Hey everyone, Welcome to another installment of Mythology Explained.
In today’s video, we’re discussing Hercules.
Hercules was the son of Zeus and Alcmene. Zeus, of course, was the king of the gods, and Alcmene
was a mortal woman and the granddaughter of Perseus, the Greek hero who slayed Medusa.
What’s interesting about Hercules’ lineage is that his relation to Perseus makes him
both the great grandson of Perseus and Perseus’ half brother, which is a bit of a mind bender.
Zeus wooed Alcmene by assuming the guise of her betrothed,
Amphitriyon, and Alcmene and Amphitriyon did not become apprised of Zeus’ deception until
it was divulged to them by the prophet Tieresias.
Hercules was the older of two twins.
His father was Zeus. The father of his younger brother, Iphikles, was Amphitriyon.
For whatever reason Zeus got it in his mind that Hercules should not only be the mightiest mortal
but should also ascend to godhood. Zeus put his plan into action early on,
tricking his wife, Hera, the queen of the gods, into playing wet-nurse for the baby,
so Hercules was weaned on the milk of immortality.
Hercules, his appetite already voracious, drew so strongly on Hera’s nipple that he caused her
great pain, forcing her to wrench him off her breast so as to dislodge his powerful lips.
Later, Hera became enraged when she found out that the infant who had pained her breast
was also the spawn of Zeus’ Adultery. The coupling of the injury and the betrayal
turned Hera into a perennial enemy of Hercules, who was harried by her for the rest of his days.
It didn’t take long for Hera’s hatred to drive her to revenge. She sent two snakes to attack and kill
Hercules while he was in his cradle. The attack was thwarted, though. Hera didn’t anticipate the
already prodigious strength possessed by the infant, and when Hercules’ parents rushed to
see what the disturbance was, they found him unharmed, a dead snake gripped in each hand.
The rest of Hercules’ childhood was relatively uneventful.
He blossomed into a man of unparalleled strength, speed, and stamina. In all forms of combat,
armed or unarmed - boxing, swordplay, wrestling, archery - no mortal was his equal.
By possessing such great power, though, it was only a matter of time before it got him
into trouble, like a bull in a china shop. Hercules’ music teacher gave him the rough
side of his tongue. The admonishment provoked Hercules, who struck out,
accidentally delivering a fatal blow. The disproportionate retaliation didn’t land Hercules
in jail or see him executed, but he was forced to depart his home to tend herds on Mount Cithaeron.
Here Hercules would face the second challenge of his young life.
A savage lion was prowling the land, picking off cattle. Hercules tracked the lion down
and killed it with an olivewood cudgel. He skinned the beast, removing its pelt,
and thereafter the club and the lionskin became synonymous with the mighty hero.
Later, Hercules began to journey home. On the way, he came across a group of heralds from Orchomenus
who were travelling to Thebes to collect tribute from them. The heralds explained that the tribute
was paid as a gesture of gratitude to the Minyan people for not unleashing destruction upon Thebes,
as a thank you for not cutting off many of their body parts, such as their ears,
noses, and hands. This explanation infuriated Hercules, who perceived it to be an injustice
of the most egregious nature. Thinking with his fists rather than his brain, as he so often did,
Hercules disfigured the heralds in the same manner they described,
sending them back to their lord in hideous condition.
This slight did not go unanswered, and war promptly broke out between the Minyans
and the Thebans. Hercules led the Thebans, and it was said that he nearly personally vanquished
the Minyans, destroying them and killing their king. As a reward for his services,
Hercules was wedded to the Theban king’s daughter, the princess Megara.
The period that ensued was the happiest of Hercules’ life. He and his wife had three sons,
and the five of them lived a relatively quiet life, with the assumption that one day Hercules
would become the next king. But alas, this was not to last. Hercules would never rule as king.
You see, the passing years had not made Hera less vindictive, and her grudge was still
born with the fury of a goddess betrayed. She infected Hercules' mind with a madness
that made him mistake his own sons for invading enemies. Hercules struck down each of his sons,
and after the slaughter, his wife, Megara, was overcome by grief, dying of a broken heart.
This is where the second chapter of Hercules’s life begins.
Burdened by the guilt of killing his own sons, the will to live was snatched from Hercules.
He eventually made his way to Delphi where he consulted the priestess of Apollo.
From her he was set on the path that would see him triumph again
and again, finding atonement in the completion of his legendary labours.
And that’s it for this video! If you enjoy the content please like the video
and subscribe to the channel.
Until next time
Remember
"An eagle's old age (is worth) a sparrow's youth".