Heracles

Heracles, known in English as Hercules, is a central figure in Greek mythology, celebrated for great strength and a life of perilous trials. He is the son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmene, a union that makes him a demigod. His early life was troubled by Hera’s hostility; in a fit of madness he killed his wife Megara and their children, prompting a quest for purification and redemption.

To atone he undertook the Twelve Labors, a series of feats imposed by Eurystheus, king of Tiryns. The labors are commonly listed as: the Nemean Lion, the Lernaean Hydra, the Ceryneian Hind, the Erymanthian Boar, the Augean Stables, the Stymphalian Birds, the Cretan Bull, the Mares of Diomedes, Hippolyta’s Belt, the Cattle of Geryon, the Apples of the Hesperides, and Cerberus.

Throughout his life he dispatched monsters, aided cities, and founded settlements; his exploits symbolize ingenuity, courage, and perseverance. In death he was mortal no longer: after being poisoned by a garment given to him by his wife Deianira, he built a funeral pyre, and Zeus granted him immortality, elevating him to Olympus among the gods.

In antiquity and later traditions, Heracles is identified with the Roman Hercules; his iconography often shows him wearing the hide of the Nemean Lion and wielding a club. His myth influenced literature, art, and popular conceptions of heroism and strength.