Heracles (Latin: Hercules): most important of the Greek demigods. Several dynasties, like the twin royal houses of Sparta and the Argeads of Macedonia, claimed to descend from this son of Zeus.
Disney’s Hercules is the studio’s attempt to launch the mythological character into cartoon fame. The movie is an action-adventure, comedy, and musical all wrapped up into one. It chronicles Hercules’ attempt to win his immortality back after having it stolen from him at birth. According to the ancient Greeks, the demigod Heracles (or Hercules, as the Romans called him) was the son of a mortal woman named Alcmene and the supreme god Zeus. Zeus' lawful wife Hera hated the child born out of wedlock, and sent two snakes to kill the baby. However, the young boy killed the animals. Hercules - A Myth with a Moral Many of the ancient Myth Stories, like the legend of Hercules, incorporate tales with morals that provided the old story-tellers with short examples of exciting tales for kids and children of how to act and behave and reflected important life lessons. In ancient Greek mythology Heracles was a hero with amazing strength and courage. The ancient Romans called him Hercules.
Youth
According to the ancient Greeks, the demigod Heracles (or Hercules, as the Romans called him) was the son of a mortal woman named Alcmene and the supreme god Zeus. Zeus' lawful wife Hera hated the child born out of wedlock, and sent two snakes to kill the baby. However, the young boy killed the animals. Heracles became a strong warrior, but Hera struck him with madness, and he killed his own children.
When he had recovered, he consulted the oracle of Delphi, which ordered him to serve his relative Eurystheus, the king of Tiryns, who would order him to perform 'the twelve labors'.
Lion of Nemea
Heracles' first task was to kill the lion of nearby Nemea, a terrible beast. It was resistant against all weapons, but Heracles strangled it. From now on, he wore the lion's invulnerable pelt as armor. The Greeks celebrated Heracles' victory every two years at the Nemean Games. It is an interesting question where this story comes from. Lions were extinct in Greece as early as the Mycenean age; the story may have come from the east, or may be extremely old.
After this labor, Heracles had to perform many other tasks, which were haphazardly described by many ancient poets. There was no distinction between Heracles and other heroes (Theseus, the Argonauts), so that many episodes have duplicates. The first to write a systematic account of Heracles' Twelve Labors was probably Diodorus of Sicily,note[Diodorus, Library of World History4.8-39.], which was written c. 25 BCE. Until then, the number of works had varied; nor was there agreement about the tasks. Several now almost forgotten labors were still well-known in the fifth century.
Hydra of Lerna
Heracles' second labor was to kill the hydra (water snake) of Lerna, another town near Tiryns. This was difficult, because it had nine heads, and every time Heracles cut off one of these, three new heads grew in its place. However, Heracles' friend Iolaus burned down a tree, and the hero used the blazing branches to sear the roots of the new heads. Finally, he cut off the last, immortal head, and buried it alive. After the battle, Heracles dipped his arrowheads in the monster's poisonous gall. As an archer, he was now invincible.
Ceryneian Hind
Eurystheus now sent Heracles to Cerynia, where he had to catch a hind that was dedicated to the goddess Artemis. Larger than a bull, this terrible creature destroyed the northern Peloponnese. Heracles pursued it to the northernmost edges of the earth, where the legendary Hyperboreans lived, and finally overcame the animal, which he carried back home.
Erymanthian Boar
The Erymanthian boar lived on the slopes of the Erymanthus, a mountain range in the northern Peloponnese. Again, it was a dangerous monster that ravaged the farmer's fields. After a brief visit to the Centaurs, Heracles drove the animal into the snow, where he was able to capture it. On his shoulders, he carried the animal back home.
Heracles and the Nemean Lion | Heracles and the Hydra | Heracles and the Ceryneian Hind | Heracles and the Erymanthian Boar |
Augean Stables
Heracles' next labor was to cleanse the notorious stable of king Augias of Elis, in one day. The demigod ignored the terrible stench and bravely started to carry the dung away, but there was simply too much of it. Accepting the advice of Iolaus, he diverted a river through the stables, which swept away all the dirt.
On his return to Tiryns, however, king Eurystheus refused to accept this as a really performed task. Until then, it had been agreed that Heracles would do ten labors, but Eurystheus now decreed that his relative had to perform two additional tasks: one as a compensation for the help of the river god, and one as a compensation for the assistance of Iolaus when he had killed the hydra of Lerna.
Stymphalian Birds
The sixth labor was to remove the countless man-eating birds that invested the marshes near Stymphalus. They had wings, claws and beaks of metal, and were dedicated to the war god Ares. Initially, even Heracles' arrows were inadequate, but the goddess Athena gave him a rattle that had been made by Hephaestus. The birds were terrified and flew away to the Black Sea; the remaining animals were killed by the poison arrows. From now on, there were no monsters on the Peloponnese anymore, and the next labors would bring Heracles to the edges of the known world.
Cretan Bull
Heracles' fight against the Cretan bull was his next labor. The sources disagree about the nature of this animal: was it the father of the Minotaur or the animal that carried Europa from Phoenicia to Crete? To make matters more complex, the same story is told about the Athenian hero Theseus. However this may be, in the canonical sequence of labors, the Cretan bull is number seven, and the first of four voyages that brought Heracles to the south, north, east and west.
Mares of Diomedes
King Diomedes lived in barbarousThrace. Eurystheus ordered Heracles to capture Diomedes' four flesh-eating mares. Heracles went north, captured two cobolds called Kercopes (initially one of the main labors, but not according to the official canon), and visited his friend Admetus in Thessaly. In return for the hospitality, Heracles descended in the Underworld, where he liberated Admetus' recently died wife Alcestis. Having settled this matter, Heracles reached Thrace, killed Diomedes, and fed him to his own horses.
Heracles and the Augean Stables | Heracles and the Stymphalian Birds | Heracles and the Cretan Bull | Heracles and the Mares of Diomedes |
Belt of Hippolyte
Hippolyte was queen of the Amazons, a legendary tribe of female warriors living on the southern shores of the Black Sea. Eurystheus demanded her belt, which he wanted to give to his daughter Admete. Heracles manned a ship and sailed to the east, in a voyage that resembles the better-known story of the Argonauts, and which included a first Trojan War. When the Greeks arrived in the country of the Amazons, Hippolyte fell in love with Heracles and wanted to give the girdle spontaneously. However, Hera spread the rumor that the Greeks wanted to abduct the queen of the female warriors. War broke out, and Heracles was forced to kill Hippolyte.
Cattle of Geryon
In the far west lived Geryon, the three-headed king of a mythological kingdom that was later identified as Cadiz. Eurystheus ordered Heracles to steal the cattle of Geryon. When Heracles had defeated him, he erected two columns to commemorate his victory: the Pillars of Heracles - what we call the Strait of Gibraltar. On his way back, Heracles founded several towns and dedicated cult sites to himself, a.o. at Rome (the temple of Hercules at the Forum Boarium) and Sicily. The historical truth behind these stories is the Phoenician colonization: everywhere, the Phoenicians dedicated temples to Melqart, a god that was later identified with Heracles.
Hesperides' Apples
Now, Heracles had to obtain the apples of the Hesperides, or 'western girls'. They were the daughters of Atlas, the giant that carried the heaven on his shoulders. The Hesperides guarded an orchard with golden apples. It is possible that behind this story is a historical tribe of female warriors that lived in modern Mali, and controlled the trade in gold. On his way back, Heracles visited the oracle of Zeus Ammon at Siwa, and founded the Egyptian city of Thebes.
Cerberus
Heracles' final labor was to catch Cerberus, the three-headed dog of the Underworld. This brought him back to the Peloponnese, where an entrance to the Hades could be found at Cape Tanaerum. During his last fight, Heracles was protected by the pelt he had obtained during his first labor. When he returned with the dog of hell to Eurystheus, Heracles was free. He immediately avenged himself by killing three of Eurystheus' sons. Heracles now became king of the Peloponnese and married Deianeira.
Heracles and the Belt of Hippolyte | Heracles and the Cattle of Geryon | Heracles and the Apples of the Hesperides | Heracles and Cerberus |
Death
Heracles did many other things. When he and Deianeira once crossed a river on the back of a centaur named Nisos, it tried to rape the woman, but was killed by Heracles' poison arrows. The centaur tricked her to use his blood to paint her shirt and give it to Heracles. When he wore it, he was struck by hellish pains, erected a pyre, and burned himself. After his death, he became a god or, in other traditions, a constellation.
Later generations venerated him. The kings of Sparta and Macedonia claimed to be descendants of the demigod, and in the Hellenistic age, many Greek colonies in the Eastern Mediterranean claimed Heracles as their founder. He was commonly associated with Melqart, a Phoenician deity who was venerated in nearly every Phoenician colony.
Roman emperors (e.g., Domitian, Commodus, Septimius Severus, Postumus, and Maximianus) used Hercules in their propaganda.
Lysippus' Heracles | Chernovo, Statuette of Hercules | Dura Europos, Temple of Atargatis, Heracles | Aphrodisias, Sculptor's Shop, Heracles |
Masjid-e Solaiman, Statue of Heracles | Nemrud Daği, Eastern terrace, Heracles - Artagenes - Ares | Ai Khanum, Temple of the Niches, Statuette of Heracles | Rome, Theater of Pompey, Hercules |
Hercules in Popular Culture
Herakles in Myth and Modern Media |
Miscellaneous Notes |
Hercules as a modern hero
As you weed through books, comics, television, movies and almost anything else, you notice that many of our heroes have similar qualities.Among the specific qualities today’s heroes need to make it in our society are:
Specific Qualities
oHonor, either to themselves or others.This includes a sense of loyalty and dedication to a specific person or persons (e.g. Superman and his loyalty to the people of Earth, Zorro and his respect for his people).
oMany if not most of our heroes are larger than life(athletes such as Michael Jordan and Joe Montana, fictional heroes such as James Bond).
oThey may be people we cannot relate to because of their stature
oThey operate on a very basic level (black and white, good and evil). At the same time they have flaws.Our heroes have to have flaws and problems and overcome them and that is what makes them heroes.
oMany heroes also have some sort of power that others don’t; it can be anything from super strength (the Hulk) to telekinesis (Professor X,X-Men).
oAbove anything else perhaps a hero needs some sort of villain, and this can range from an actual person to an event that allows that hero to perform the way he/she should (e.g. Rocky versus the Evil Russian in Rocky IV).
oNo hero can really be a hero without his/her heart.Inside this heart lies the very essence of a hero.This is where they decide to use their power for good.Anyone can have power in a range of way but with power comes great responsibility. A hero uses this responsibility to help others. This is the greatest power, that of the heart. This is the most dominant belief in our society today about heroes: that they become heroes because they have these great gifts and can use them for good.
Hercules and Heart
Hercules seems to be all of this and more in some instances.In the 1990’s the name of Hercules is synonymous with super strength.This is true, but even more true is that he uses that strength to help those who can’t help themselves.He protects those too weak to protect themselves, and it really is never said why.The only thing we can really do is guess at this, but from his actions in the Marvel Comics and on Hercules the Legendary Journeys and even in Disney’s Hercules, it seems he protects simply because he can. (BP)
Disney’s Herculesis the studio’s attempt to launch the mythological character into cartoon fame.The movie is an action-adventure, comedy, and musical all wrapped up into one.It chronicles Hercules’ attempt to win his immortality back after having it stolen from him at birth.The movie takes place with Hercules as a young man to appease its targeted audience and its PG rating.He encounters a Hydra, multiple monsters of various kinds, Giants, Cyclopes, and Hades (lord of the underworld) and his dog Cerebrus.The movie also entertains the idea of Hercules’ love life with a reoccurring romance with his first wife in mythology, Megara.In the end the movie ends with a climatic battle that takes Hercules very life resending his immortal spirit to Olympus and reuniting him with his father Zeus (king of the Gods).(BP)
Similarities to myths
- Hercules is parented by his mortal parents
- Zeus is his real father
- Battles the Hydra
- The Nemian Lion is shown dead, killed by Hercules
- He has his superhuman strength and performs feats no other human can
- Megara is in the movie
- He dies and is made immortal
- Aids the Olympians in defeating the Titans(parallels the Giant they needed him to defeat in myth)
Differences
- Hera is his real mother and is good
- Hades is his main opposition
- No labors unless you count the heroic feats he does to become a God again, this could directly parallel the labors for immortality
- A satyr named Philoctetes is his trainer/mentor
- Megara is an instrument of evil for Hades
- He loses his super strength
- Pegasus is his flying aid in the movie
Hercules in New YorkThis movie marks the first appearance of Arnold Strong (Arnold Schwarzennegger).He portrays Hercules.The movie has almost no real substance as far as the Hercules legend goes except for some of the Olympians who appear in it (such as Zeus and Hades).The movie is about Hercules’ trip to New York in the 1970’s.He gets tangled up with the Mafia and they abduct the girl who becomes his love interest.Hercules has to fight to get her back and therein lies the plot of the movie.It’s a cult B movie.Perhaps the only thing that really could coincide with the legend of Hercules is (and this is a stretch) that Herc gets into a fight with a grizzly bear in Central Park.You could say this is one of those Hercules vs. the animals (master of animals) construct that you see in the myths -- or just laugh quite a bit at it when you see it.(BP)
Similarities to myths
- Hercules has his super strength
- Zeus sends aid to Hercules when he needs it
Differences
- It’s set in the 1970’s
- Hercules speaks English
- Hercules gets a girlfriend when he gets to New York
- Hercules has to battle the mob
- Nothing to do with any type of labor
- The movie really doesn’t have anything to do with the Hercules legend, they are just using him as the star because he is a super strong character that can defeat some super powerful for like the Mafia
Hercules: the Legendary Journeys.This is Sam Raimi production starring Kevin Sorbo as Hercules and Michael Hurst as Iolus. This long-running television series just ended, but you can still watch it in reruns.The show chronicles the life of Hercules and his quest to help others.Perhaps out of the other entire modern time’s productions of Hercules, this sticks to the actual myths best.Hercules encounters monster from myth, including giants, Titans, and the gods.Hercules’ mother is Alcmene and his father is Zeus.Hera has a deep hatred of Hercules because he is a constant reminder of Zeus’ infidelity.So she causes problems for him throughout his life.Hercules also marries Deinara and she gives him the poisoned cloak from the centaur that she believes will cause Hercules to love her forever.In contrast to the myths, Hercules manages to survive the cloak and Deinara and the children are killed by Hera, instead of Megara and the kids being killed by Hercules.However, in a related scenario, Hercules is married again to the golden hind and the god Strife is sent to him and causes him to go mad and kill her.Echidna is in the episodes with her husband Typhoon.These are the parents of all monsters.Hercules actually has physical encounters with Apollo and Ares, not to mention he is the only mortal to go into Tartarus and come out alive.But unlike in the mythology it is not a Labor, because in the show Hercules doesn’t do the traditional Twelve Labors.He never encounters the lion or the Cretan Bull, but he does battle the Minotaur (it’s son), and in the show’s very first made for television movie, he kills the Hydra in the exact fashion described in the myths. The show uses Classical mythology as an inspiration, though it changes some things to make the show more available to a multitude of audiences.So, for example, Hercules’ temper and rages really aren’t a facet of the show, and neither is his humiliation by being sold to slavery or having to do the labors.(BP)
Similarities to myths
- Iolaus is in it, he is a great friend and adventurer with Hercules
- Zeus is his father and Alcamne is his mother
- He is in constant conflict with Hera
- He fights in a lot of wars and seems to have become more mature and settled as he ages
- He kills the hydra
- He gets Atlas to hold up the world
- Zeus watches over Hercules
- His wife is Deinara
- He has children that die
- He is inflicted with madness and kills his wife
- Gaming term rng. He comes into contact with the centaur and the poison blood
- He goes to the underworld and comes back
- He battles the amazons
- He kills a sea serpent from the inside
- He battles some of the gods ( Apollo and Aries)
The Story About Hercules
Differences
- He and Deinara has kids and Hera kills them with a fireball
- The wife he kills due to madness is the golden hynde
- Xena
- Iolaus is his best friend, not nephew
- Zeus kills Hera
- Hercules kills Zeus
Marvel Comics.In the comics Hercules seems to be a very large boisterous fellow who consumes life.He likes to drink and feast, but he likes to do battle even more.He is usually seen with the Avengers, but he has had his own miniseries.He is portrayed in a more humorous mode in the comics.However, there is almost never a mention of his father Zeus, and Zeus is about the only Olympian god ever mentioned.The comics don’t go into the mythology but instead create other modern stories for him. Hercules is extremely brave in the comics and definitely the world’s mightiest mortal.He is willing to fight any or anything no matter the odds, and is a great person to have on your side.He isn’t a god in the comics but more of an immortal, which is very similar to the way he is in mythology when he dies.(BP)
Similarities to myths
- Portrayed in comedy sometimes
- Called the prince of power because he is the world’s mightiest mortal
- Loud, boisterous, larger than life
- Voracious appetite for food and beverage
- Lives life to the fullest
- Is an immortal
- Zeus is his father
Differences
- Nothing to do with ancient times
- He works with a group of warriors instead of on his own
- Is a team player
- Almost never refers to the Olympian gods
Miscellaneous Notes on Herakles in Popular Culture
Short life at the Topps
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, by Topps, was a short-lived comic book that only lasted five issues.The comic was based closely on the television show.The Hercules comic has become highly collectible due to its variant cover art and small quantity of print.Even though the comic was short lived it became important step for Hercules because it brought out another way to come in contact with our hero.Topps, know mostly for their trading cards, took on the comic book because it had become such a popular icon.The comic was released in 1996 and was shortly overrun by the overwhelming popularity of Xena.In the first issue of Hercules we find out the origin of Hercules along with the twelve labors he had to endure.Characters seen seem to rangefrom ones that come from primary sources to ones that are placed merely for character story plot.The Legendary Journeys was released for fans of comics as well as the television show.Emphasis is placed on Hercules's physical strength and ability to help others.Hercules as a comic book is important because it allows a younger audience to be exposed to an ancient hero.
This web page dedicated to retelling the hard to find issues of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.Comments, reviews, and the comic's history are found.Pictures are placed to show how the comic book was drawn.Cheesy humor but gets the story across.(MS) Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, by Topps, was a short-lived comic book that only lasted five issues.The comic was based closely on the television show.The Hercules comic has become highly collectible due to its variant cover art and small quantity of print.Even though the comic was short lived it became important step for Hercules because it brought out another way to come in contact with our hero.Topps, know mostly for their trading cards, took on the comic book because it had become such a popular icon.The comic was released in 1996 and was shortly overrun by the overwhelming popularity of Xena.In the first issue of Hercules we find out the origin of Hercules along with the twelve labors he had to endure.Characters seen seem to rangefrom ones that come from primary sources to ones that are placed merely for character story plot.The Legendary Journeys was released for fans of comics as well as the television show.Emphasis is placed on Hercules's physical strength and ability to help others.Hercules as a comic book is important because it allows a younger audience to be exposed to an ancient hero.
In The Eye of the Beholder
Popular culture seems to converge on the notion that people want a visual image to connect with our hero.A visual stimulus seems to be the mostimportant aspect of Hercules in the fast pace world we live in.Hercules has made his way into movies, comics, trading cards, action figures, and television shows, and even things as small as key chains.The soul of the hero has been transformed over and over again. While physical strength seems to be a constant, intelligence, and appearance has been altered to display a moral side of Hercules.When a certain icon, such as Hercules, becomes part of society a massive wave of images are seen.Everywhere one looks they can't escape but see that image over and over again.The longer people accept this image the longer it will stay in our visual premises.People come up with different marketing schemes to show the icon in any way possible.Eventually the visual stimulus becomes overwhelming and dies out.The story of Hercules will live on, but the over exaggerated aspects we see will come to a point where it won't be tolerated any longer. (MS)
Popular culture seems to converge on the notion that people want a visual image to connect with our hero.A visual stimulus seems to be the mostimportant aspect of Hercules in the fast pace world we live in.Hercules has made his way into movies, comics, trading cards, action figures, and television shows, and even things as small as key chains.The soul of the hero has been transformed over and over again. While physical strength seems to be a constant, intelligence, and appearance has been altered to display a moral side of Hercules.When a certain icon, such as Hercules, becomes part of society a massive wave of images are seen.Everywhere one looks they can't escape but see that image over and over again.The longer people accept this image the longer it will stay in our visual premises.People come up with different marketing schemes to show the icon in any way possible.Eventually the visual stimulus becomes overwhelming and dies out.The story of Hercules will live on, but the over exaggerated aspects we see will come to a point where it won't be tolerated any longer. (MS)
Hercules is Pretty Cheep
Hercules became an important hero to Romans and Greeks, but has never done well on film.Often Hercules was found in low-budget Italian-made gladiator movies like, 'The Loves of Hercules,' which is also know as 'Hercules and the Hydra.'Television stars also portrayed the hero.Gordon Scott (Tarzan in the 50's) played Hercules in 'Hercules and the Princess of Troy,' and Lou Ferrigno (TV's Incredible Hulk) played the hero in 'Hercules,' and 'Hercules II.'Thom Geier shows Hercules's darker moments in popular culture by examining his film flops.Arnold Strong's (Arnold Schwarzenegger) contribution in 'Hercules in New York.' placed our here against the mob and city life.In 1962, Hercules hit an all time low with, 'The Three Stooges Meet Hercules.The idea was not to create a quality movie featuring Hercules, but to flood the market with images of the hero.(U.S.News: The Incredible Hunk vs. Cheesy Monsters)(MS)
Hercules became an important hero to Romans and Greeks, but has never done well on film.Often Hercules was found in low-budget Italian-made gladiator movies like, 'The Loves of Hercules,' which is also know as 'Hercules and the Hydra.'Television stars also portrayed the hero.Gordon Scott (Tarzan in the 50's) played Hercules in 'Hercules and the Princess of Troy,' and Lou Ferrigno (TV's Incredible Hulk) played the hero in 'Hercules,' and 'Hercules II.'Thom Geier shows Hercules's darker moments in popular culture by examining his film flops.Arnold Strong's (Arnold Schwarzenegger) contribution in 'Hercules in New York.' placed our here against the mob and city life.In 1962, Hercules hit an all time low with, 'The Three Stooges Meet Hercules.The idea was not to create a quality movie featuring Hercules, but to flood the market with images of the hero.(U.S.News: The Incredible Hunk vs. Cheesy Monsters)(MS)
Casting Call
Bodybuilders have been thrown into any sort of Hercules movie to show off their physique.These heroes do not always fit into the genre of what people assume Hercules to look like.Steve Reeves seems to be the most popular of all the bodybuilder Hercules, but he was not the only one.Directors always called for a big man to fill the job of Hercules in a movie production.Variants in the roll could be seen by actors like: Dave Draper, the blond Hercules, or even Serge Nubret who was know as the French titan who the darkest skinned Hercules of them all.A list of different Hercules movies with an array of actors can be seen at this simple website. (MS)
Bodybuilders have been thrown into any sort of Hercules movie to show off their physique.These heroes do not always fit into the genre of what people assume Hercules to look like.Steve Reeves seems to be the most popular of all the bodybuilder Hercules, but he was not the only one.Directors always called for a big man to fill the job of Hercules in a movie production.Variants in the roll could be seen by actors like: Dave Draper, the blond Hercules, or even Serge Nubret who was know as the French titan who the darkest skinned Hercules of them all.A list of different Hercules movies with an array of actors can be seen at this simple website. (MS)
Pop Culture Icon
Hercules is a changing character and has been interpreted in many different ways.As a popular culture icon he must be entertaining and demonstrate more of a point than just using brute force.Hercules is now seen as intelligent as well as muscular.It seems that he has gone through a metamorphosis that demonstrates he has a huge heart, sound mind, as well as physical prowess.At Brian's Drive in Theater one can see the roundabout versions of Hercules.An in-depth biography of each actor along withpictures can be seen.Links to other Hercules sites as well as videos to purchase are among the selections to be found.This tribute to the Greek hero is very comprehensive and allows the reader to see and read about the men behind the hero. (MS)
Hercules is a changing character and has been interpreted in many different ways.As a popular culture icon he must be entertaining and demonstrate more of a point than just using brute force.Hercules is now seen as intelligent as well as muscular.It seems that he has gone through a metamorphosis that demonstrates he has a huge heart, sound mind, as well as physical prowess.At Brian's Drive in Theater one can see the roundabout versions of Hercules.An in-depth biography of each actor along withpictures can be seen.Links to other Hercules sites as well as videos to purchase are among the selections to be found.This tribute to the Greek hero is very comprehensive and allows the reader to see and read about the men behind the hero. (MS)