The Life of Hercules

The most well-known character from ancient Greek mythology, Herakles, is known by his Roman name, Hercules. Zeus, the gods' king, and the human woman Alcmene were the parents of Hercules. Zeus, who was constantly pursuing women, assumed the guise of Alcmene's husband, Amphitryon, and paid the princess a visit one night in her bed. As a result, Hercules was born a demi-god with superhuman strength and endurance. Although he accomplished fantastic deeds, such as battling death and seeing the underworld twice, and his tales were spread throughout Greece and subsequently Rome, his life was anything but simple from the moment of his birth, and his interactions with other people were frequently disastrous. This was due to Hera's desire to kill Hercules after learning that he was her husband Zeus's son by a different woman. In actuality, he was given the name Alcaeus at birth and later changed it to Herakles, which means "Glory of Hera," denoting that he would gain notoriety as a result of his conflicts with the goddess.

For the people of Greece and Rome, the demi-god, who suffered like mortals and could make a mess of life just as readily as any man or woman but could do things no mortal could, held a lot of attraction. Hercules was a super-powered everyman who experienced setbacks, had bad days, horrible years, and ultimately perished as a result of deceit from another. Along with being entertaining, these tales would have helped an ancient audience by showing them that, if tragedies and disappointments could happen to a hero like Hercules, they had nothing to be upset about in their own lives. Hercules functioned as a representation of the human condition, where "a man may be destroyed, but not conquered," in the words of Ernest Hemingway. Hercules' character is interesting in that he did not have to voluntarily submit to any labors or punishments due of his divine power and prowess. He gladly accepted humiliations as his infamous Twelve Labors or his service to the queen Omphale. Even though he had caused the turmoil, his inner fortitude and capacity for perseverance made him an example to the populace and a sign of stability in the middle of it.

Hercules' personal issues began right at birth, despite the fact that he was revered as a strong protector and the ally of the helpless. Hera despatched two witches to stop the birth, but one of Alcmene's servants fooled them and sent them to a different room. Then, Hera dispatched snakes to kill him in his cradle, but Hercules killed both of them by strangling them. According to one version of the myth, Alcmene left her kid in the woods to escape Hera's wrath. However, Athena discovered him and brought him to Hera, claiming he was an orphaned child who was hungry and in need of food. Hera breastfed Hercules until the child pinched her nipple, at which point she pushed him away and her milk spilled throughout the night sky, creating the Milky Way. She then returned the baby to Athena and instructed her to care for the child on her own. The goddess unknowingly gave the kid more strength and power by nursing him from her own breast.

The best teachers in the country taught him how to wrestle, ride a horse, fence, shoot an arrow, operate a chariot, play the lyre, and sing while he was being raised at the court of his fictitious father, Amphitryon. But, Hercules was unaware of his own power and accidentally killed his music instructor, Linus, by striking him with a lyre one day during a dispute. Afterwards, in order to keep him out of trouble, he was sent to tend the sheep. Hercules, however, appears to have been unable to accomplish this since after learning that the Theban army had been routed by a group of Minyans, he rallied a group of Theban warriors to avenge the Theban army and put Thebes back in order. Megara, the daughter of King Creon of Thebes, was given to Hercules in marriage as a token of thanks.

Hercules was a youthful, powerful hero at this point in the story who was married and would eventually have three mighty offspring. Hera sent him into a psychotic break in which he killed his children because she could not stand the situation (and, in some versions, Megara as well). He persisted in his fury up until Athena struck him unconscious with a stone, at which point he was overcome with regret for what he had done. He intended to commit suicide, but his cousin Theseus persuaded him it would be cowardly and that he needed to find a way to make amends. Hercules sought advice from the Delphi Oracle, who advised him to join forces with his cousin Eurystheus, King of Tiryns and Mycenae, who would invent labours to atone for his transgressions. Their labours began with just ten, but eventually increased to twelve. Following Delphi, he adopted the name Herakles and ceased to be known as Alcaeus.

The Hercules' Twelve Labors were:

1. To kill the impenetrable to all weapons Nemean Lion. Using just his own hands, he strangled the lion after capturing it in a cave. After skinning it, he used the skin as a cloak permanently.

2. To eliminate the Hydra, a creature with nine venomous heads that, when one was removed, two more would sprout in its place. Hercules cut off the heads with the help of his nephew Iolaus, who then burned the necks with a torch to stop them from growing back. Then, because the Hydra was so poisonous, Hercules dipped his arrows in its blood for later use. Eurystheus refused to consider this effort as one of the ten because he had assistance, so he gave another instead.

3. To seize the Cerynitian Hind, a prized possession of Artemis. The deer with the golden antlers took Hercules more than a year to successfully kill with an arrow to the hoof. Even yet, Artemis wouldn't let him take the deer and was ready to murder him for hunting it unless she heard the tale of his toil. Only then did she relent and let him leave.

4. To bring the Erymanthian Boar to heel. Hercules travelled to the realm of the centaurs as a result of this work, and the wine that had been offered to him to entice the boar also attracted the centaurs. He was attacked, and while he had to kill many of them, he managed to bring the boar back to Eurystheus alive. He joined the hero Jason and his Argonauts on their expedition while he was working.

5. Cleaning Augeius' Stables in a single day. Eurystheus came up with a difficult task for Hercules' next labour because he thought this side trip with the Argonauts was an unwarranted indulgence on Hercules' behalf. There didn't appear to be enough time in a month, let alone a day, for anybody to clean King Augeius' enormous stables and massive herd. Hercules pledged to execute it, but he insisted that Augeius make a tenth of the herd a condition of his success.Augeius consented since he knew he couldn't lose, but Hercules changed the course of two rivers so they could pass through the stables and be thoroughly cleaned. Then Augeius refused to keep his end of the bargain. After finishing his work for Eurystheus, Hercules vowed to kill Augeius because he felt cheated. But, Eurystheus informed him that he would not be paid for his labours and that, by seeking to profit from them, he had rendered that labour ineligible and would need to perform another to make up for it.

6. To expel the Stymphalian Birds, which were wreaking havoc on the countryside. He did this with a rattle that Athena had given him. The rattle frightened the birds, who took off, and Hercules shot them with his arrows while they were in the air.

7. To return from Knossos with the Cretan Bull. The bull belonged to King Minos of Crete and was revered by Poseidon, the god of the seas, therefore it had the ability to traverse water. Minos cheerfully delivered the bull to Hercules who rode it from Crete to Athens and brought it to Eurystheus because he no longer desired the bull because his wife had fallen in love with it and even become pregnant with it (giving birth to the Minotaur). The bull was subsequently let loose, causing more havoc around Attica until being put to death by Theseus.

8. To return the Diomedes Mares. Diomedes, a Thracian monarch, fed his horses a constant diet of human flesh to keep outsiders away from his horses. When the horses were satisfied, Hercules fed Diomedes to them before returning them to Eurystheus. Hercules visited his old buddy Admetus during this labour, possibly on his way to or from Diomedes' palace, as Admetus' wife Alcestis had recently passed away. Alcestis was given back to her husband by Hercules after he battled death for her soul.

9. Bringing Hippolyte's Girdle back. The belt (girdle) on Hippolyte, the Amazons' queen, represented her authority to govern. Hera, posing as one of the Amazons, spread the story that Heracles had come to capture the queen and enslave them after the Amazons initially welcomed Hercules. Hercules was attacked by the women, and during the struggle, Hippolyte was slain. Hercules then seized her belt and departed. Nevertheless, in a different version of this story, no one perishes; Hercules kidnaps Hippolyte's sister and holds her as ransom in exchange for the belt before calmly departing. The numerous side-adventures he experiences while travelling back anger Eurystheus even more, but he accepts the girdle as a valid form of labour.

10. To bring the livestock of Geron, king of Cadiz, back. While performing this labour, Heracles had a number of side adventures, like accidentally constructing the Pillars of Hercules at Gibraltar and threatening to shoot the sun with his arrows because it was making him too hot. He had considerable difficulties collecting up the cattle when he finally arrived in Cadiz (Spain), including having to pursue a bull (the herd had to be complete in order to be accepted for the labor). Hera ordered gaddflies to sting the cattle as they were being brought back to Greece, scattering them so Hercules had to re-round them up.The princess Celtine fell in love with Hercules when she next met him. She kept the animals hidden and wouldn't tell him where they were unless they had sex. By doing this, he established himself as Celtus' father and the ancestor of the Celts. Finally, he returned with the cattle to Eurystheus, who approved of the worker's legal effort.

11. To return with the Hesperides Golden Apples. Hercules came across Prometheus chained to his rock and freed him on the way to the holy grove where the apples grew. Prometheus thanked him and advised him to attempt to convince the titan Atlas, who supported the earth and the skies on his shoulders, to go after the apples on his behalf because they were being protected by a dragon named Ladon who could not be slain.As Hercules arrived to the grove, Atlas offered to assist, but stipulated that Heracles would have to carry the entire globe while Atlas went in search of the apples. Atlas obtained the fruits, and Hercules accepted the load. Yet when he came back, Atlas refused to take the burden back and was prepared to leave Hercules in charge. Hercules joyfully consented to continue supporting the cosmos, but he pleaded with Atlas to bear the burden once more so he could modify his cloak to protect his shoulders. Hercules scooped up the apples and went, as Atlas took back the universe.

12. To bring Cerberus, the underworld's watchdog, back. Eurystheus chose his final task, which he knew would be impossible: he would bring the three-headed hound that stood watch at Hades' entrance back to life. Hercules had to undergo initiation into the Eleusinian Mysteries at the venerated city of Eleusis before he could enter the underworld. After that, he travelled to Hades, where he had more underworldly adventures, including releasing his cousin Theseus from the Chair of Forgetfulness, to which he had been chained. He also had a conversation with the Argonauts' fellow travel companion, the hero Meleager, who advised him to wed Deianira when he got back to earth. Hades gave Hercules permission to abduct Cerberus as long as he didn't harm the canine. Cerberus was subdued by wrestling, and Hercules returned him to Eurystheus, who was so afraid of the beast that he instructed the latter to return the dog to its original location.

Given everything he had accomplished, one might assume that Hercules could now live his life as he wanted and that he could now spend his days in peace. Yet, this was not the case. Hercules would encounter more difficulties, whether as a result of Hera's cunning tricks or his own impatience and lack of self-control. Hercules was once more driven insane by Hera after he killed the prince Iphitus of Oechalia. The oracle then instructed him to sell himself into slavery in order to atone for his crime. He was adopted by Lydia's Queen Omphale, who forced him wear women's garb and work on needlepoint projects alongside the other ladies of the court. He was eventually taken up by Omphale, who later released him.

Afterwards, long before the Trojan War, he embarked on an expedition to Troy, which he eventually captured with the aid of other heroes. After that, he engaged in combat with the Sicilian Titans. Zeus had previously slain the Titans, but they had since returned. According to a prophecy, the gods could only triumph this time with the aid of a mortal hero. Hercules assisted in the Titans' defeat, freed the gods from captivity, and saved the world from chaos. So, after cleaning up the stables, he travelled back to Greece to exact revenge on Augeius for breaking his word. Because of his continued weakness from the war with the Titans, Hercules was vanquished in this conflict. After more misadventures, he left Augeius' country and arrived at Calydon, where he met and fell in love with the princess Deianira, Meleager's sister. For her hand, he had to combat the river deity Achelous, but he prevailed, so they were married.

For a while, Deianira and Hercules were content at Calydon—that is, until Hercules killed his father-in-cupbearer law's by mistake. Hercules chose to depart the city with Deianira despite the fact that it was an accident and the monarch had pardoned him. When they arrived at the Evenus River, they saw Nessus the centaur, who offered to ride Deianira over on his back. He attempted to rape her once he got to the other side, but Hercules shot him with one of his arrows. The centaur was in danger of passing away when he advised Deianira to take some of his blood in a vial because it had a particular property that made it a love potion. They were the same arrows that Hercules had dipped in the blood of the Hydra. He advised her to sprinkle the blood on his shirt if she ever thought Hercules had lost interest in her because then he would be smitten with her forever. Naturally, Nessus recognized that the blood would kill any mortal, and he did this as retaliation for Hercules' arrow.

Hercules and Deianira made their home in the city of Trachis, began a family, and briefly experienced happiness there before Hercules waged war against Eurytus, who, like Augeius, had made fun of him in the past. He murdered Eurytus and married his daughter Iole, whom he had previously defeated in an archery match but been turned down. In another version of the narrative, he assisted Artemis in killing a boar that was terrorising the kingdom and was rewarded by receiving a gift from Iole. Then Hercules made a feast to celebrate his victory and asked Deianira to send him his finest garment to wear to the festivities. Deianira stained the shirt with Nessus' blood before washing it away to reveal only the poison since she was worried that Hercules now preferred Iole to her. Hercules was overcome with pain and started to burn as soon as he put the shirt on. While the poison was already grafted to his skin, he tore the shirt off of his body. He struggled as the poison seeped into his body and he grew weaker and weaker because he was a demi-god and could not pass away instantly. Deianira hanged herself after realizing she had been duped by Nessus and killed her spouse.

Hercules descended To Etna, constructed his own funeral pyre there, distributed his possessions, and then lay down with the pelt of the Nemean lion covering him. The torches were then lighted, and the pyre caught fire.

As a result, Hercules departed this world to live forever among the gods and provide mankind immortality throughout time through the tales of his exploits. Even though he had a god for a parent, his life was not always cheerful, and his power did not make his relationships or daily problems any easier. He was able to do great things, but this did not shield him from the disappointments and difficult times that are a part of life.According to historian Sir R.W. Livingstone, "The spectacle of man and the world attracted the Greeks, and this fascination is evident not only in their formal philosophy. It may be argued that their poets were also created to observe the world and human life, not to moralize about it or engage in sentimental rhetoric or mysticism."

The stories of Hercules portray life as it is, with everyone having to battle monsters, seemingly insurmountable challenges, and tragedies that are too painful to bear. Hercules-themed comic books, graphic novels, books, television shows, and Hollywood movies are still widely read and watched today, just as they were in ancient Greece when people would gather to listen to the stories of the hero. He continues to be a hero that everybody can identify with since his life was so imperfect and his character was less than perfect. When faced with a challenging position in life, one can find solace in the idea that if Hercules could overcome his hardships, then they can as well.