Herakles
See also Herakles Ideological Analysis
One hero stands both literally and metaphorically head and shoulders above all the others: Herakles (Hercules in Latin). Yet he can be a difficult character to pin down: he certainly lives up to his stereotyped image as a mighty performer of astonishing feats, yet he can also appear at the heart of Greek tragedies, take the stage as a gluttonous comic buffoon or be a philosophical role model. His heroism finally wins him the ultimate prize, since his accomplishments lead to immortality.
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Herakles - Before the Labours
Apollodoros relates a strange chronology and geneology. During the reign of the King of Mycenae, Elektryon the six sons of Pterelaos claimed the nearby kingdon of Tiryns. Likymnios was the sole surviving son of Elektryon who swore revenge on the sons and entrusted his daughter Alkmena and his kingdom to Amphitryon. He died and his brother Sthenelos used the pretext to take over the throne and banish Amphitryon who took refuge with Alkmena and Likynnios with Kreon at Thebes.
After ridding Thebes of a giant Vixen, Amphitryon sails to Taphos to ravage them. But Poseidon had made Pterelaos immortal by putting gold in his hair and while he was alive Taphos could not be taken. His daughter Komaitho falls in love with Amphitryon and takes out her father's golden hair and he dies. Despite her help Amphitryon executes her for treason.
Before Amphitryon returns, Zeus assumes the likeness of Amphitryon and sleeps with Alkmena. When Amphitryon actually returns there is confusion and Teiresias has to reveal the truth. Two sons are born of Alkmena. Iphikles by Amphitryon and Herakles by Zeus. Zeus declared that this decendent of Perseus would reign over Mycenae. This irritated Hera who tried to postpone the birth and persuaded Eileityiai,the goddess of childbirth to bring forward the birth Sthenelos' son Eurystheus
Herakles first major event was when he strangled two serpents aged one. Later when Linos brother of Orpheus chastised Herakles, he killed him with his lyre. At 18 he was nearly 7 foot tall.
Feats of Herakles
He slays the lion of Kithairon (his attributes include him wearing lionskin) and a thankful Thespios King of Thespiai and wife Megamede gives him 50 daughters on 50 nights (though he thinks its the same daughter every night). These daughters have sons.
At this time there is an event called the Choice of Herakles At a road junction he is met by vice who offers him an easy path of pleasure, and virtue who offers him a hard road of duty. He chooses the path of virtue.
On his way back he cuts the noses, hands and ears of heralds belonging to Erginos. He is incensed, marches on Thebes but Herakles kills him with a weapon given to him by Athena. As a reward Kreon gives him his daughter Megara and is given a sword by Hermes, bows and arrows by Apollo and a cloak from Athena.
Hera is still angry and drives Herakles mad and he throws Megara's children and others into a fire. Euripides says she escaped but Apollodoros says she died also. He recovers his sanity and sees the Delphic Oracle. Up until now he had been called Alkaios. The Oracle renames him Herakles (Hera's Glory) and told him to go to Tiryns and serve his uncle Eurystheus for 12 years and perform labours. For this he will become immortal.
The Labours of Herakles
The twelve labours are the accepted number although Pausanias had 11 possibly after he visits and sees the labours depicted at the temple of Zeus in Olympia. he leaves out Kerberos. We see Herakles transform from a fresh faced young man to a mature hero, often helped by Athena. The labours do come in any definitive order.
The first 6 take place in the Pelopennese
- 1. Killing the Nemean lion. After this Eurystheus is so frightened he forebades Herakles from entering Mycenae and communicate through Kopreus
- 2. Killing the Hydra of Lerna. This was a progeny of Typheous and Ekhidna. This labour is disqualified becuase he got help from Iolaos
- 3. Killing the Kerynitian hind. This was sacred to Artemis. After killing it he runs into Artemis, Athena and Apollo and persuades them to keep it
- 4. Capturing the Erymanthian boar
- 5. Cleaning the stables of Augeias
- 6. Chasing away the Stymphalian birds by using a bronze rattle
The next two on the outskirts of the Greek world
- 7. Capturing the Cretan bull
- 8. Fetching the man eating horses from Thrace Also called the Diomedes' Man Eating Mares.
It was after the completion of this task that Heracles joined Jason and the Argonauts. Herakles returns to his labors after deserting the Argonauts at Mysia in now in modern day north west Turkey and ventures to Georgia Samartia
The final four are at the ends of the world
- 9. Getting the belt of Hippolyte
- 10. Stealing the cattle of the tribodied Geryon
- 11. Fetching the golden apples of Hesperides
- 12. Bring the Kerberos from Hades
Capturing the Erymanthian boar
On his way he meets friendly Centaur Pholos who gives him meat and wine from Dionysos. The smell attracts other Centaurs. Herakles fights them off and they seek refuse with another friendly centaur Kheiron. Herakles accidentally shoots him and Kheiron goes away to die but he is immortal until Prometheus offers to become immortal in his place. Pholos dies as well as he accidentally extracted a poison arrow that falls on his foor.
Cleaning the stables of Augeias
Herakles agrees to clean the stables of the Argonaut Augeias in return for 10% of his cattle. Later when Augeias hears that he was doing this labour for Eurystheus he refuses to pay up. When Eurystheus hears that Herakles did the labour for hire he refuses to accept it. This is why the two disqualifications make it the 12 labours of Herakles
Capturing the Cretan bull
Poseidon sent the bull to Crete and King Minos promised to sacrifice a bull to help his claim of kingship but he substituted the bull because it was beautiful. Poseidon, angry, made his wife Pasiphae fall in love with it and it became father to the Minotaur. Poseidon made the bull feral, whereupon Herakles captures it. Eurystheus lets it go and harries the population until Theseus kills it and later the Minotaur.
Fetching the man eating horses from Thrace
(Also called the Diomedes' Man Eating Mares)He goes north to Thrace where the Bistones own some man-eating mares. Herakles overpowers the grooms and drives the Mares of Diomedes into the sea and left them in the care of Abderos. However, while Herakles was away, the horses devoured Abderus. In revenge, Herakles fed Diomedes alive to his own mares. The mares then follow Herakles back to Eurystheus
Getting the belt of Hippolyte
Princess Admete, daughter of Eurystheus, asked her father for the Golden Belt of Hippolyte who in turn requests Herakles to obtain it. Herakles sails to the Amazon land and sets down at Thermiskyra. Hippolyte had been given the belt by Ares and she promised him the belt as a remark of respect to Hera. Hera assumed the likeness of an Amazon and spread rumours that Hippolyte would be abducted. The Amazons attacked Herakles and suspecting treachery he kills Hippolyte, takes the belt and sails away to Troy.
Troy was built by Poseidon and Apollo and helped by the mortal Aiakos. Troy was destined to be captured so having a mortal build it would not make it impregnable. King Laomedon refused to pay and Apollo sent a plague and Poseidon a sea monster. Laomedon now had to expose his daughter Hesioneon the rocks to the sea monster as a remedy. (much like Perseus and Andromeda story )). Herakles saves the daughter and kills the monster this redeeming himself for the killing of Hippolyte.
Stealing the cattle of the tribodied Geryon
Herakles was told he had to bring back the red cattle of the three-bodied giant, Geryon, from the Island of Erytheia which was far, far to the west. This took the hero on a long journey into the Atlantic. On his way, he set up the Pillars of Hercules to mark his way.
But Herakles began to grow weary with the heat, and so Helios, God of the Sun, lent Herakles his great golden bowl or boat so that he could sail the rest of the way to Erytheia. Herakles succeeded in raiding the cattle and sailed in Helios’ boat back to Spain. From Spain he travelled to Greece and had many adventures on this mythic cattle drive.
There is a whole list of adventures he had on his way home. When Herakles arrived in Rome he came into conflict with a monster named Cacus after the beast killed some of the cattle. Herakles killed Cacus.
The Temple of Hercules in the Forum Boarium in Rome It’s interesting that in Rome, there are some steps leading off of the Palatine Hill called the Steps of Cacus which is where the monster is said to have lain in wait for passers-by. In the Forum Boarium, or cattle market, near the banks of the Tiber, there is a round Tholos temple dedicated to Hercules, commemorating the hero’s time in Rome.
Fetching the golden apples of Hesperides
Herakles is directed to search for the sacred tree of wisdom and to pick its golden apples. Gaia, the earth-mother had given Zeus and Hera golden apples as a wedding gift. Hera planted them in her garden, which was far to the west and close to Mount Atlas. To guard the apples Hera sent Ladon, an immortal monster with one hundred heads. It was yet another offspring of Echidna and Typhon. Also guarding the tree where the Hesperides, who were the daughters of Nyx and Erebus.
The most difficult part of this task was to find the location of the garden. Herakles set off toward the west. While crossing Thessaly in northern Greece, He came across Kyknus, who was the son of Ares, the god of war. Kyknus killed travelers and passers-by, then offered their flesh as sacrifice to his father. Herakles fought and killed him. Travelling on, the hero came to the waters of the Erydanus in Illyria. Here Herakles met some river nymphs who told him that Nereus, the old man of the sea, would know the whereabouts of the garden. Herakles found Nereus and asked him for directions. When Nereus refused, Heracles leapt on the sea-god, and held him in a clinch, but Nereus could transform himself into many forms, including fire and water. However, Herakles held on and in the end Nereus was forced to give the hero the directions he needed
On his way Herakles shoots an arrow at the eagle that has been devouring Prometheus' liver for 30,000 years. Prometheus is freed in return for revealing the secret that Thetis would bear Zeus a son greater than him. Zeus abandons her and she later marries Peleus father of Akhilleus.
Continuing his journey the hero traveled through Libya, here he was confronted by Antaeus, a giant who was the son of Poseidon and Gaia. He gained his strength by keeping in contact with the earth. He challenged all comers to wrestle with him, he would kill them and decorate his father's temple with their remains. Antaeus challenged Heracles to wrestle with him, but realizing the giant replenished his strength from keeping in contact with the earth, the hero picked Antaeus from the ground, and choked him to death. After the hero had killed the giant he continued on his way.
On into Egypt, it was here Herakles came before Busiris, a harsh and cruel king. Some years earlier there had been a famine, and a soothsayer from Cyprus told the king that a yearly sacrifice of a stranger from foreign lands would favor the gods. Busiris chose Herakles as the sacrificial offering, as the ceremony began Herakles burst his shackles, killing the king and his priests. The Egyptians were terrified and let the hero go on his way.
Prometheus had told Herakles to have Atlas (his brother) get the apples while he holds up the sky for him. Atlas agrees and then decides he no longer wants to hold up the sky and takes the apples for himself. Herakles apparently agrees and asks Atlas to hold the sky once more while he puts a cushion on his head. This is a trick. He picks up the apples and walks off. Herakles gives the apples to Eurystheus who gives them back to Herakles who passes them to Athena, who in turn returns them to the Hesperides.
Bring the Kerberos from Hades
The Kerberos was an offspring of Typhoeus and Ekhidna. Here Herakles came across Theseus and Peirithoos who tried to free Persephone daughter of Zeus and Demeter. To get to the Underworld, Herakles gets help from the god Hermes, who travelled there regularly. Supposedly, they entered through the gate at Taenarum, in the southern Peloponnese.
There is a fascinating episode when they arrive in Hades’ realm. The shades of the dead flee from Herakles who wounds Hades himself with one of his poison arrows. The only shades who do not flee are Meleager, famed for bringing down the great Calydonian Boar, and Medusa, the Gorgon slain by Perseus.
Herakles drew his sword against Medusa but Hermes told him to leave her be. But Meleager told the hero his sad tale. Herakles, inspired by Meleager, said that he would marry the sister of such a noble man. And so, the shade of Meleager named his sister, Deianaira, to be Herakles’ wife. This at the end of his long penance for killing his family. After freeing Theseus he asks Hades for the dog, who says he can have him if he can wrestle him into submission, which he does. See also Capturing the Kerberos from an Ideological and Comparatist Perspective
After the Labours
Herakles give his wife to his companion and nephew Iolaos and was attracted to Iole daughter of Eurytos prince of Oikhalia. He gives his daugher away in an archery contyect that Herakles wins but fearing a repeat of what happened with Megara and his children he refuses to hand her over. In revenge Hearkles throws his son Iphitos over the walls of Tiryns.
Herakles seeks purification for this from Neleus King of Pylos. He refuses being a friend of Eurytos. He gets a disaease and goes to the Delphic Oracle. Not getting a response he takes the sacred tripod that Apollo needs to wrestle from him. The Oracle then decides he should be sold into slavery
Hermes sells him to Omphale Queen of Lydia to rid her of trouble makers
- 1. He catches the two Kerkopes brothers but releases them
- 2. Slays a massive snake
- 3. Defeats her enemies ay Itonoi
- 4. Kills Syleus with his own hoe as well as her daughter Xenodike
On the island of Dolikhe he finds the body of Ikaros buries him and renames the island Ikaria and sails with the Argonauts. He falls in love with Omphale and she bears him a son Agelos and she releases him.
Free he goes to Troy with Telamon to fight Laomedon and gives his daughter Hesione to Telamon as a prize. Hesione is allowed to release a prisoner and choose Podarkes who is renamed Priam.
Herakles moves to Phlegrai in Thrace and helps the Gods defeat the Giants in the Gigantomachy. After that he goes to Augeias for payment for cleaning the stables. Augeias is helped by Eurytos and Kteatos, sons of Poseidon by Molione (siamese twins). They kill Iphikles but Herakles kills the twins and then kills Augeias and his sons.
Next he attacks and kills Neleus for refusing to purify him and slays his shape chnaging son Peroklymenos. Nestor escapes being elsewhere at the time. Herakles wounds Zeus, Hades and Hera.
Then he has revenge on Hippokoon at Sparta. He recruits Kepheus and his sons at Arkadia. They win but Kepheus dies along with Herakles' brother Iphikles according to one tradition.
Is he now entertained character:King Aleus where he rapes his daughter Auge. The Delphic Oracle warned Aleus that he would be killed by his son. Finding that Auge was pregnant he had Nauplios down her but on their way to do that she gave birth to Telephos and he sold her instead to King Teuthras who married her and adopted Telephos.
Herakles moved on to Kalydon and courted Deianeira daughter Oineusand wrestled the shape changing Akeloos and married Deianeira.. He is immediately unfaithful with Phylas's daughter and father's Tlepolemos and accidentally kills Oineus.
He goes into exile and at the River Euenos he meets the centaur Nessos and entrusts Deianeira to him. He tries to rape her and Herakles shoots him with posioned arrow from the bllod of the Hydra. As he dies he presents his blood soaked cloak to Deianeira saving it will server to excite the love of her husband.
Finally, Herakles raises a force to claim his bride prize Iole from Eurytos. Herakles demise his now taken up in Sophokles' tragedy The Women of Trakhis. Deineira discovers Iole and thinking the cloak was a love potion gives it to Herakles. The venom attacks his skin and tears it off. Unconsolable Deianeira kills herself. Meanwhile Herakles builds himself a pyre and climbs on to it and it is lit by Philoktetes. He is taklen up to Olympus and is reconciled with Hera and marries her daugher Hebe
Herakles is referenced in the following articles
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