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Hercules

Encyclopedia : H : HE : HER : Hercules

For other uses, see Hercules (disambiguation)}}}.
Hercules is the Latin name used in Roman mythology for a hero corresponding to the Greek mythological hero Heracles (or Herakles).

Contents

Etymology

Hercules and his nephew, helper and eromenos Iolaus. 1st c. CE mosaic from the Anzio Nymphaeum, Rome
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Hercules and his nephew, helper and eromenos Iolaus.
1st c. CE mosaic from the Anzio Nymphaeum, Rome

The Latin name is not directly borrowed from Herakles, but is a modification of the Etruscan name Hercle, which derives from the Greek name via syncope. An oath invoking Hercules (Hercle! or Mehercle!) was a common interjection in Classical Latin.

Character

Hercules can be identified by his attributes, the lion skin and the club. He is a paragon of humanity and masculinity, and thus embodies characteristics such as great strength, great courage, and great appetites, including erotic adventures with both women and boys or young men. These qualities did not prevent him from being regarded as a playful figure who used games to relax from his labors and played a great deal with children.Aelian, Varia Historia, 12.15 While he was a champion and a great warrior, he was not above cheating and using any unfair trick to his advantage. However, he was renowned as having "made the world safe for mankind" by destroying many dangerous monsters, and he was also held up as an example for never having attacked first, but for having conquered all merely by defending himself when attacked, and protecting the helpless and distraught. His self-sacrifice obtained him the ascent to the Olympian realms and he was welcomed by the gods.

Roman Cult

The cult of Hercules may have been the first foreign one to be adopted in Rome. According to legend, Hercules is said to have founded his most important shrine in Rome, the Great Altar of Hercules (Ara Maxima Herculis), later housed within the Forum Boarium, the cattle market of Rome, within Rome's original Palatine settlementThe various founders of this altar, including Hercules himself, are discussed at the [Lacus Curtius website].. This altar has been dated to the 6th or 5th century BC. It stood near the Temple of Hercules Victor. Hercules became popular with merchants, who customarily paid him a tithe of their profits.

Mark Antony identified himself with Hercules, and even invented a son of Hercules, called Anton, from whom Antony claimed descent. In response, his enemy Octavian identified with Apollo.

Some early emperors took up the attributes of Hercules (eg Trajan), and later Roman Emperors, in particular Commodus and Maximian, went further and often identified or compared themselves with him and supported his cult; Maximian styled himself "Herculius".

Myths of Hercules

Hercules and Cacus, by Baccio Bandinelli, 1525 - 1534. Piazza della Signoria, Florence.
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Hercules and Cacus, by Baccio Bandinelli, 1525 - 1534. Piazza della Signoria, Florence.

The Romans adopted the Greek version of Heracles' life and works essentially unchanged, but added anecdotal detail of their own, some of it linking Hercules with the geography of the Western Mediterranean.

In Roman mythology, Acca Larentia was Hercules' mistress. She was married to Tarutius, a wealthy merchant. When he died, she gave his money to charity. In another version, she was the wife of Faustulus.

Hercules in popular culture

Since the Renaissance, Hercules has rarely been distinguished from Heracles, the Roman figure overshadowing the Greek. Later interpretations of Hercules' legend cast him as a wise leader and a good friend (many of the movie and TV adaptations cast him in this light, especially the 1995-1999 syndicated TV series). The legend of Hercules endures, though often co-opted to suit the political fashion of the day.

The legend of Hercules has been described in many movie and television adaptations.

TV and Movies

A series of 19 Italian Hercules movies were made in the late 50's/ early 60's. The actors who played Hercules in these films were Steve Reeves, Gordon Scott, Kirk Morris, Mickey Hargitay, Mark Forest, Alan Steel, Dan Vadis, Brad Harris, Reg Park, Rock Stevens and Michael Lane. The films are listed below by their American release titles, and the titles in parentheses are the original Italian titles (if they were different).

A number of English-dubbed Italian films that featured the Hercules name in their title were never intended to be Hercules movies by their Italian creators. None of these films in their original Italian versions were connected to the Hercules character in any way. Likewise, most of the "Sons of Hercules" movies shown on American TV in the 1960's had nothing to do with Hercules in their original Italian incarnations.

Video Games

Children's Tales

Hercules was later dumbed down into a children's movie. He is still presented as an illegitimate son of Zeus, where he performed the labors when he causes an accident that claims the life of his mother. His half-brother Iphicles was never revealed, he is helped by Athena in one of his labors which was to defeat the stymphalian birds and he never confronts Hera. It's a happy ending since he marries Megara in the end and they are assumed to live happily ever after. The reason was because of the gory nature of the original story.

Comic books

Hercules has also appeared in several comic book adaptations:

See also

Notes

 

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.

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