Achilles Biography
Heracles
The hero of Greek mythology I would like to address is Heracles the Lionheart, as he is referred to in The Homeric Hymns. I want to demonstrate how Heracles is loved and hated for his god-like strength and how his aggressiveness and rashness get him and others into bad situations. Heracles is the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene. As stated in Homeric Hymn 15, “Alkmene bore, having joined with Kronos’ black-clouded son” (Homeric Hymn 15.8). Heracles family tree goes back to Perseus and Andromeda, who bore three children named Alcheus, Electryon, and Sthenhelos. Alcheus’ son is Amphitryon, Electryon’s daughter is Alcmene, and Sthenhelos’ son is Eurystheus. All of these names are important to Heracles’ lineage because Amphitryon is Alcmene’s husband who raises Heracles as his own. Eurystheus is an important person in the life of Heracles because Hera knew that Zeus had cheated on her and made Zeus swear an oath that a son born into the house of Perseus would be high king. Hera did this knowing that she could delay the birth of Heracles so that Eurystheus would be born first and become king. Eurystheus became king and Heracles, later, does 12 labors for him. Now that his basic family tree has been laid out I would like to focus on Heracles’ spectacular feats and also his rash actions. From a very young age Heracles showed amazing feats of strength and his mortal parents, Alcmene and Amphitryon, could tell that he was the son Zeus. His first feat of strength was mentioned in Heracles and the Sons of Heracles. Hera sent two snakes to kill Heracles when he was eight months old, however her plans turned out quite differently. In Heracles and the Sons of Heracles, Apollodorus writes,” Amphitryon put the snakes in the crib because he wanted to find out which of the two babies was his. When Iphicles fled but Heracles stood his ground, he realized that Iphicles was his son”(Heracles and the Sons of Heracles 91). Heracles not only stood his ground, but
The hero of Greek mythology I would like to address is Heracles the Lionheart, as he is referred to in The Homeric Hymns. I want to demonstrate how Heracles is loved and hated for his god-like strength and how his aggressiveness and rashness get him and others into bad situations. Heracles is the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene. As stated in Homeric Hymn 15, “Alkmene bore, having joined with Kronos’ black-clouded son” (Homeric Hymn 15.8). Heracles family tree goes back to Perseus and Andromeda, who bore three children named Alcheus, Electryon, and Sthenhelos. Alcheus’ son is Amphitryon, Electryon’s daughter is Alcmene, and Sthenhelos’ son is Eurystheus. All of these names are important to Heracles’ lineage because Amphitryon is Alcmene’s husband who raises Heracles as his own. Eurystheus is an important person in the life of Heracles because Hera knew that Zeus had cheated on her and made Zeus swear an oath that a son born into the house of Perseus would be high king. Hera did this knowing that she could delay the birth of Heracles so that Eurystheus would be born first and become king. Eurystheus became king and Heracles, later, does 12 labors for him. Now that his basic family tree has been laid out I would like to focus on Heracles’ spectacular feats and also his rash actions. From a very young age Heracles showed amazing feats of strength and his mortal parents, Alcmene and Amphitryon, could tell that he was the son Zeus. His first feat of strength was mentioned in Heracles and the Sons of Heracles. Hera sent two snakes to kill Heracles when he was eight months old, however her plans turned out quite differently. In Heracles and the Sons of Heracles, Apollodorus writes,” Amphitryon put the snakes in the crib because he wanted to find out which of the two babies was his. When Iphicles fled but Heracles stood his ground, he realized that Iphicles was his son”(Heracles and the Sons of Heracles 91). Heracles not only stood his ground, but
Cited: 1. Crudden, Michael. The Homeric hymns. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. Print. 2. Raeburn, D. A.. Metamorphoses: a new verse translation. London: Penguin, 2004. Print. 3. Apollodorus, Gods and Heroes of the Greeks: The Library of Apollodorus. M. Simpson, trans. Amherst: 1976.