Hercules

Hercules, known in Greek myth as Heracles, is one of the most famous figures in ancient mythology. In Greek tradition, Heracles was the son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmene, a union that made him a demigod endowed with prodigious strength. The name Heracles is often translated as “Glory of Hera” in Greek, and the Roman version of the character is called Hercules.

Much of his story centers on atonement after a violent madness; at Hera’s wrath he killed his wife and children, prompting him to serve King Eurystheus and perform a series of tasks known as the Twelve Labors. The labors include slaying the Nemean Lion, the Lernaean Hydra, capturing the Ceryneian Hind and the Erymanthian Boar, cleaning the Augean Stables, driving away the Stymphalian Birds, capturing the Cretan Bull, obtaining the Mares of Diomedes, recovering Hippolyta’s belt, bringing back the cattle of Geryon, obtaining the Apples of the Hesperides, and capturing Cerberus.

Outside the labors, Hercules is a prolific figure in myth, valued as a symbol of strength, perseverance, and resourcefulness. He appears in Greek and Roman literature, art, and theater, and in later periods as an archetype in Western culture. In classical tradition, the cult of Heracles persisted in Greece and Rome, contributing to a broader legacy that extended into Renaissance and modern storytelling.

The legend concludes with a mortal’s death and a rise to immortality: in some versions he dies after his labors and is granted a place among the gods on Olympus, often identified with his marriage to Hebe. The name Hercules remains a enduring reference to extraordinary strength in contemporary usage.