The Origins of Hercubear.
Hercules is the Roman name for the Greek
hero Hercles, who was the son of Zeus (Roman equivalent Jupiter) and the mortal Alceme. In classical mythology,
Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures
The Labours of Hercules:
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Hercules was the most famous hero of ancient times and the most beloved.Many stories were told about him, more than any other hero. Hercules was worshipped in many temples all over Greece and Rome.
The Life and Times of Hercules
Myths were made up thousands of years ago, as stories about the gods. Was there a real Hercules, a man behind these stories? We will never know. Yet, this myth tells of a man who was so strong and courageous, whose deeds were so mighty, and who so endured all the hardships that were given to him, that when he died, Hercules was brought up to Mount Olympus to live with the gods.
How Hercules came about
There are many different versions of Hercules' life story. Differences between the Disney movie version and other versions include the explanation of who Hercules' parents were, and why he had to perform the 12 Labours. Zeus, Hercules' father, was the most powerful of the gods. That meant Zeus could do anything he pleased, but it also meant that sometimes Zeus was not a very good husband to his wife, Hera, the queen of the gods. Zeus fell in love with a beautiful Greek woman named Alcmene. When Alcmene's husband, Amphitryon, was away, Zeus made her pregnant. This made Hera so angry that she tried to prevent the baby from being born. When Alcmene gave birth to the baby anyway, she named him Herakles or Heracles. (The Romans pronounced the name "Hercules," and so do we today.) The name Herakles means "glorious gift of Hera" in Greek, and that got Hera angrier still. Then she tried to kill the baby by sending snakes into his crib. But, strong even as a baby, little Hercules strangled the snakes, one in each hand, before they could bite him. |