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| One hero stands both literally and metaphorically head and shoulders above all the others: Herakles (Hercules in Latin). Yet he can be a difficult character to pin down: he certainly lives up to his stereotyped image as a mighty performer of astonishing feats, yet he can also appear at the heart of Greek tragedies, take the stage as a gluttonous comic buffoon or be a philosophical role model. His heroism finally wins him the ultimate prize, since his accomplishments lead to immortality.
| | #REDIRECT [[Herakles]] |
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| ==Herakles - Before the Labours==
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| [[author::Apollodoros]] relates a strange chronology and geneology. During the reign of the King of [[place::Mycenae]], [[character::Elektryon]] the six sons of [[character::Pterelaos]] claimed the nearby kingdon of [[place::Tiryns]]. [[character::Likymnios]] was the sole surviving son of Elektryon who swore revenge on the sons and entrusted his daughter [[character::Alkmena]] and his kingdom to [[Amphitryon]]. He died and his brother [[character::Sthenelos]] used the pretext to take over the throne and banish Amphitryon who took refuge with Alkmena and Likynnios with [[character::Kreon]] at [[place::Thebes]].
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| After ridding Thebes of a giant Vixen, Amphitryon sails to [[place::Taphos]] to ravage them. But [[character::Poseidon]] had made Pterelaos immortal by putting gold in his hair and while he was alive Taphos could not be taken. His daughter [[character::Komaitho]] falls in love with Amphitryon and takes out her father's golden hair and he dies. Despite her help Amphitryon executes her for treason.
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| Before Amphitryon returns, [[character::Zeus]] assumes the likeness of Amphitryon and sleeps with Alkmena. When Amphitryon actually returns there is confusion and [[character::Teiresias]] has to reveal the truth. Twon sons are born of Alkmena. [[character::Ipphikles]] by Amphitryon and Herakles by Zeus. Zeus declared that this decendent of [[character::Perseus]] would reign over Mycenae. This irritaed [[character::Hera]] who tied to postpone the birth and persuaded [[character::Eileityiai]],the goddess of childbirth to bring forward the birth Sthenelos' son [[character::Eurystheus]]
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| Herakles first major event was when he strangled tow serpents aged one. Later when [[character::Linos]] brother of [[character::Orpheus]] chastised Herakles, he killed him with his lyre. At 18 he was nearly 7 foor tall.
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| ==Feats of Herakles==
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| He slays the lion of [[place::Kithairon]] 9his attributes include him wearing lionskin) and a thankful [[character::Thespios]] King of [[place::Thespiai]] and wife [[character::Megamede]] gives him 50 daughters on 50 nights (though he thinks its the same daughter every night). These daughters have sons.
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| At this time there is an event called the '''Choice of Herakles''' At a road junction he is met by ''vice'' who offers him an easy path of pleasure, and ''virtue'' who offers him a hard road of duty. He chooses the path of virtue.
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| On his way back he cuts the noses, hands and ears of heralds belonging to [[character::Erginos]]. He is incensed, marches on Thebes but Herakles kills him with a weapon given to him by [[character::Athena]]. As a reward Kreon gives him his daughter [[character::Megara]] and his given a sword by [[character::Hermes]], bows and arrows by [[character::Apollo]] and a cloak from Athena.
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| Hera is still angry and drives Herakles mad and he throws Megara's children and others into a fire. He recovers his sanity and see the [[Delphic Oracle]]. Up until now he had been called Alkaios. The Oracle renames him Herakles (Hera's Glory) and told him to go to Tiryns and serve his uncle [[character::Eurystheus]] for 12 years and perform labours. For this he will become immortal.
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| ==The Labours of Herakles==
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| The twelve labours are the accepted number although [[author::Pausanias]] had 11 possibly after he visits and sees the labours depicted at the temple of Zeus in [[place::Olympia]]. he leaves out [[character::Kerebos]]. We see Herakles transform from a freash faced young man to a mature hero, often helped by Athena. The labours do come in any definitive order.
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| The first 6 take place in the [[place::Pelopennese]]
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| *1. Killing the Nemean lion. After this Eurystheus is so frighened he forebades Herakles from entering Mycenae and communicate through [[character::Kopreus]]
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| *2. Killing the Hydra of [[place::Lerna]]. This was a progeny of [[character::Typheous]] and [[character::Ekhidna]]
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| *3. Killing the Kerynitian hind. This was sacred to [[character::Artemis]]. After killing it he runs into Artemis, Athena and Apollo and persuades them to keep it
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| *4. [[The Labours of Herakles#Capturing the Erymanthian boar]]
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| *5. Cleaning the stables of Augeias
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| *6. Chasing away the Stymphalian birds
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| The next two on the outskirts of the Greek world
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| *7. Capturing the [[place::Crete|Cretan]] bull
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| *8. Fetching the man eating horse from [[place::Thrace]]
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| The final four are at the ends of the world
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| *9. Getting the belt of [[character::Hippolyte]]
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| *10. Stealing the cattle of the tribodied Greyon
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| *11. Fetching the golden apples of [[character::Hesperides]]
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| *12. Bring the Kerebos from [[place::Hades]]
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| ===Capturing the Erymanthian boar===
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| [[Category:Greek Mythology]]
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