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Definition: Heracles from Philip's Encyclopedia

(Roman, Hercules) Greatest of the Greek mythological heroes. Condemned to serve King Eurystheus, he performed 12 labours: he killed the Nemean lion and the Hydra; caught the Erymanthian boar and the Cerynean hind; drove away the Stymphalian birds; cleaned the Augean stables; caught the Cretan bull and Diomedes' horses; stole the girdle of Hippolyte; killed Geryon; captured Cerberus and stole the golden apples of Hesperides. After death, he was allowed to ascend as a god to Olympus.


Heracles

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
In Greek mythology, an immortalized hero (Roman Hercules ); son of Zeus and Alcmene ; and famed for his strength. While serving Eurystheus, king of Argos, he performed 12 labours, including the cleansing of the Augean stables . Driven mad by the goddess Hera , he murdered his children by Megara, his first wife, and was mistakenly poisoned by his second wife Deianira . Although an archer, later portrayals depicted him wearing the skin of a lion and armed with a club cut from an olive tree. Early life Having fathered Heracles on Alcmene, wife of Amphitryon , Zeus boasted that a descendant of Perseus would soon be born; the future king of Argos. Zeus' wife Hera, jealous of Alcmene, used her powers as goddess of childbirth to delay the birth of Heracles, and bring forward that of his cousin Eurystheus. As another descendant of Perseus, Eurystheus reaped the benefit of Zeus' promise. Alcmene, who was also carrying a son by Amphitryon, finally gave birth to Heracles and, one night later, to…
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Full text Article Heracles

From Dictionary of Classical Mythology
Heracles floats over the river of Ocean...
The greatest of all Greek heroes, a man of superhuman strength, courage, and endurance; a man also of violent passions and of hearty and unashamed appetites, with a tremendous voracity for food, wine and sex. Often known as Alexikakos , “Averter of Evil”, he lived an arduous life of toil and…
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Full text Article Heracles

From Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Heracles breaking the horns of the hind of...
Legendary hero of ancient Greece and Rome. Known for his great strength, he was the son of Zeus and Alcmene, the granddaughter of Perseus . Zeus’s jealous wife Hera sent two serpents to kill Heracles in his cradle, but the infant strangled them. He grew up to marry a princess, then killed her in a…
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Full text Article Labours of Heracles

From Dictionary of Classical Mythology
The twelve Labours that HERACLES had to perform as an act of expiation for killing his own children, and in some accounts his wife MEGARA as well, in a fit of madness sent on him by HERA . For twelve years, proclaimed the DELPHIC ORACLE , he must serve EURYSTHEUS , king of the Argolid, by carrying…
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Full text Article Heracles

From Encyclopedia of Ancient Literature
ca. 420–415 BCE Work Author: Euripides Assigning a date to Heracles involves considerable guesswork. Some argue that Euripides’ positive view of Athens in this play points to a date around 420 BCE —before the playwright lost his faith in Athenian democracy. Others feel that the chorus of elders’ …
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Full text Article Heracles

From The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization
Heracles An Athenian vase (c. 490 bc) shows the...
the greatest of Greek heroes. His name is that of a mortal (compare Diocles), and has been interpreted as ‘Glorious through *Hera ’. In this case, the bearer is taken as being—or so his parents would hope—within the protection of the goddess. This is at odds with the predominant tradition (see…
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Full text Article Heracles

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
In Greek mythology, an immortalized hero (Roman Hercules ); son of Zeus and Alcmene ; and famed for his strength. While serving Eurystheus, king of Argos, he performed 12 labours, including the cleansing of the Augean stables . Driven mad by the goddess Hera , he murdered his children by Megara, his…
| 1,614 words
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Full text Article brazen castanets of Heracles, the

From Encyclopedia of Mythological Objects
The Greek demigod and legendary hero Heracles was ordered to serve King Eurystheus for twelve years in order to atone for his madness-driven murder spree in which he killed his wife, children, and two of his brother's children (in some accounts, Megera, his wife, survived). During this time of…
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Full text Article golden goblet of Heracles, the

From Encyclopedia of Mythological Objects
In ancient Greek mythology, the tenth labor of demigod and legendary hero Hercules was to return with the herd of beautiful red cattle from the island of Erytheia without asking for or purchasing them. These cattle belonged to Geryon, reported to be the strongest man alive; the son of Chrysaor and…
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Full text Article bow and arrows of Heracles

From Encyclopedia of Mythological Objects
The bow and arrows of the legendary demigod and hero Heracles from classical Greek mythology do not have any innate magical abilities, but they are mentioned in many myths and played a significant role in the Trojan War. After slaying the hydra, Heracles dipped his arrows in the creature's blood, …
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Also known as: Alcides (name given at birth), Criophorus, Melkarth (Carthage), Melqart, Monoecus . Hero. Heracles, the son of Zeus and Alemene (Alcmene), or Zeus and Alkmena, became the greatest of Greek heros, despite the obstacles he had to overcome. Hera, jealous of his birth by Zeus and a mortal…
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