Hercules
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Jul 14, 2023 · Heracles, the son of Zeus and Alcmene (a mortal woman), was a Greek hero and demigod. Because he was the product of one of Zeus’ many affairs, Heracles was hated and hounded by Zeus’ jealous wife Hera. Hera ensured that Heracles’ life was filled with hardship and tragedy. Of all Heracles’ heroic deeds, the most important were the Twelve ...
Sep 11, 2023 · The most complete accounts of Antaeus’ myth come from Roman rather than Greek literature. Some of the earliest sources to describe how Heracles (Hercules to the Romans) defeated Antaeus are the Metamorphoses and the Ibis by Ovid (43 BCE–17/18 CE) and the mythological handbook of Hyginus or “Pseudo-Hyginus” (first century CE or later).
Mar 6, 2023 · Heracles (Play) The Heracles is a tragedy by Euripides, usually dated to around 415 BCE. In the play, Heracles returns home after completing his Twelve Labors, just in time to save his family from a violent usurper. But he is driven mad by the gods and ends up killing the wife and children he has just saved.
May 20, 2023 · The Nemean Lion terrorized the area around the town of Nemea (from which it earned its name) until it was finally slain by Heracles —a son of Zeus and the greatest of the Greek heroes. Heracles was sent to fight the lion as the first of his Twelve Labors, ultimately defeating it with his bare hands. Once the Nemean Lion was dead, Heracles ...
Mar 22, 2023 · The Erymanthian Boar was known exclusively for its role in Heracles’ famous Twelve Labors. These were assigned to the hero by Eurystheus, the king of Mycenae, who in turn was guided by Heracles’ divine nemesis, Hera. The labors were meant to destroy Heracles, but the inimitable hero was able to complete them all (much to Hera’s chagrin).
Mar 23, 2023 · Ladon was the name sometimes given to the terrible serpent that guarded the Garden of the Hesperides. His main duty was to ensure that no one stole the famous golden apples of the Hesperides, which were hidden away in this remote garden. Ladon was assisted in this task by the nymphs known as the Hesperides. When the hero Heracles was sent to ...
Mar 8, 2023 · Cerberus was the offspring of Typhoeus and Echidna and the guard dog of the Underworld. A servant of Hades (the Greek god of the dead), Cerberus prevented the inhabitants of the Underworld from returning to the land of the living. He was well suited to this task: in most traditions, Cerberus was a gigantic hound with three heads and a mane of ...
Mar 21, 2023 · Hercules catching the hind of Cerynea by Simon Frisius, after Antonio Tempesta (ca. 1610–64). Rijksmuseum Public Domain. Though Heracles finally managed to capture the Ceryneian Hind alive, there are different accounts of how he accomplished this. In one, the hind arrived at Mount Artemisius in Arcadia, where it tried to cross the Ladon River.
Mar 11, 2023 · Alcestis, the daughter of Pelias, was a Greek princess known for her beauty as well as her virtue. She was married to Admetus, the king of Pherae in the northern Greek region of Thessaly. Alcestis proved herself a paragon of matrimonial devotion when it came time for Admetus to die. The god Apollo, who loved Admetus, devised a way for him to ...
May 20, 2023 · Hercules and the Hydra by Antonio del Pollaiolo (ca. 1475). Wikimedia Commons Public Domain. The Hydra was eventually killed by Heracles, who was sent to fight it as one of his Twelve Labors. After a long struggle, Heracles found a way to prevent the Hydra’s heads from regenerating when he cut them off.
