Hercules is the strongest man on earth. How did Hercules, the mortal son of Zeus, die? Whose son is Hercules?

The myth of Hercules begins with his unusual birth. The thunder god Zeus had a penchant for earthly women. He liked the beautiful Alcmene, the wife of the king of Mycenae. Zeus, with gentle speeches, tried to convince her to cheat on her husband. But Alcmene was adamant. Then the Thunderer decided to cheat. He drove all the animals of Hellas into the forest where the king of Mycenae was hunting. Carried away by hunting, he did not return home to spend the night. And Zeus in the form of a husband appeared to Alcmene.

On the day when Hercules was to be born, the Thunderer swore in the presence of the gods that the boy would become the ruler of Mycenae. But Hera, the jealous wife of Zeus, realized that we were talking about an illegitimate child. She pushed back Alcmene's birth by a day. At the hour appointed by Zeus, Eurystheus was born. It was he who became the ruler of Mycenae, in whose service Hercules accomplished famous feats.

Myths about Hercules: 12 labors

Hera, having learned about the birth of the future hero, vowed to kill him. She sent two poisonous snakes into the cradle. But Hercules showed strength and agility from birth. He strangled the reptiles with his hands.

The myth of Hercules tells that Hera later sent madness to the hero. The man's mind became confused as he played with his sons. He mistook the children for monsters. When the attack of madness passed, Hercules was horrified by his own action. Full of remorse, he decided to go to overseas countries.

Hercules sailed with the Argonauts on a ship to distant Colchis for the Golden Fleece. But his journey did not last long - the god Hermes appeared to the hero near the very shores of Greece. He conveyed the will of the gods: let Hercules humble himself and go into the service of the Mycenaean king Eurystheus.

Jealous Hera, in a desire to get rid of the illegitimate son of Zeus, entered into an agreement with Eurystheus. She advised the ruler of Mycenae to choose the most difficult and dangerous tasks for the hero. The myths about the exploits of Hercules, one might say, appeared thanks to Hera. She herself, unwittingly, contributed to the hero’s centuries-long glory.

First feat

Eurystheus gave the first task to Hercules - to destroy the Nemean lion. The monster was born from the giant Typhon and Echidna, a huge snake. The lion amazed with its size and bloodthirstiness. Its durable skin withstood the blows of swords, and arrows dulled on it.

A lion lived in the vicinity of the city of Nemea, destroying all living things in its path. For a whole month Hercules searched for his lair. Finally he discovered a cave that served as a refuge for the Nemean Lion. Hercules blocked the exit from the lair with a huge boulder, and he himself prepared to wait at the entrance. Finally there was a loud roar and a monster appeared.

The myth of Hercules tells that the hero's arrows bounced off the skin of a lion. The sharp sword did not harm him. Then Hercules grabbed the monster by the throat with his bare hands and strangled him.

The hero returned victoriously to Mycenae. When Eurystheus saw the defeated lion, he was afraid of the incredible strength of Hercules.

Second feat

Let's try to retell the second myth about Hercules briefly. Hera came up with a new deadly task for the hero. A terrible monster was lurking in the poisonous swamp - the Lernaean Hydra. She had the body of a snake and nine heads.

The Lernaean hydra lived near the entrance to the world of the dead. She crawled out of her lair and devastated the surrounding area. Being the sister of the Nemean Lion, she had a huge advantage - one of her nine heads was immortal. Therefore, it was impossible to kill the Lernaean Hydra.

Iolaus offered his help to Hercules - he took the hero to the poisonous swamp on his chariot. The hero fought the hydra for a long time. But, having struck down one head of the monster, Hercules saw two new ones appear in its place.

Assistant Iolaus set fire to a nearby grove and began to cauterize the severed heads of the hydra. When Hercules cut off the last, immortal head, he buried it deep in the ground. He laid a huge rock on top so that the monster could never appear on earth again.

Hercules soaked the arrowheads with the poisonous blood of the hydra. And then he returned to Mycenae, where Eurystheus’ new task awaited him.

Third feat

Myths about the exploits of Hercules indicate his strength, agility, and speed. For more than a year the hero chased the Kerynean doe in order to catch it - this was a new task for the ruler of Mycenae.

A beautiful fallow deer appeared in the vicinity of the Kerenean Mountains. Her horns sparkled with gold, and her hooves shone with copper. The animal's skin sparkled in the sun. The Kerynean fallow deer was created by the goddess of the hunt, Artemis. She did this as a reproach to people who exterminated flora and fauna.

The doe ran faster than the wind - she rushed, running away from Hercules, through Attica, Thesprotia, Boeotia. For a whole year the hero tried to catch up with the beautiful fugitive. In desperation, Hercules took out his bow and shot the animal in the leg. Throwing a net over the prey, he carried it to Mycenae.

Artemis appeared in front of him in anger. Ancient myths about Hercules say that the hero bowed to her. He explained how the will of the gods forced him to serve Eurystheus. That he was not chasing the beautiful doe for himself. Artemis had mercy and allowed Hercules to take the animal to Mycenae.

Fourth feat

And Eurystheus has already prepared a new task for the hero. Which one? The fourth myth about Hercules will tell us about this. Its brief content allows us to find out that a wild boar appeared in Arcadia. The Erymanthian boar used its huge tusks to destroy livestock, forest animals, and travelers...

On the way, Hercules visited his acquaintance, the centaur Pholus. They opened the wine, had fun, sang songs. Other centaurs, attracted by the aroma of the wine, armed themselves with stones and stakes and declared that the wine was a gift to the entire community. A fight ensued. Hercules put the centaurs to flight with his poisonous arrows.

Continuing his journey, the hero soon saw the Erymanthian boar. But the blows of the sword did not frighten the animal. Then Hercules raised his shield high. When the sun was reflected in it, the hero directed the beam directly into the eyes of the beast. Then he began to hit the shield with his sword. Blinded, the animal was frightened by the loud noise. He rushed high into the mountains, where he got stuck in deep snow. Then Hercules tied the boar, put it on his shoulders and brought it to Mycenae.

The inhabitants rejoiced at their deliverance from the formidable monster. Eurystheus, seeing the size of the boar, was so frightened that he hid in a bronze pithos.

Fifth feat

King Augeas was famous for his herds and stables. He fenced off the barnyard with a high fence, because he was in fear around the clock that the bulls and horses might be kidnapped. All day long Augeias tried to count the number of horses in the stables. But the herd was in motion, the horses moved, and the count had to start over.

The accumulated sewage from the horses filled all the stables. The smell from them permeated the whole of Arcadia, says the 5th myth. Hercules sent Eurystheus to clear the Augean stables of manure. The king thought that a strong and brave hero would disdain such a task.

Hercules realized that it was necessary to make a hole in the fence. He broke the fence surrounding the stables on both sides. The water flow of the mountain river immediately washed away all the impurities.

The myth of Hercules briefly reports that after this feat, the hero made a sacrifice to the river god for the unpleasant work. Then he restored the fence and returned to Mycenae for a new assignment.

The sixth feat

One day, two huge birds appeared near the city of Stymphalus, the myths about Hercules are told. They had copper beaks and bronze feathers. The Stymphalian birds multiplied over time and formed a flock. They destroyed seedlings in the fields. They dropped their bronze feathers like arrows on everyone who came near them.

Hercules, before entering into battle, studied the habits of the creatures for a long time. He realized that, having shed their feathers, birds become defenseless until new ones grow. The warrior goddess Athena appeared to Hercules and presented him with copper rattles as a gift. Hercules was delighted with the help and made a loud noise with the instrument.

The Stymphalian birds flew up in fear and began to shed their sharp feathers. Hercules took refuge under a shield from their onslaught. After the birds dropped all their feathers, the hero shot them with a bow. And those that I didn’t manage to hit flew away from these places.

Seventh feat

What does the seventh myth about Hercules tell about? The summary indicates that there are no more monstrous animals and birds left in Arcadia. But Eurystheus came up with an idea where to send Hercules - to the island of Crete.

The sea god Poseidon gave King Minos a wonderful bull so that the ruler would sacrifice it to the gods. But the king liked the Cretan bull so much that he hid it in his herd. Poseidon found out about the king's deception. In anger, he struck the bull with madness. The monster ran around for a long time, killing people in a frenzy and scattering herds.

Eurystheus, at the behest of Hera, wished to see the Cretan bull alive. Hercules realized that only force can pacify the animal. He went out to fight, grabbed the bull by the horns, and bent his head to the ground. The animal sensed that the enemy was stronger. The Cretan bull stopped resisting. Then Hercules saddled him and drove him into the sea. So, riding on an animal, the hero returned to Arcadia.

The bull did not even try to throw Hercules off, he calmly entered the stall of King Eurystheus. When the hero, tired after a new feat, went to bed, the ruler was afraid to keep a maddened bull and in fear released him into the wild.

So the bull wandered around the outskirts of Arcadia until he was defeated by another hero of Hellas, Theseus.

Eighth feat

The myths about Hercules also tell about the demonic horses of Diomedes. These carnivorous monsters devoured lost travelers. Shipwrecked sailors were killed. When Hercules and his assistant arrived in the country, he immediately went in search of carnivorous horses. By neighing, he realized where the stables of King Diomedes were.

With a blow to the head, he subdued the first horse and threw a bridle around its neck. When the entire herd was bridled, Hercules and his assistant drove him to the ship. And then King Diomedes and his army stood in the way. Hercules defeated everyone, and when he returned to the shore, he saw that the horses had torn his assistant to pieces and fled.

The hero fed the body of King Diomedes to his own horses, drove them onto a ship and took them to Mycenae. The cowardly Eurystheus, at the sight of the carnivorous horses, in horror, ordered them to be released into the forest. There wild animals dealt with them.

Ninth feat

The 12 myths about Hercules are extremely interesting. They all talk about the strength and courage of the son of Zeus, about the amazing adventures that befell him. The ninth tells about Hippolyta's belt. Eurystheus's daughter Admeta wanted to get it. She heard that the belt was given to the queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta, by Ares himself, the god of war.

Hercules went on a journey with his companions. The Amazons greeted them friendly and asked about the purpose of the trip. Hercules honestly told Queen Hippolyta about how Eurystheus’s daughter wanted to receive her belt as a gift.

Hippolyta agreed to give the jewelry to Hercules. But the goddess Hera interfered. She didn’t like the peaceful solution to the issue - after all, she wanted to destroy the hero. Hera, transforming into one of the Amazons, spread the rumor that Hercules wanted to sell them into slavery.

The militant women believed the evil slander, and a battle ensued. Hercules and his companions defeated the Amazons. The son of Zeus completed this task with a heavy heart. Hercules, the hero of myth, did not want to fight with women, even if they were warriors.

Tenth feat

Our story continues with the tenth myth about Hercules. King Eurystheus thought for a long time before giving the hero a new task. He wanted to send his hated half-brother to a distant country, so distant that it would take a month or more to sail there.

Hercules traveled a long way. He defeated the son of the god Vulcan - the monster Kakus. Later, the city of Rome was founded on the site of their battle.

On the green meadows of Erythia, the cows of Geryon, a giant with three bodies, three heads and three pairs of arms and legs, grazed. They were guarded by a two-headed dog. At the sight of Hercules, he growled and rushed at him. The hero quickly defeated the dog, but then the giant shepherd woke up. The goddess Athena doubled the strength of Hercules, and he knocked the giant down with several blows of his club. The hero won another victory.

Having sailed by ship to Iberia, Hercules lay down to rest, letting the herd go to graze. At first light, he decided to drive the herd overland. Cows traveled through Iberia, Gaul, and Italy. Near the sea, one of them rushed to the water and swam. She ended up on the island of Sicily. The local ruler Eryx did not want to give the cow to Hercules. I had to defeat him too.

The hero returned with the fugitive to the herd and led it to King Eurystheus. The latter sacrificed cows to Hera, hoping to get rid of Hercules.

Eleventh feat

And again a long road awaited the hero. Eurystheus sent Hercules to fetch the golden apples of the Hesperides. They gave immortality and eternal youth. In the garden of the Hesperides, only nymphs guarded the apples. And the garden itself was located at the edge of the earth, where Atlas held the firmament on his shoulders.

On the way to the end of the world, Hercules freed Prometheus in the Caucasus Mountains. He fought with the son of the land of Gaia - Antaeus. Only by tearing the giant off the ground could the hero defeat him. Having reached Atlas, Hercules told him about the purpose of his journey. They agreed that the hero would hold the heavens on his shoulders, and Atlas would ask the nymphs for apples.

Hercules was already exhausted under the weight of the arch, and Atlas returned. The giant really didn’t want to take on an exorbitant burden on his shoulders again. The cunning man invited Hercules to hold the sky for a while until he himself reached Mycenae and gave the apples to the king. But our hero is not so stupid. He agreed, but on the condition that the giant would hold up the heavens, and in the meantime Hercules would make himself a grass pillow - the burden was too heavy. Atlas believed and took his place, and the hero took the apples and returned home.

Twelfth labor

The last task of Eurystheus was the most difficult, says the 12th myth. The Labors of Hercules (a brief summary of them is presented in this article) takes the reader into the amazing world of the mythology of Ancient Greece, a world full of amazing adventures, powerful and treacherous gods and strong, brave heroes. But we digress. So, 12 labors. Hercules had to descend into the kingdom of the dead and kidnap the dog Cerberus. Three heads, a tail in the shape of a snake - at the sight of this fiend of hell, the blood froze in my veins.

Hercules went down to Hades and fought with Cerberus. Having defeated the dog, the hero brought him to Mycenae. The king did not allow the gates to be opened and shouted for Hercules to release the terrible monster back.

But the myths about Hercules do not end there. The 12 feats that the hero performed in the service of Eurystheus glorified him for centuries. Later, he distinguished himself in military campaigns and arranged his personal life.

The Thirteenth Labor and Death of Hercules

Legends of Hellas say that there is also a 13th labor of Hercules. The myth has brought to this day the story of King Thespia. Hercules stayed in his house while hunting the Lion of Cithaeron. Thespius was worried that his daughters would choose unsightly grooms and give birth to ugly grandchildren. The king invited Hercules to impregnate his 50 daughters. So the hero hunted a lion during the day, and spent the night with the king’s daughters.

Many years later, Hercules married Deianira. They had many children. One day the couple were crossing a fast river. Dejanira was transported by the centaur Nessus. He was seduced by the beauty of the woman and wanted to take possession of her. Hercules struck him with a poisonous arrow. Experiencing terrible torment, Ness decided to take revenge on the hero. He persuaded Deianira to draw his blood. If Hercules stops loving her, all he has to do is soak his clothes in the blood of the centaur, and then the husband will not look at any woman again.

Dejanira kept the bottle with Nessus' gift. Returning from a military campaign, Hercules brought a young captive princess to the house. In a fit of jealousy, Dejanira soaked her husband's clothes in blood. The poison quickly took effect and began to cause Hercules severe pain, and there was no way to remove his clothes. The eldest son carried his father in his arms to Mount Etu, where he made a funeral pyre. When the flame flared up, a huge cloud covered Hercules. So the gods decided to accept the hero to Olympus and grant him immortal life.

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, 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.

He is considered the greatest hero in ancient Greek myths. To atone for his sin, he must perform twelve unthinkable feats. This legend tells about a real hero. Amazing events of antiquity are encrypted in this myth. There is no more popular hero in the history of ancient Greece than Hercules. He was a demigod, the son of Zeus and a mortal woman. Hercules was born to destroy any evil that threatens the world.

Hercules combined outstanding and at the same time ordinary qualities. He had similarities with the gods, but at the same time remained mortal. In the understanding of the ancient Greeks, heroes had superpowers, remarkable human strength, and at the same time were vulnerable. Hercules fought with unimaginable monsters and experienced inhuman suffering.

The story of Hercules begins with the most loving of gods - Zeus, who decided to seduce another mortal woman. It is believed that the ancient Greeks created heroes because they wanted to get closer to the gods. People of that time considered Hercules an example to follow. But he had a very strong enemy who dreamed of his death - this Hera, wife of Zeus.

Hera occupied a place of honor on Olympus; she was the supreme goddess of amazing beauty, strong-willed character and bright mind. Hera was unusually jealous, since Zeus could not miss a single woman he liked. Zeus had many children from earthly women, and Hera hated them all. She decides to take revenge on all the mortal children of Zeus in the person of Hercules. Hera seemed to be afraid of Hercules, for which he had to pay with unimaginable suffering every day.

One night, when Hercules was still a baby, Hera sent two poisonous snakes to him. But they failed to kill little Hercules - he took a snake in each hand and squeezed them until he strangled them. At that very moment, people realized that Hercules was an unusual person. One of the main reasons why Hera hated Hercules so much was that she could not kill him. She turned his life into hell, but she could not kill him, because he was destined for immortality by fate itself, and even the great gods had to obey fate. However, Hera's hatred will haunt Hercules throughout his life.

In February 2004 in the Greek city Febes archaeologists have made an amazing discovery that lifts the curtain on the mystery of the birth of Hercules. Under an ordinary old residential area, they discovered an ancient temple with the remains of an altar in its center. Hundreds of vases and ceramic figurines were found near the altar, all of them depicting Hercules. Scientists connected this find with an ancient text that described the house of Hercules in Phoebes. The excavation site coincided exactly with the description in the text. An ancient historical document says that this temple was built exactly on the spot where Hercules was born. In search of evidence that Hercules was a real person, historians turned to myth.

Hercules was very strong for an ordinary person. They said about him “God incarnate.” He often unintentionally harmed others. Hercules rarely managed to curb his strength. This superpower prevents him from finding his place in society. It was quite difficult for him to establish friendly contacts. Hercules had traits of deviant behavior. He was half-man, half-god, and his divine father did not protect him from all the difficult trials sent by Hera. Located between two worlds, heaven and earth, he was left to his own devices, and there was nowhere to wait for help.

Birth of Hercules

On the birthday of Hercules, Zeus gathered the gods of Olympus and proclaimed: “Hear me, Gods and Goddesses! Today a great Greek will be born, who will be braver than any mortal. He will become the ruler of neighboring nations, his name will be on everyone’s lips. His glory will reach Olympus. Because my blood flows in his veins. I am this boy's father."

Hearing about the next son of Zeus, Hera was overcome with a feeling of hatred for the baby. Having learned about this news, a cunning plan is born in Hera’s head on how to turn the words of the Thunderer against his son, who is about to be born. She said to Zeus: “My dear husband, it seems to me that you may soon forget about this promise and will not do anything to fulfill it. If you really want everything to be as you planned, take an oath that your blood descendant, who will be born today, will truly rule the neighboring nations.” The unsuspecting Zeus made the oath that his wife asked for. At the same moment, Hera left the divine assembly and went to Argos. The ruler of Argos was Sphenel, descendant of the great Zeus. His wife was expecting a child, she was preparing to give birth to an heir to the king in two months. Hera knew about the upcoming birth of Sthenel's wife, and made sure that the son of King Sthenel was born before his term. The baby was given a name Eurystheus.

After the birth of Eurystheus, Hera called on the goddess of fate and the goddess of childbirth, and ordered the birth of Hercules to be delayed. It so happened that on the same day two heirs of the descendant of Zeus were born: the first was born the weak child of King Sthenel - Eurystheus; a little later, Hercules was born, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, the wife of King Amphitryon. When Zeus finally realized that Hera had simply deceived him, it was already too late. He could not refuse his word given at the divine meeting and break his oath.

Hercules' father was the greatest of the gods - Zeus. Hercules' mother was mortal - Alkmena, however, her grandfather, and Zeus’s son, was the brave Perseus. The king who raised Hercules Amphitryon, was also a descendant of Zeus.

Hercules was born from the union of Zeus and a mortal woman - Queen Alcmene. He was a demigod and was mortal. However, Zeus, who loved his son so much, wanted to make him immortal. To do this, he took the baby Hercules with him to heaven and placed him on the chest of the sleeping Hera. Zeus hoped that the baby would gain immortality if he drank the milk of the goddess. But upon waking up, Hera rejected someone else’s child. A few drops of milk fell from her breast into the sky, and the Milky Way appeared from them. A few more drops fell to the ground, and white lilies grew from them. This act of Zeus offended Hera, and she hated Hercules.

The fate of Hercules

Hercules spent his whole life striving for the life of ordinary people, so he decides to marry the beautiful princess, this union gave him two sons. But Hercules' happiness did not last long. Hera, who hates him, returns again to the life of Hercules, she is ready to do anything so that he never knows happiness. This time Hera will turn him from a loving father of the family into a cold-blooded killer, sending him madness.

Hera sent madness to Hercules while he slept. When Hercules woke up, he mistook his family for enemies. Under the cover of darkness, he commits a terrible crime, Hercules brutally kills his wife, and then his two young sons. When he awoke from his sudden madness, he found the blood of his family on his hands. For a long time Hercules did not understand that he had done this. However, there are blood stains on him, indicating his guilt. Hercules will have to live with this terrible feeling of guilt all his life. After this terrible event, the real story of Hercules begins.

In the ancient world, the sin of bloodshed was considered a terrible curse that was imposed on the murderer with the blood of the person he killed. This is somewhat reminiscent of Christian atonement - when it is necessary to perform good deeds to atone for the atrocities of the past. Hercules will spend his whole life trying to get rid of the stigma of a murderer; this will permeate the whole life of Hercules.

To purify his soul, Hercules will have to perform many amazing feats that were previously beyond the control of any man or god. The path of Hercules will take place not only throughout the Greek world, but also beyond its borders. Hercules will leave a lot of evidence revealing the truth hidden in the myth.

After his terrible crime, Hercules realizes that he must atone for his guilt, but he is desperate and confused. In search of guidance, he comes to the greatest soothsayer of ancient Greece. The crime of Hercules was so terrible that only the most significant religious figure of that time was able to help him - Delphic Oracle.

Delphic Temple plays a very important role in many ancient Greek myths, but he himself actually exists. The ancient Temple of the Oracle is located in the mountains of central Greece. 2500 thousand years ago in this temple, a certain priestess stood in a sacred trance, surrounded by mysterious smoke. She spoke in riddles, proclaiming the will of the gods. The priestess could answer any question.

Recent geological studies have revealed that the Delphic Temple lies exactly above the intersections of two fault lines. This explains where the magical vapors enveloping the priestess came from. Such fractures in the earth's crust usually release a gas called Ethylene. By inhaling a sufficiently large amount of Ethylene, a person falls into a narcotic trance. The Delphic Oracle tells Hercules that only with cruel punishment can he atone for his terrible guilt. To do this, he needs to go to his relative and worst enemy - King Eurystheus. However, it is not the Oracle who speaks to Hercules; Hera controls his lips, who hopes to kill Hercules with the hands of Eurystheus.

12 labors of Hercules

Eurystheus orders Hercules to complete twelve tasks that Hera came up with. These tasks will go down in history as “The Labors of Hercules” for centuries. By completing these tasks, the hero must rid the ancient Greek world of corruption, fight wild animals, the forces of nature, tyrants, villains and monsters. An ordinary mortal cannot pass even one such test. Hercules must overcome all twelve.

All of these tests have a specific purpose. The first is the removal of guilt for the murder of your family. Hercules must cleanse his body and spirit from the sin he has committed. At first glance, this seems unfair, because the actions for which he is being punished are not his direct fault - all his actions are a consequence of the madness sent by Hera.

Hercules embarks on the path of his purification and salvation of the soul, performing the first feat, he needs to kill a wild beast, which was a symbol of human animal instincts - the Nemean lion. Hercules was a skilled archer, but the problem was that the arrow could not pierce the skin of the Nemean lion; by resorting to brutal force, he managed to kill the lion. Having defeated the lion, Hercules wears its skin on himself in the form of armor. Thanks to this feat, Hercules was depicted at all times dressed in a lion's skin.

King Eurystheus did not count on such a happy turn of events for Hercules; he hoped that the lion would kill him. Then the king selects tasks for Hercules that are striking in their complexity, in the hope that Hercules will nevertheless meet his death in one of them.

Man conquers nature - this thread can be traced in the very first labors of Hercules. The ancient Greeks considered the nature around them to be very hostile. People tried to live in harmony with nature, but it was often their killer. Apart from Hercules himself, very few heroes were able to subjugate the forces of nature. The ancient Greeks considered a true hero to be the one who was able to tame the elements.

The second labor of Hercules turns out to be much more difficult than the first; he has to kill the nine-headed poisonous hydra. This giant snake could swallow a person in an instant. Hercules takes out his sword and enters into mortal combat with the monster. He chops off the hydra's heads one by one, but in the place of each head he chops off, two more grow. The growing heads of the hydra are considered a symbol of pleasure, which, as the Greeks said, cannot be defeated. When Hercules realized that simply cutting off the heads of the hydra, he could not win. Then he decides to burn the places where the heads were cut off with a torch, and new heads stopped growing on the necks of those burned by Hercules. The hero raised his sword for the final blow, and finally cut off the last head of the monster. This was man's greatest victory over a terrible and deadly creature. After his triumph, Hercules dipped the tips of his arrows into the blood of the hydra, from that day Hercules' arrows became poisonous.

The word toxic comes from the Greek word toxicos, meaning a bow from which arrows are shot. Thus, this word contains the legend of Hercules. In his exploits, Hercules defeated evil and brought peace to the Greek lands. In the next two labors, he defeats two more amazing creatures - the golden hind of Artemis, which was capable of developing such speed that it overtook a flying arrow, and the carnivorous boar, which Hercules managed to catch alive. Eurystheus could not believe that Hercules was capable of completing such tasks. When he realized that Hercules was turning into a real folk hero, he decided to change tactics. King Eurystheus offered Hercules completely different natural obstacles - sewage.

During the fifth labor, Hercules had to do hard, dirty work. This work symbolized the dirty side of human nature. Hercules had to clean out the huge stables from sewage. This test is fundamentally different from the others in that now you do not need to kill anyone and defeat anyone, instead you need to do a lot of menial work, work that Hercules has never done before. In his previous exploits, he acted for the benefit of all people, killing various monsters. This time he will have to clean out the stables that have not known water for years. Moreover, Hercules has only one day to complete this already impossible task.

Hercules noticed that the unbearably stinking stables were located between two deep rivers. Using his superhuman strength, he changed the riverbeds so that they flooded the dirty stables, and the streams of water carried away all the sewage.

By performing his labors, Hercules atones for the murder of his family. At this stage, he manages to prove that he is able to overcome any obstacle that Hera puts in front of him, with the hands of Eurystheus. Each completed feat makes Hercules even stronger. The ancient Greeks were inspired by stories of overcoming when everything was against the hero. Some historical finds suggest that Hercules was a real person.

Hercules is the ideal mythological hero. His combination of strength and ability to endure hardships made him a role model for the people of ancient Greece. People sympathized with Hercules and at the same time admired him. The tragic fate of Hercules was inextricably linked with the realities of life of people of that time. It is generally accepted that myths reflect events that took place in ancient times. They represent certain messages from time immemorial, which are passed down from generation to generation in the form of stories and fairy tales.

Some versions of this legend of Hercules say that the hero's family was from the Greek year Tirymph (present-day Paleokaster). Ancient sources say that an absolutely real hero once lived there, about whose strength legends were formed, and his ability to directly communicate with the gods was known first-hand. The name of this hero has not survived to this day, but it is known that he was the ruler of a huge kingdom - Mycenae. In the myth, Hercules also served the king of Mycenae, Eurystheus, who gave him twelve treacherous tasks. Perhaps the answer to the question of the origin of the mythological hero can be found in the legendary place of Greece - Olympia. In 776 BC. It was in this place that the first Olympic Games were held. There are clear parallels between the tasks assigned to Hercules and the exercises at the Olympic Games. To achieve the goal, it was necessary to have remarkable strength and endurance, which was available only to selected flights. However, Hercules' connection to the Olympic Games is probably much deeper - he founded the Olympic Games after one of his outstanding feats. This means that his exploits are directly related to the Olympic Games.

Between the ruins of the stadium in Olympia, a track for running competitions has been preserved to this day. The length of this path is 600 feet, and if you believe the ancient scriptures, then 600 feet of Hercules himself. Legend has it that Hercules himself measured the length of the path, which was 600 feet (192 meters and 27 centimeters). Thus, historians have found that the length of Hercules’ foot was 32 centimeters (shoe size 47).

In his sixth test, Hercules enters into a fight with birds that eat people. Birds in this myth were a symbol of man's unattainable goals. Hercules drove out the terrible birds with his poisonous arrows.

Half of the tests were already over. The hero still has six difficult tasks left, one more difficult than the other. The following labors will force Hercules to leave his native lands and come face to face with powerful foreign enemies. All these legends correspond to the mood of the ancient Greeks at that time, when they were obsessed with expanding the borders of their empire. In pursuit of new territories, the Greeks even settled in the south of France.

To perform the seventh labor, Hercules went to the island of Crete. His task is to find and catch the bull of the Cretan king, Minos. At the time of the creation of this myth, the minotaur personified the power of Crete over mainland Greece.

By the end of the Bronze Age, Crete was the most important power in that part of the Mediterranean. Cities such as Athens and Sparta, which would later become major centers of culture, had no importance at that time, they were supposed to pay homage to Crete, the owner of the enormous power and power of that area.

In the myth, Hercules turns everything upside down. He manages to find the bull of King Minos, fights with it, defeats it and sails home with the bull. Greece was no longer subject to Crete. Seven exploits were behind us. Having defeated the Cretan bull, Hercules conquers nature. Next, a battle with people awaits him. In the following labors, Hercules fights two foreign rulers who threaten Greece. First, he enters into battle with Diomedes (king of the Bistons). Diomedes' horses ate human flesh. Hercules gave Diomedes himself to be devoured. This feat directly tells the ancient Greeks, “The evil that you nurture will ultimately destroy you.” For the first time in his feat, Hercules shed human blood.

In the next feat, murder also occurs - Hercules kills the cruel female warriors - the Amazons, having first stolen the belt of their leader. So Hercules completed nine of his twelve labors. Courage, strength and endurance carried him through a series of tasks impossible for others. However, his last battles will be the most difficult. They will take Hercules beyond the world he knows, to places that no Greek has ever seen. He will go in search of a kingdom that is strikingly similar to the biblical Eden.

Hercules remains to complete three labors. They lead him to the ends of the world, into a disastrous abyss. As his tenth labor, Hercules will have to kidnap the cow herd of Geryon, an evil giant with three pairs of legs, three heads and a terrifying pedigree. Being the grandson of Medusa the Gorgon, he himself is half a monster, and he does not intend to give up his herd of cows without a fight. However, for Hercules, the destruction of Geryon is only half the feat, the other half is to get to him. To get to Geryon, Hercules must risk his life to swim from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic Ocean. But on his way lies a formidable obstacle - a mountain range connecting Europe and Africa, and separating the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean. Hercules decided not to go around the mountain, but to go through it. With one blow of his sword, he cut the mountain into two parts. This part of the myth explains how the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea are connected.

Behind the rocks, Geryon and his herd are waiting for Hercules. When the monster came out to fight, it began throwing huge rocks at the hero. However, Hercules had a secret weapon - poisonous arrows, a gift from the defeated Hydra. He takes aim and shoots. Geryon falls and dies, and Hercules steals his flock.

Next, Hercules must go to the ends of the world to steal golden apples from the garden of the hundred-headed dragon. All the golden apples belong to the goddess Hera, his sworn enemy. Among other things, these apples were a sign of the sacred union with Zeus. Hercules has been searching for Hera's apples for years, but to no avail. Finally, reaching the end of the world, he sees God Atlas carrying a heavy burden not on his shoulders. Hercules is exhausted and confused, but Atlas knows where the golden apples are, and Hercules volunteers to hold the world on his shoulders while he brings them. When Atlas returned with the apples, he said that he did not want to take back heaven and earth. Then Hercules asked him to hold the world at least a little while he covered himself with the lion's skin. Atlas once again took upon himself the world, and Hercules went his way. Hercules took revenge on Hera by stealing her golden apples. To gain freedom, he had to complete one last test. To do this, he will have to go to a place from which no mortal has ever returned - the kingdom of the dead.

During the last twelfth labor, Hercules must find a way to the underworld of the dead - Hades. There he must win Cerberus, a three-headed dog that guards the gate. Hades, the lord of death, guards the souls of all people, and Cerberus carries out his orders. Hercules tries to approach Hades diplomatically, he asks permission to take the watchdog with him to earth. Hades agrees, but with one condition - Hercules must cope with the dog with only his fists. Hercules enters into battle with Cerberus. Having attacked the dog, he lays it on the ground and strangles it until it stops resisting. Finally, Hercules' punishments ended. He overcame all the obstacles that came his way. He endured all the physical and mental torment, and now he has the right to retire.

Hera is consumed by hatred of Hercules, the illegitimate son of Zeus. There is only one escape from her curse - death. He builds a huge funeral pyre. His path on earth ends the same way his life passed - in suffering. With his death, Hercules finally atones for his guilt. His father, the supreme god Zeus, believes that his son has suffered enough. He invites him to join the immortal gods on the mountain Olympus, and his archenemy Hera finally relents. Hercules resurrected and joined his father in the eternal kingdom.

Sources

Jan Parandovsky "Mythology". "Czytelnik". Warsaw. 1939
Rudolf Mertlik Ancient legends and tales: Trans. from Czech – M.: Republic, 1992. - 479 p.
Neihardt A.A. “Legends and Tales of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome” - 1990
Scott A. Leonard "Myth and Knowing"
Tom Stone "Zeus: A Journey Through Greece in the Footsteps of a God"
Hesiod "Theogony" ("The Origin of the Gods")
N. A. Kun “What the ancient Greeks and Romans told about their gods and heroes”, 1922
Dennis R. MacDonald "The Homeric Epics and the Gospel of Mark"
Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional ones). - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907.

We all know that Hercules is some kind of ancient Greek hero who performed 12 labors. However, few people remember and know how difficult and contradictory his path really was.

How was Hercules, aka Alcides, aka Hercules, born (in Italy)

Surely, many will now remember that our hero’s father was Zeus (the supreme god from Mount Olympus in Greek mythology), and his mother was a simple mortal woman, Alcmene.

The Greek gods have always been distinguished by their human and sometimes impartial essence.

Zeus once imprisoned the titans in the underworld - the children of Uranus (god of the sky) and Gaia (goddess of the earth), who were deities personifying the natural destructive elements.

Offended by Gaia, she persuaded the children to rebel against Zeus again and destroy not only Olympus, but all of humanity.

The giants began to throw stones and burning trees into the sky, they were so angry. Then Zeus's wife Hera and the goddesses of fate told the other gods that the Titans could only be defeated with the help of a mortal hero.

Then Zeus realized that he needed a demigod son who would help him defeat the giants and win the war. The choice falls on Alcmene. The insidious Zeus stops time, takes the form of Alcmene's husband, and for three days the world remains in a state of timelessness. This is how Hercules was conceived.

Time passed, and on the night of our hero’s birth, angry at her husband’s betrayal, Hera forces Zeus to swear an oath that the baby born that night from the clan of Perseus will become the supreme king.

Zeus is sure that Hercules will become him, but Hera turns out to be more cunning - she slows down Alcmene’s birth. That night, our hero's cousin Eurystheus is born first. Then Zeus has to enter into a new agreement with Hera.

Hercules will obey Eurystheus until he completes 10 (!) labors. Once the demigod fulfills the terms of the contract, he will become both free and immortal. This is what we agreed on.

You can often find a myth about how, as a baby, Hercules killed two snakes. According to one version, Hera sent them to kill him. According to another, Alkmena’s husband planted them in order to understand which of the children was a demigod.

Hercules grew up, matured, got married, but Hera still did not forgive her husband’s betrayal. She sends her husband's hated son into madness, in which he destroys his entire family and his brother's children. Having woken up and realizing what he had done, Hercules goes to the oracle, who sends him to his brother to atone for his deeds with feats.

In fact, our hero had only 10 labors to perform, but the king did not accept 2 of them, so Hercules was forced to do 2 more, thus making 12.

The sequence of his exploits varies in different sources, but among them was a completely unarmed fight with the Nemean Lion, and a deft victory over the Lernaean Hydra, and the expulsion of the Stymphalian birds, which have terrifying metallic plumage.

The labors of Hercules also included:

Catching the Keryneian fallow deer.U
slaying of the fierce Erymanthian boar.
Cleaning the stables of King Augius from manure.
Confrontation with the Cretan bull, which was the father of the well-known Minotaur.

And Hercules was able to:

subjugate the man-eating mares of King Diodemus;
steal the belt from the main Amazon, Hippolyta;
kidnap and bring to Mycenae the cows that he took from the three-headed giant Geryon;
get golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides;
bring the chief guard of the god Hades, the three-headed dog Cerberus, from the kingdom of the dead and deliver him to Tiryns.

In fact, Hercules was famous not only for these exploits; he had many valiant deeds behind him, with which the legends and myths of Ancient Greece are full.

How did Hercules get to Olympus?

One day, while defending his wife Dejanira from a centaur named Nessus, he killed him with a poisoned arrow. Nessus, dying, inspired the wife of Hercules that his blood had the properties of a love potion.

Deianira, terribly jealous of her husband for another girl, saves some of the deceased’s blood for herself, and subsequently soaks her shirt and gives it to her husband.

The blood of the centaur causes Hercules unbearable torment, and he literally steps into the fire, from where Zeus takes him. So Hercules became a god.

Hercules is a forced hero, a demigod who was able to get to Olympus, a victim of politics, intrigue and Zeus’s thirst to maintain power.