writes about Hercules in the tragedies “Furious Hercules”, “Alcestis” and “Heraclides”, Sophocles in the tragedy “The Trachinian Women”, Pausanias in “Description of Hellas”, Hesiod in “The Shield of Hercules” and many other authors. The XV hymn of Homer and the XII Orphic hymn are dedicated to him.
The variety of myths about this Hero and the presence of similar characters in the myths of other peoples prompted ancient philologists to think that Hercules is a collective image and several heroes bore this name. The Roman scholar Varro believes that there were 24 Hercules, and John Lidas counts them as 7.
Hercules was depicted as a child strangling snakes, a young man resting after a feat or performing a feat, a mighty bearded man armed with a club and dressed in the skin of the Nemean lion he killed.
From ancient times to modern times, myths about Hercules have never ceased to be of interest to writers, sculptors and artists.
Some of the most interesting works in painting are paintings by Paolo Veronese “The Choice of Hercules” (c. 1580), Reni Guido “Hercules and the Lernaean Hydra” (1620), and Annibale Carracci “The Choice of Hercules” (c. 1596). Francisco de Zurban created a whole series of ten paintings dedicated to exploits; it is interesting that each of his paintings depicts a club, it either lies on the ground or is in the hands of the hero. Symbolist Gustave Moreau illustrated the battles of Hercules with the Lernaean Hydra and the Stymphalian birds. The image of the hero was no less popular in the Rococo era; the most interesting is the work of Francois Boucher “Omphale and Hercules”, where the latter appears as a hero-lover surrounded by cupids and a romantic interior. It is not a surprise that stories about this hero are popular in modern art; one of the strangest paintings is Salvador Dali’s painting “Hercules Raises the Surface of the Sea and Asks Venus to Wait to Wake Cupid,” written in 1963, what exactly the author wanted to say with this is not at all clear.
Among the works of sculpture, it is worth paying attention to the Farnese Hercules by the sculptor Lysippos (an ancient Roman copy of the Greek original), Hercules from the Boar Forum and Hercules the Archer from the pediment of the Temple of Athena in Aegina.
Of the famous sculptors of later times, Antonio Pollaiuolo “Hercules and Antaeus”, “Hercules and the Hydra” (1478), Giambologna “Hercules and Antaeus”, “Hercules and Nessus” and others, William Brodie “Hercules and firmament" (1850) and so on.
The myths of Hercules also inspired composers Bach, Cavalli, Vivaldi and Saint-Saëns.
In modern times
Not many people know that the name Hercule of the character of the famous detective Hercule Poirot by the writer Agatha Christie is the French version of the name “Hercules”. And in 1947, she wrote the book “The Labors of Hercules”, which consists of 12 short stories, entitled in honor of some feat, where Poirot solves another riddle.
Hercules or Hercules is often found in modern cinema, as a character in a film, TV series or cartoon. In 1997, the Disney studio even produced a full-length cartoon "Hercules", and a little later an animated series based on it.
The computer games industry did not ignore the Hero either. Here are some games where Hercules is found - Rise of the Argonauts, God of War III, Gods of the Arena and others.
One of the largest asteroids of the main belt (532) Herculinus, discovered on April 20, 1904 by the German astronomer Max Wolf at the Heidenberg Observatory, was named in honor of Hercules.
A clearly visible impact crater in the northern part of the visible side of the Moon is called "Hercules". The constellation of the northern hemisphere of the sky, visible throughout Russia, bears the same name; initially it was called “Kneeling”, but in the 5th century. BC. The Greeks begin to call him "Hercules". If you connect the stars with dashes, then the constellation looks like the figure of a man, bending one knee and raising a club above his head.
Hercules is a hero with remarkable strength and a lion's heart. Protector of ordinary people, assistant to them. The son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene, he was famous for his kindness. Every schoolchild knows the legends.
Heroes do not last forever, and this mighty warrior was no exception. How did Hercules die? Let's talk about this below.
Birth of a Hero
Before turning to the question of why Hercules died, let us remember his life on earth.
The son of the Greek supreme God Zeus and an ordinary woman named Alcmene. Legend has it that the husband of the beautiful Alcmene was the brother of the king of Argoss. And this beautiful young man bore the name Amphitryon. As soon as he saw the girl, he was so struck by her beauty that he immediately forgot about everything in the world. And he went to the beauty’s house, to her parents, to ask for the hand and heart of the young lady.
Alkmena's parents did not resist the wishes of the young man of royal blood. And they gave their daughter for him. The newlyweds were happy. And only one circumstance darkened their lives. Amphitryon was an avid hunter and often left his young wife alone in their house.
On one of these days, when Alcmene was missing her husband, while in the house, Zeus drew attention to the beauty. And he immediately wanted to make her his wife. He began to appear in dreams, persuading her to stop loving her hunter husband. The young woman did not give in to persuasion, for her heart belonged only to Amphitryon. And then Zeus drove all the forest creatures into the forests, where the husband of the rebellious beauty so often hunted. Amphitryon, like a passionate hunter, rushed there, and Zeus, taking his form, visited Alcmene.
After the allotted time, Hercules was born -
Feats
How did Hercules die? On the next feat? Not at all. But we will return to this a little later. Now let's talk about the feats performed by this mythical character.
The product of the giant Typhon and the monster with the female head of Echidna. The lion was huge and very scary. However, Hercules was able to strangle the monster with his bare hands.
Sister of the Nemean Lion, half-blooded. She was distinguished by the fact that she had several heads, including an immortal one. The son of Zeus cut off the monster's head and cauterized the wounds with fire. Victory was his.
Stymphalian birds. The birds were distinguished by the fact that they had bronze feathers and claws. If it weren’t for the help of Athena, Hercules’ half-sister, the latter would have had a hard time. The goddess of a wise and just war provided the hero with a special weapon, which caused a stir. After the birds flew into the air, the demigod successfully shot them down.
Kerynean fallow deer. Artemis's favorite, harming the fields. To no avail, Hercules chased the animal through forests and fields. Then the hero shot at her, wounding her in the leg. What angered the Goddess, the patroness of hunting.
Erymanthian boar. The son of Alcmene and Zeus took the animal alive. Despite the size of the boar, they managed to tie it up and take it to the palace of King Eurystheus. Who gave all these unimaginable instructions to the hero.
Augean stables. In order to fulfill this order of the king, Hercules had to break down the walls of the stables and direct the river beds there.
Cretan bull. According to myths, Poseidon was angry with the inhabitants of Crete for a bad offering. And he sent a huge, ferocious bull against them. Hercules caught Poseidon's bull and brought him to Eurystheus. After all, he was the one who really wanted to own the monster. However, the king was afraid of the ferocious animal, and the son of Zeus set the bull free.
Horses of Diomedes. Beautiful animals. But only from the view. These cute horses ate human meat. To get the animals, the hero had to fight with their rightful owner. Hercules won, but the fate of the horses was sad. The cowardly king, who dreamed of getting them, did not dare to leave the cannibals in his herd. They were released into the wild and torn apart by forest animals.
We are all about exploits and exploits. And when will we come to an answer to the question of how Hercules died? Very soon this secret will be revealed. In the meantime, briefly about the 9th labor. Belt of Hippolyta - Queen of the Amazons. The beautiful Amazon broke up with him voluntarily, giving him to Hercules.
Cows of Geryon. To get the herd, our hero had to fight a giant and a two-headed dog. Naturally, both of them were defeated. Hercules got the herd, but thanks to Hera, he then spent a long time collecting the animals in the fields. The hero’s evil stepmother did her best and sent rabies to the cows.
The abduction of Cerberus. To accomplish this feat and the whim of King Eurystheus, Hercules had to overcome the three-headed dog. Moreover, with the permission of its owner - Aida. The latter did not believe that his nephew would defeat the dog. And in vain.
Golden fruits of the Hesperides. Apples that give immortality. And this task was carried out by a brave hero. But the king didn’t need apples; he wanted to destroy the hero. And nothing worked out for Eurystheus.
It would seem that the hero’s life is one continuous interesting fact. Undoubtedly. But there are others about which little is known. And this is not the death of Hercules, although it is also not particularly mentioned in mythology.
In all myths, the son of Zeus and Alcmene is glorified as a good hero. But there is an opinion that Hercules had an explosive character. And he was subject, speaking in modern language, to attacks of schizophrenia. That's why he killed his entire family: his wife and three children.
According to myths, the hero was tall. With dark hair and a curly beard. According to other sources, Hercules is short and densely built.
The Augean stables were a stable. Why? Because they contained a huge number of bulls, not horses.
One of Greece's greatest heroes has died at the age of 52. So we got to the main point - how Hercules died. The answer to this question is in the next subsection.
Death of the son of Zeus
The hero died at the hands of his own wife, no matter how crazy it may sound. And the myths say that this was the case. Hercules and Dejanira crossed a raging and dangerous river. A centaur named Nessus volunteered to carry the woman. And then he desired her. Naturally, Hercules was indignant, and a fight ensued. The son of Zeus killed the impudent man, but before his death he lied to Deianira. He said his blood could be used as a love potion. Although she was poisoned. Dejanira collects the blood of the centaur, and this seems to be the end of the matter.
No matter how it is. The wife was jealous of the son of Zeus and the beautiful Iola. And she sent him clothes dipped in the blood of Nessus. The hero put on a tunic, and the poison caused him terrible torment. To avoid them, the man threw himself into the fire.
According to another version, his death occurred at the age of 50. Hercules committed suicide after finding that he could not string his bow. Therefore, why Hercules actually died is not known.
Conclusion
Heroes die too. And sometimes a completely inglorious death. However, their memory lives on thanks to their accomplished feats.
Hercules is a hero with remarkable strength and a lion's heart. Protector of ordinary people, assistant to them. The son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene, he was famous for his kindness. Every schoolchild knows the legends about the twelve labors of Hercules.
Heroes do not last forever, and this mighty warrior was no exception. How did Hercules die? Let's talk about this below.
Birth of a Hero
Before turning to the question of why Hercules died, let us remember his life on earth.
The son of the Greek supreme God Zeus and an ordinary woman named Alcmene. Legend has it that the husband of the beautiful Alcmene was the brother of the king of Argoss. And this beautiful young man bore the name Amphitryon. As soon as he saw the girl, he was so struck by her beauty that he immediately forgot about everything in the world. And he went to the beauty’s house, to her parents, to ask for the hand and heart of the young lady.
Alkmena's parents did not resist the wishes of the young man of royal blood. And they gave their daughter for him. The newlyweds were happy. And only one circumstance darkened their lives. Amphitryon was an avid hunter and often left his young wife alone in their house.
On one of these days, when Alcmene was missing her husband, while in the house, Zeus drew attention to the beauty. And he immediately wanted to make her his wife. He began to appear in dreams, persuading her to stop loving her hunter husband. The young woman did not give in to persuasion, for her heart belonged only to Amphitryon. And then Zeus drove all the forest creatures into the forests, where the husband of the rebellious beauty so often hunted. Amphitryon, like a passionate hunter, rushed there, and Zeus, taking his form, visited Alcmene.
After the allotted time, Hercules, the son of Zeus, was born.
Feats
How did Hercules die? On the next feat? Not at all. But we will return to this a little later. Now let's talk about the feats performed by this mythical character.
Nemean Lion. The product of the giant Typhon and the monster with the female head of Echidna. The lion was huge and very scary. However, Hercules was able to strangle the monster with his bare hands.
Lernaean Hydra. Sister of the Nemean Lion, half-blooded. She was distinguished by the fact that she had several heads, including an immortal one. The son of Zeus cut off the monster's head and cauterized the wounds with fire. Victory was his.
Stymphalian birds. The birds were distinguished by the fact that they had bronze feathers and claws. If it weren’t for the help of Athena, Hercules’ half-sister, the latter would have had a hard time. The goddess of a wise and just war provided the hero with a special weapon, which caused a stir. After the birds flew into the air, the demigod successfully shot them down.
Kerynean fallow deer. Artemis's favorite, harming the fields. To no avail, Hercules chased the animal through forests and fields. Then the hero shot at her, wounding her in the leg. What angered the Goddess, the patroness of hunting.
Erymanthian boar. The son of Alcmene and Zeus took the animal alive. Despite the size of the boar, they managed to tie it up and take it to the palace of King Eurystheus. Who gave all these unimaginable instructions to the hero.
Augean stables. In order to fulfill this order of the king, Hercules had to break down the walls of the stables and direct the river beds there.
Cretan bull. According to myths, Poseidon was angry with the inhabitants of Crete for a bad offering. And he sent a huge, ferocious bull against them. Hercules caught Poseidon's bull and brought him to Eurystheus. After all, he was the one who really wanted to own the monster. However, the king was afraid of the ferocious animal, and the son of Zeus set the bull free.
Horses of Diomedes. Beautiful animals. But only from the view. These cute horses ate human meat. To get the animals, the hero had to fight with their rightful owner. Hercules won, but the fate of the horses was sad. The cowardly king, who dreamed of getting them, did not dare to leave the cannibals in his herd. They were released into the wild and torn apart by forest animals.
We are all about exploits and exploits. And when will we come to an answer to the question of how Hercules died? Very soon this secret will be revealed. In the meantime, briefly about the 9th labor. Belt of Hippolyta - Queen of the Amazons. The beautiful Amazon broke up with him voluntarily, giving him to Hercules.
Cows of Geryon. To get the herd, our hero had to fight a giant and a two-headed dog. Naturally, both of them were defeated. Hercules got the herd, but thanks to Hera, he then spent a long time collecting the animals in the fields. The hero’s evil stepmother did her best and sent rabies to the cows.
The abduction of Cerberus. To accomplish this feat and the whim of King Eurystheus, Hercules had to overcome the three-headed dog. Moreover, with the permission of its owner - Aida. The latter did not believe that his nephew would defeat the dog. And in vain.
Golden fruits of the Hesperides. Apples that give immortality. And this task was carried out by a brave hero. But the king didn’t need apples; he wanted to destroy the hero. And nothing worked out for Eurystheus.
It would seem that the hero’s life is one continuous interesting fact. Undoubtedly. But there are others about which little is known. And this is not the death of Hercules, although it is also not particularly mentioned in mythology.
In all myths, the son of Zeus and Alcmene is glorified as a good hero. But there is an opinion that Hercules had an explosive character. And he was subject, speaking in modern language, to attacks of schizophrenia. That's why he killed his entire family: his wife and three children.
According to myths, the hero was tall. With dark hair and a curly beard. According to other sources, Hercules is short and densely built.
The Augean stables were a stable. Why? Because they contained a huge number of bulls, not horses.
One of Greece's greatest heroes has died at the age of 52. So we got to the main point - how Hercules died. The answer to this question is in the next subsection.
Death of the son of Zeus
The hero died at the hands of his own wife, no matter how crazy it may sound. And the myths say that this was the case. Hercules and Dejanira crossed a raging and dangerous river. A centaur named Nessus volunteered to carry the woman. And then he desired her. Naturally, Hercules was indignant, and a fight ensued. The son of Zeus killed the impudent man, but before his death he lied to Deianira. He said his blood could be used as a love potion. Although she was poisoned. Dejanira collects the blood of the centaur, and this seems to be the end of the matter.
No matter how it is. The wife was jealous of the son of Zeus and the beautiful Iola. And she sent him clothes dipped in the blood of Nessus. The hero put on a tunic, and the poison caused him terrible torment. To avoid them, the man threw himself into the fire.
According to another version, his death occurred at the age of 50. Hercules committed suicide after finding that he could not string his bow. Therefore, why Hercules actually died is not known.
Conclusion
Heroes die too. And sometimes a completely inglorious death. However, their memory lives on thanks to their accomplished feats.
Since childhood, we have heard about the exploits of Hercules. Books, cartoons and films tell us over and over again about his victories over the Nemean Lion, the Lernaean Hydra or the cleaning of the Augean stables. Let us remind you that the great Greek demigod performed only 12 feats, not counting various small things like strangling snakes with his bare hands in infancy or active participation in the famous campaign of the Argonauts for the Golden Fleece.
Today's schoolchildren know the biography of Hercules better than the multiplication table, and can talk about his life, from birth to his ascension to Olympus, without a cheat sheet. However, if you ask them who Hercules is, such a question will cause difficult thoughts. And not only among the younger generation. Well... As they say in popular advertising - let's talk about it. Let’s first refresh our memory by remembering the main moments of the bright but short earthly life of the legendary hero.
Hercules, Greek Ilya Muromets
Hercules is the fruit of the love of the head of the Greek Olympus, the thunderer Zeus, and Alcmene, the daughter of the Mycenaean king Electrion. Moreover, in order to fully satisfy his passion, the leader of the divine pantheon did not hesitate to create a small apocalypse - he stopped the sun and arranged a night for himself that lasted three days. It is not surprising that as a result of such turbulent events, not some ordinary hero was born, but a mighty Hero, a demigod of the royal family.
Hera, the wife of Zeus, really disliked the future legend and from his very birth began to plot all sorts of intrigues against Hercules. Either the snake will send him, or he will punish him with madness... However, that’s why a hero is a hero, to overcome all difficulties. Ultimately, the wayward goddess, patroness of marriage and guardian of the family hearth, made peace with the illegitimate son of her formidable husband and even married him to her daughter Hebe.
During his short but stormy earthly life, Hercules was noted for a considerable number of glorious deeds. The most famous are the so-called 12 labors of Hercules, performed at the instigation of the supreme king of the Peloponnese, the narrow-minded and insignificant Eurystheus. We will not describe here the deeds of the mythical Greek - there is a huge amount of literature and films on this topic. Now, having made a brief overview of the life of our hero, let's try to establish a connection between Hercules and Hercules. However, let's first find out who Hercules is and where he came from.
Hercules, new centurion
After the rapid flowering of Greek civilization, a new sun rose over the world - the Roman Empire. Its famous legions in a very short period of time (by historical standards) captured almost the entire more or less inhabited world at that time. And unlike previous and future world conquerors, they did it soundly, for centuries. The Romans did not ignore the cultural center of the then civilization - divine Hellas. It was occupied without unnecessary blood and brutality, but firmly and for a long time.
The influence of the Greeks on Rome was enormous. Religion, mythology, many holidays and rituals were perceived by the “barbarians from the Apennines” as their own. We can safely say that Greek culture gave a powerful impetus to the development and formation of the “Roman world”.
Of course, the Romans could not copy everything from the Greeks down to the decimal point. This would be contrary to the Roman spirit and the logic of the conqueror. Therefore, all the gods, heroes and other mythical characters from Hellas, having come into the possession of the Romans, received different names and over time even began to be passed off as native Roman figures.
This trend did not bypass our hero, Hercules. In Roman mythical officialdom, he received a new name - Hercules. Later this name took root in the Western world, but the countries of the Byzantine sphere of influence used exclusively the Greek original - Hercules. Thus, we smoothly moved on to the question posed in the title of the article, namely, what is the difference between Hercules and Hercules?
Comparison
We think that the attentive reader has already understood everything himself. However, our task is to clearly formulate the conclusion that follows from our short journey to the land of myths of Ancient Greece and Rome.
So, summary. There is no difference between Hercules and Hercules. These are two absolutely identical heroes with different names. The name Hercules is original, Greek, and has no other variants. The Roman Hercules is the same Greek Hercules, renamed to suit the imperial ambitions of the Latins. As already indicated, both of these names have become widespread and are used simultaneously, but in different circles of world culture - Western and Eastern.