Classics 102 - Heroes

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What are Heroes in Greek society.	people who defeat monsters and make the world a better place for humans. they are famous people who are loved by the gods and are better then normal people in every way. sometimes they are mortal, sometimes they are demigods. they can be worshiped after death and have hero cults as it was thought their spirits lived on and could help the living
Describe Heracles' basic traits.	he is the child of Zeus and a mortal women, Alcemene. he was born as a twin, his brother the son of Alcemene's husband, Amphytrion.
because Zeus cheated on her again, Hera hated Heracles. What was the first thing she did to him?	She sent 2 snakes to kill him in his crib but Heracles choked the snakes to death.
Heracles had three wives in all. What became of his first wife Megara? What happened after her death?	Hera made him go mad she he killed her and their children. He was now seen as unclean in the Greek world so he had to be cleansed. He went to the Oracle of Delphi, Pithia, to find out what the gods want him to do.
What does the Pithia tell him to do?	she tells him to go to serve Eurytheus at tiryns as a slave for 12 years. he takes his nephew Iolaus
While serving Eurystheus, Hercules is instructed by him to complete 12 trials, all given first by Hera. we only need to know 4 of them. What is the first?	sent to deal with the Nemea lion. the lion is magically immune to sharp weapons. Hercules must wrestle it and then club it to death. He then skins it with his bear hands as he cannot use a knife, and uses the skin as Armour. this is why in art he is often shown with a lion skin, a club, and sometimes a bow
what is the second trial?	he must defeat ahydra, which is a beast where if you cut off its head, 3 more grow from the stump. Eventually killed it with Iolaus by cutting off a head while Iolaus cauterized the stump with a torch.
What is the third trial?	he was sent to defeat the Erymanthian boar. he brought it back alive to Eurytheus who gets so scared when he sees it that he jumps into a giant storage pot
what is the 4th trial?	sent to get Cerberus, the dog that guards the underworld. he does this
what is Eurytheus' intention when he sends Heracles on these tasks?	he doesn't want him to live as he serves Hera and all of these trials are meant to antagonize him and kill him.
What happens after he completes the 12 trials?	He marries a women named Deiania, who he saved from marrying a monstrous river god. she is the subject of the play the women of Trachis. her name literally means death to a man.
How does the play, The Women of Trachis start?	Deiania is upset becuase her husband hasnt stop leaving home to do heroic deeds. She talks about how she met him and how glad she was to marry him then. she says Heracles has been gone for 15 months and he has left her a tablet that supposedly tells the future, its prophecies coming true often in the play.
What happens after this first scene?	someone comes to tell Deinia that her husband has returned with riches and slaves for the house. She is so happy until a harold tells her one of the slaves is Heracles' concubine and he plans to install her in their house as his lover.
how does Deianira feel about this. What does she decie to do?	she is very upset. She decides reluctantly that she will sue a love potion she has on her husband to make him fall in love with her again.
Where did she get the love potion from?	earlier, when her and Heracles were traveling, they came to a river they couldnt cross. A centaur was near by and he offered to swim them across. As he took them across, he tried to molest Deianira. this makes Heracles mad so he kills the centaur with an arrow. As he lays dying he tells Deianira that is blood is a love potion and that she should take some as she will need it later
whats the problem with the love potion? what does the love potion say about women of that time in general?	Heracles always dipped his arrows in the blood of the hydra he killed ,making them poisonous. even though the centaur had no reason to help her, Deianira believed him.
how did Deianira get the "Love Potion" to Heracles?	she had a beautiful cloak made for him and pored the blood on it before she sent it to him.
What happened when Heracles put on the cape?	it starts to burn him but he can't get it off. he thinks his wife assassinated him. his son Hyllus was with him and runs to his mother to confront her. she is so upset she kills herself in their bed. Hyllus runs back to his father and tells him what really happened. Heracles accepts that his wife wasn't trying to kill him and asks his son to do some things for him
What does Heracles ask his son to do for him?	He asks him to marry the lover he brought back with him Ioles. He at first refuses as he hates her and blames her for his parents death but after a long argument he agrees.
What happens to Heracles after he dies?	His soul is split in two, half going to the underworld, and half becoming a god on Olympus. Part of his soul likely was in the fields of mourning for a time and his mother then got permission for him to go to the fields of Elysium, as he is in the fields of Elysium in other plays. On mount Olympus he marries the goddess of Youth Hebe, daughter of Hera and Zeus.

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