Hercules

Hercules/Heracles

• Who was Heracles?
• Hercules - more common
• Most important hero – became God
• Because we still talk about him
• What is a hero?
• Hero- 21st c. protective, king, live saving
• Ancient Greek: glory, honour, impressive deeds, selfish, conquering monsters, kill people, extraordinary, acts of cunning,
• Heracles as a special case:
• Gains immortality, almost an Olympian god
• Pan-Hellenic hero (all over)
• “And they live untouched by sorrow in the islands of the blessed along the shore of deep swirling Ocean, happy heroes for whom the grain-giving earth bears honey-sweet fruit flourishing thrice a year, far from the deathless gods, and Cronos rules over them (5); for the father of men and gods released him from his bonds. And these last equally have honour and glory.”
• Hesiod, Works and Days 156-169b
• → 4th age – of heroes
• 2 great wars – battle of Thebes & troy. Homecoming. Some died
• Cronos lives far in west ruling over Heroes in “Golden Age” where they end up

Heracles: The Legendary Legend

• I am not unaware that many difficulties beset those who undertake to give an account of the ancient myths, and especially is this true with respect to the myths about Heracles. For as regards that magnitude of the deeds which he accomplished it is generally agreed that Heracles has been handed down as one who surpassed all men of whom memory from the beginning of time has brought down an account; consequently it is a difficult attainment to report each one of his deeds in a worthy manner and to present a record which shall be on a level with labours so great, the magnitude of which won for him the prize of immortality.
• Diodorus Siculus 4.8.1 (1st C BCE)
• (Trans. C.H.Oldfather, 1935)
• → Editorial statement. Different versions
• Heracles as a Baby
• Amphitryon (dad) and Alcmena (mortal mom)… and Zeus… and Hera
• Iphicles and Heracles
• → Man with two fathers
• Hera = nemesis
• Pindar, Nemean Ode 1.33-47: 1st indication of his specialness – snakes sent 4 him – strangled
• “But Heracles lifted up his head and for the first time made trial of battle; with his two hands, from which there was no escape, he seized by their necks the two serpents and his grip squeezed the life out of the huge monsters, strangling them.”

The Labours of Heracles

• Nemean Lion
• Lernaean Hydra
• Cerynean Hind
• Erymanthian Boar
• Augean Stables
• Stymphalian Birds
• Cretan Bull
• Mares of Diomedes
• Girdle of Hippolyta
• Cattle of Geryon
• Apples of the Hesperides
• Cerberus
• Accumulates myths from other places – so important
• Can be arranged diff
• 1st 6 – in Peloponnese. Last 6 – all over
• Crete, thrace, Amazon, far off to west – like where they live when they die
• --> Describe temple of Olympia
• Heracles' labours. Skips cerberus
• Most of the labours of Heracles are represented at Olympia. Above the doors of the temple is carved the hunting of the Arcadian boar, his exploit against Diomedes the Thracian, and that against Geryones at Erytheia; he is also about to receive the burden of Atlas, and he cleanses the land from dung for the Eleans. Above the doors of the rear chamber he is taking the girdle from the Amazon; and there are the affairs of the deer, of the bull at Cnossus, of the Stymphalian birds, of the hydra, and of the Argive lion.
• Nemean lion:
• Defining physical features of H
• Club frm tree 2 kill lion + lion skin. Highly muscular. Strong man- Hold weight of heavens

Diapositiva 4

• Archaic period-
• becomes associated with god called melca (NE). Influence Greek
• Oceanus – no man's land – ocean. Everyone want 2 b assos w Heracles
• Marriage and Tragedy
• Sufferance. Tragic hero after death
• Euripides, Alcestis
• Euripides, Heracles Mainomenos (The Madness of Heracles)
• Wife: Megara
• Sophocles, Trachiniae (The Women of Trachis)
• Wife: Deianira
• Girlfriend: Iole
• Euripides, Alcestis 747-772 (trans. David Kovacs 1994)
• Bumbling fool -hercules
• Admetus’ wife, Alcestis dead- mourning
• “some random women” servant – tells truth
• Worst guest at funeral- just getting wasted. Ruining everything.
• Social roles – not hospitable either . “lemme tell u meaning of life kid” lets have a drink. Old depressed man
• Comic role in the tragedy- disruptive in an uncomfortable way
• Euripides, Heracles Mainomenos 1-26.
• His father – giving genealogy of heracles
• Perseus is his grandfather
• Description of Thebes
• Megara- wife, plot.
• Taking place when Heracles is doing last labour
• Tragic ending – driven mad--> Kills family
• Unable to get out of state of killing when coming home 2family
• E.g. Odysseus
• Problematic nature of violence theme

Diapositiva 5

• Death of Heracles
• new wife deianeira- gives him cloak poisoned . Put it on – dies. His mortal half. Has time 2 hear about she killed herself so he dies
• Heracles the Immortal
• Heracles as a master of beasts/nature
• Labours as conquests of death & nature
• Cattle of Geryon, far to the west, Apples of the Hesperides, far to the west, Cerberus, in the Underworld
• A mortal who becomes a god after death. Prototypical “hero”
• → Tragedy, comic, hero. Guideline for other heroes by becomes god
• Extent of his travels
• Becomes ultimate hero
• Heracles the Conqueror
• Went 2 olympus. beside Zeus he enjoys a perfect happiness; he is loved and honoured by the immortals; Hebe is his wife, and he is lord of a golden palace
• -Pindar Isthmian Odes 4.61-67
• Eastern associations
• Troy
• Melkart of Tyre (Herodotus)
• Bronze age trade routes
• Indian connections
• Conquest of the East
• Inspiration for Alexander + other Roman Emperors
• → Trade route connections w his travels
• Coin of alexander the great: One side heracles, other zeus- roman emp Caracalla shaking hands
• Herc SMASH BOUNDARIES
• King and slave
• Tragic hero and comedic buffoon
• Hypermasculinity and adoption of feminine roles- omphale s;lave 1 yr
• Champion of civilization and lawless transgressor
• Mortal hero and immortal god
• (Cannot be constrained by boundaries)
• Zero to hero- Imperialism