Greek myths are a collection of legends from ancient Greek beliefs, specifically from their ancient civilization located in the Eastern Mediterranean. One of the best-known legends is that of Heracles , also known as Hercules to the Romans.
What is the myth of Hercules?
The myth tells that Heracles was the son of Zeus and Alcmena. But his birth was not the result of a love affair, for Zeus disguised himself as Alcmena's husband, Amphitryon, and assumed his form while he was away at war. In this way, he fathered a son with her, Heracles. This had dire consequences for young Heracles, for Zeus's wife, Hera , upon learning of this and enraged by the event, tormented Heracles from childhood.
Heracles wasn't known for great intelligence or wisdom; the things he enjoyed most were wine, food, and women . He was also very temperamental, which caused him to lose control of his immense strength whenever he gave in to anger. However, this didn't mean everything was bad. Once he calmed down, he came to understand the weight of his actions and accepted the punishment he deserved, even vowing not to use his strength for the duration of his sentence.
Our Greek hero also had children with Megara, upon whom a terrible fate befell him. Hera, Zeus's wife, as we have already mentioned, unable to defeat Hercules because he was stronger than her, caused him to lose his memory for a time. In his confusion, Hercules murdered his wife and three children in cold blood, and when he regained his memory, he was filled with sorrow and agony. To atone for his actions, he agreed to perform twelve labors, assigned to him after visiting the Oracle of Delphi as penance for his deeds.
The 12 tasks of Hercules
The list of tasks, the jobs that were entrusted to Hercules , in order to purify his sins and grant him eternal life, were the following:
- Kill the Nemean lion
- Kill the Hydra of Lerna
- Capture the Cerinea deer
- Capture the Erymanthus Boar
- Clean the Augean stables in one day
- Kill the Stymphalian birds
- Capture the Cretan Bull
- Steal the Mares of King Diomedes
- Recover the girdle of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons
- Steal the monster's cattle Geryon
- Steal apples from garden of the Hesperides
- Capture and bring back Cerberus, the Guardian of the Underworld
Finally, Hercules managed to overcome these 12 difficult tasks and earned his place as the greatest hero in Greek history, alongside Achilles , of course, whom we will see in another short Greek myth.
Heracles or Hercules?
When he was born, his parents named him Alcides in honor of his grandfather Alcaeus . Later, the god Apollo changed his name to Heracles, a title bestowed upon him for being the servant of the goddess Hera. The Greeks knew him by this name, while the Romans called him Hercules . To this day, he is commonly identified as Hercules, a name that has remained with him throughout history.
How did Hercules die?
This famous figure was known for being an attractive, muscular man in all his splendor. Because of this, he had many relationships, resulting in numerous children. The consequence of his chaotic love life was his death.
According to legend, Hercules had four wives. The first was Megara, with whom he had several children and whom he later killed in a fit of rage. It is still unknown whether she survived or was also killed by her husband. The second woman he married was Queen Omphale ; he later became her slave, and their fate is unknown.
He then married Deianira, his third wife . Hercules had to fight Achelous, the river god, to be with her. She was his last wife on Earth before he ascended to Olympus as a god. Their life together was complicated when, on one occasion, while crossing a river, the centaur Nessus offered to carry Deianira to the other side while Hercules swam.
The daring centaur seized the opportunity and attempted to kidnap her. This treacherous act so enraged her husband that he didn't hesitate to shoot Nessus with an arrow poisoned with the blood of the Lernaean Hydra. It struck him and killed him. In his agony, he tricked the beautiful Deianira with a wicked trap to exact his revenge on Hercules.
Neso made Deyanira take part of his blood with the lie that it would prevent her husband from noticing another woman. She would just have to pour it over her clothes and he would have her. However, the reality was different, as it was a lethal poison that would burn his skin with the slightest touch.
This is how the innocent Deianeira unwittingly killed her beloved husband . Hercules tried to stop the effects of the deadly poison but could not. Upon his death, the Olympian gods granted him complete immortality. In his new life, he married Hebe, his fourth wife.
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