Hercules: A Greek Tale

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Hercules, or known in Latin as Heracles, was the greatest of the Greek heroes, a paragon of masculinity. In art Hercules was portrayed as a powerful, muscular man wearing lion's skin and armed with a huge club. He was also described as being a macho man buffoon, who was very impulsive. Hercules’ home and birthing place is in Thebes, Greece. Thebes is a city in central Greece. It plays as an important setting in many Greek myths, such as the stories of Cadmus, Oedipus, Dionysus and many other important roles in Greek Mythology. The demigod, Hercules has an interesting origin, he is most famous for his 12 labors, and leaves a legacy in words and expressions. Hercules has an interesting origin. Hercules was conceived by Zeus of divine nature and a mortal woman named Alcmene. Zeus appeared to her one night disguised as her husband Amphitryon. Amphitryon then appeared to her “again” causing her to have two sons one of divinity and the other of morality, their names were Hercules and Iphicles. Hera, not too pleased by her husband’s deceitful ways made Zeus swear that the next descendant of Perseus to be borne will be the high king. Zeus agrees to this thinking that the next borne will be Hercules, but Hera has plenty of tricks up her sleeve. The goddess determined to rob Hercules of his birthright enlist the help of Lithia, goddess of childbirth. Lithia speeds up Eurystheus birth, and slows down Hercules’ and Iphicles’ birth. Hercules and Iphicles would probably never have been born if it wasn’t for Galanthis, a close friend and servant of Alcmene, who fooled Lithia by telling the goddess that Hercules had already been born. This conundrum bemused Lithia long enough for baby Hercules to be born. Unfortunately Eurystheus had already ... ... middle of paper ... ... at him with armor and weapons. He quickly unsheathed his sword and killed Hippolyta and removed her belt from her cold dying body. This lead to the great battle between Hercules the greek and the Amazonians. Once the enemy had been driven away Hercules carried the belt to King Eurystheus thus completing his mission. Works Cited Bulfinch, Thomas. Bulfinch's Mythology. 1855. Evinity Publishing 2011. 17 Feb. 2014. www.sacred-texts.com Ellingson, Leiff. “Hercules.” Encyclopedia Mythica.16 May 1999. 17 Feb. 2014. www.pantheon.org Harding, Caroline Hirst and Samuel Bannister Harding. Stories of Greek Gods, Heroes, and Men. Chicago: Scott Foresman and Company, 1897. Sabin, Frances. Classical Myths That Live Today. Morristown, N.J.; Silver Burdett Company, 1958. Tatlock M Jessie. Greek and Roman Mythology. New York: The Century Company, 1917.

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