- Story About Hercules
- Short Story About Hercules
- 12 Labors Of Hercules Story
- Origin Of Hercules Story
- Hercules Story Summary
Hercules had killed his wife, Megara, and their children in a fit of madness sent by Hera, and was thus forced to become a servant of Eurystheus (one Hercules’ cousins, and the king of Tiryns) for twelve years. It was Eurystheus who came up with the Twelve Labors, and imposed them on Hercules.
- The story of the Hercules and the Hesperides is part of the popular book The Titan's Curse from the series Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan. Hercules wore the pelt of the Lion of Nemea as a cloak. It was impervious to weapons and made him even more powerful.
- According to Homer, 2 Heracles was the son of Zeus by Alcmene of Thebes in Boeotia, and the favorite of his father. 3 His stepfather was Amphitryon. 4 Amphitryon was the son of Alcaeus, the son of Perseus, and Alcmene was a grand-daughter of Perseus. Hence Heracles belonged to the family of Perseus. The story of his birth runs thus.
Hercules in Popular Culture
Herakles in Myth and Modern Media |
Miscellaneous Notes |
Hercules as a modern hero
As you weed through books, comics, television, movies and almost anything else, you notice that many of our heroes have similar qualities.Among the specific qualities today’s heroes need to make it in our society are:
Specific Qualities
oHonor, either to themselves or others.This includes a sense of loyalty and dedication to a specific person or persons (e.g. Superman and his loyalty to the people of Earth, Zorro and his respect for his people).
oMany if not most of our heroes are larger than life(athletes such as Michael Jordan and Joe Montana, fictional heroes such as James Bond).
oThey may be people we cannot relate to because of their stature
oThey operate on a very basic level (black and white, good and evil). At the same time they have flaws.Our heroes have to have flaws and problems and overcome them and that is what makes them heroes.
oMany heroes also have some sort of power that others don’t; it can be anything from super strength (the Hulk) to telekinesis (Professor X,X-Men).
oAbove anything else perhaps a hero needs some sort of villain, and this can range from an actual person to an event that allows that hero to perform the way he/she should (e.g. Rocky versus the Evil Russian in Rocky IV).
oNo hero can really be a hero without his/her heart.Inside this heart lies the very essence of a hero.This is where they decide to use their power for good.Anyone can have power in a range of way but with power comes great responsibility. A hero uses this responsibility to help others. This is the greatest power, that of the heart. This is the most dominant belief in our society today about heroes: that they become heroes because they have these great gifts and can use them for good.
Hercules and Heart
Hercules seems to be all of this and more in some instances.In the 1990’s the name of Hercules is synonymous with super strength.This is true, but even more true is that he uses that strength to help those who can’t help themselves.He protects those too weak to protect themselves, and it really is never said why.The only thing we can really do is guess at this, but from his actions in the Marvel Comics and on Hercules the Legendary Journeys and even in Disney’s Hercules, it seems he protects simply because he can. (BP)
Disney’s Herculesis the studio’s attempt to launch the mythological character into cartoon fame.The movie is an action-adventure, comedy, and musical all wrapped up into one.It chronicles Hercules’ attempt to win his immortality back after having it stolen from him at birth.The movie takes place with Hercules as a young man to appease its targeted audience and its PG rating.He encounters a Hydra, multiple monsters of various kinds, Giants, Cyclopes, and Hades (lord of the underworld) and his dog Cerebrus.The movie also entertains the idea of Hercules’ love life with a reoccurring romance with his first wife in mythology, Megara.In the end the movie ends with a climatic battle that takes Hercules very life resending his immortal spirit to Olympus and reuniting him with his father Zeus (king of the Gods).(BP)
Similarities to myths
- Hercules is parented by his mortal parents
- Zeus is his real father
- Battles the Hydra
- The Nemian Lion is shown dead, killed by Hercules
- He has his superhuman strength and performs feats no other human can
- Megara is in the movie
- He dies and is made immortal
- Aids the Olympians in defeating the Titans(parallels the Giant they needed him to defeat in myth)
Differences
- Hera is his real mother and is good
- Hades is his main opposition
- No labors unless you count the heroic feats he does to become a God again, this could directly parallel the labors for immortality
- A satyr named Philoctetes is his trainer/mentor
- Megara is an instrument of evil for Hades
- He loses his super strength
- Pegasus is his flying aid in the movie
Story About Hercules
Hercules in New YorkThis movie marks the first appearance of Arnold Strong (Arnold Schwarzennegger).He portrays Hercules.The movie has almost no real substance as far as the Hercules legend goes except for some of the Olympians who appear in it (such as Zeus and Hades).The movie is about Hercules’ trip to New York in the 1970’s.He gets tangled up with the Mafia and they abduct the girl who becomes his love interest.Hercules has to fight to get her back and therein lies the plot of the movie.It’s a cult B movie.Perhaps the only thing that really could coincide with the legend of Hercules is (and this is a stretch) that Herc gets into a fight with a grizzly bear in Central Park.You could say this is one of those Hercules vs. the animals (master of animals) construct that you see in the myths -- or just laugh quite a bit at it when you see it.(BP)
Similarities to myths
- Hercules has his super strength
- Zeus sends aid to Hercules when he needs it
Differences
- It’s set in the 1970’s
- Hercules speaks English
- Hercules gets a girlfriend when he gets to New York
- Hercules has to battle the mob
- Nothing to do with any type of labor
- Caesars palace email. The movie really doesn’t have anything to do with the Hercules legend, they are just using him as the star because he is a super strong character that can defeat some super powerful for like the Mafia
Hercules: the Legendary Journeys.This is Sam Raimi production starring Kevin Sorbo as Hercules and Michael Hurst as Iolus. This long-running television series just ended, but you can still watch it in reruns.The show chronicles the life of Hercules and his quest to help others.Perhaps out of the other entire modern time’s productions of Hercules, this sticks to the actual myths best.Hercules encounters monster from myth, including giants, Titans, and the gods.Hercules’ mother is Alcmene and his father is Zeus.Hera has a deep hatred of Hercules because he is a constant reminder of Zeus’ infidelity.So she causes problems for him throughout his life.Hercules also marries Deinara and she gives him the poisoned cloak from the centaur that she believes will cause Hercules to love her forever.In contrast to the myths, Hercules manages to survive the cloak and Deinara and the children are killed by Hera, instead of Megara and the kids being killed by Hercules.However, in a related scenario, Hercules is married again to the golden hind and the god Strife is sent to him and causes him to go mad and kill her.Echidna is in the episodes with her husband Typhoon.These are the parents of all monsters.Hercules actually has physical encounters with Apollo and Ares, not to mention he is the only mortal to go into Tartarus and come out alive.But unlike in the mythology it is not a Labor, because in the show Hercules doesn’t do the traditional Twelve Labors.He never encounters the lion or the Cretan Bull, but he does battle the Minotaur (it’s son), and in the show’s very first made for television movie, he kills the Hydra in the exact fashion described in the myths. The show uses Classical mythology as an inspiration, though it changes some things to make the show more available to a multitude of audiences.So, for example, Hercules’ temper and rages really aren’t a facet of the show, and neither is his humiliation by being sold to slavery or having to do the labors.(BP)
Similarities to myths
- Iolaus is in it, he is a great friend and adventurer with Hercules
- Zeus is his father and Alcamne is his mother
- He is in constant conflict with Hera Dark matter symbol.
- He fights in a lot of wars and seems to have become more mature and settled as he ages
- He kills the hydra
- He gets Atlas to hold up the world
- Zeus watches over Hercules
- His wife is Deinara
- He has children that die
- He is inflicted with madness and kills his wife
- He comes into contact with the centaur and the poison blood
- He goes to the underworld and comes back
- He battles the amazons
- He kills a sea serpent from the inside
- He battles some of the gods ( Apollo and Aries)
Short Story About Hercules
Differences
- He and Deinara has kids and Hera kills them with a fireball
- The wife he kills due to madness is the golden hynde
- Xena
- Iolaus is his best friend, not nephew
- Zeus kills Hera
- Hercules kills Zeus
Marvel Comics.In the comics Hercules seems to be a very large boisterous fellow who consumes life.He likes to drink and feast, but he likes to do battle even more.He is usually seen with the Avengers, but he has had his own miniseries.He is portrayed in a more humorous mode in the comics.However, there is almost never a mention of his father Zeus, and Zeus is about the only Olympian god ever mentioned.The comics don’t go into the mythology but instead create other modern stories for him. Hercules is extremely brave in the comics and definitely the world’s mightiest mortal.He is willing to fight any or anything no matter the odds, and is a great person to have on your side.He isn’t a god in the comics but more of an immortal, which is very similar to the way he is in mythology when he dies.(BP)
12 Labors Of Hercules Story
Similarities to myths
![Story Story](https://matchmakerlogistics.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Incredible-Family-Matchmaker.jpg)
- Portrayed in comedy sometimes
- Called the prince of power because he is the world’s mightiest mortal
- Loud, boisterous, larger than life
- Voracious appetite for food and beverage
- Lives life to the fullest
- Is an immortal
- Zeus is his father
Differences
- Nothing to do with ancient times
- He works with a group of warriors instead of on his own
- Is a team player
- Almost never refers to the Olympian gods
Miscellaneous Notes on Herakles in Popular Culture
Short life at the Topps
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, by Topps, was a short-lived comic book that only lasted five issues.The comic was based closely on the television show.The Hercules comic has become highly collectible due to its variant cover art and small quantity of print.Even though the comic was short lived it became important step for Hercules because it brought out another way to come in contact with our hero.Topps, know mostly for their trading cards, took on the comic book because it had become such a popular icon.The comic was released in 1996 and was shortly overrun by the overwhelming popularity of Xena.In the first issue of Hercules we find out the origin of Hercules along with the twelve labors he had to endure.Characters seen seem to rangefrom ones that come from primary sources to ones that are placed merely for character story plot.The Legendary Journeys was released for fans of comics as well as the television show.Emphasis is placed on Hercules's physical strength and ability to help others.Hercules as a comic book is important because it allows a younger audience to be exposed to an ancient hero.
This web page dedicated to retelling the hard to find issues of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.Comments, reviews, and the comic's history are found.Pictures are placed to show how the comic book was drawn.Cheesy humor but gets the story across.(MS) Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, by Topps, was a short-lived comic book that only lasted five issues.The comic was based closely on the television show.The Hercules comic has become highly collectible due to its variant cover art and small quantity of print.Even though the comic was short lived it became important step for Hercules because it brought out another way to come in contact with our hero.Topps, know mostly for their trading cards, took on the comic book because it had become such a popular icon.The comic was released in 1996 and was shortly overrun by the overwhelming popularity of Xena.In the first issue of Hercules we find out the origin of Hercules along with the twelve labors he had to endure.Characters seen seem to rangefrom ones that come from primary sources to ones that are placed merely for character story plot.The Legendary Journeys was released for fans of comics as well as the television show.Emphasis is placed on Hercules's physical strength and ability to help others.Hercules as a comic book is important because it allows a younger audience to be exposed to an ancient hero.
In The Eye of the Beholder
Popular culture seems to converge on the notion that people want a visual image to connect with our hero.A visual stimulus seems to be the mostimportant aspect of Hercules in the fast pace world we live in.Hercules has made his way into movies, comics, trading cards, action figures, and television shows, and even things as small as key chains.The soul of the hero has been transformed over and over again. While physical strength seems to be a constant, intelligence, and appearance has been altered to display a moral side of Hercules.When a certain icon, such as Hercules, becomes part of society a massive wave of images are seen.Everywhere one looks they can't escape but see that image over and over again.The longer people accept this image the longer it will stay in our visual premises.People come up with different marketing schemes to show the icon in any way possible.Eventually the visual stimulus becomes overwhelming and dies out.The story of Hercules will live on, but the over exaggerated aspects we see will come to a point where it won't be tolerated any longer. (MS)
Popular culture seems to converge on the notion that people want a visual image to connect with our hero.A visual stimulus seems to be the mostimportant aspect of Hercules in the fast pace world we live in.Hercules has made his way into movies, comics, trading cards, action figures, and television shows, and even things as small as key chains.The soul of the hero has been transformed over and over again. While physical strength seems to be a constant, intelligence, and appearance has been altered to display a moral side of Hercules.When a certain icon, such as Hercules, becomes part of society a massive wave of images are seen.Everywhere one looks they can't escape but see that image over and over again.The longer people accept this image the longer it will stay in our visual premises.People come up with different marketing schemes to show the icon in any way possible.Eventually the visual stimulus becomes overwhelming and dies out.The story of Hercules will live on, but the over exaggerated aspects we see will come to a point where it won't be tolerated any longer. (MS)
Hercules is Pretty Cheep
Hercules became an important hero to Romans and Greeks, but has never done well on film.Often Hercules was found in low-budget Italian-made gladiator movies like, 'The Loves of Hercules,' which is also know as 'Hercules and the Hydra.'Television stars also portrayed the hero.Gordon Scott (Tarzan in the 50's) played Hercules in 'Hercules and the Princess of Troy,' and Lou Ferrigno (TV's Incredible Hulk) played the hero in 'Hercules,' and 'Hercules II.'Thom Geier shows Hercules's darker moments in popular culture by examining his film flops.Arnold Strong's (Arnold Schwarzenegger) contribution in 'Hercules in New York.' placed our here against the mob and city life.In 1962, Hercules hit an all time low with, 'The Three Stooges Meet Hercules.The idea was not to create a quality movie featuring Hercules, but to flood the market with images of the hero.(U.S.News: The Incredible Hunk vs. Cheesy Monsters)(MS)
Hercules became an important hero to Romans and Greeks, but has never done well on film.Often Hercules was found in low-budget Italian-made gladiator movies like, 'The Loves of Hercules,' which is also know as 'Hercules and the Hydra.'Television stars also portrayed the hero.Gordon Scott (Tarzan in the 50's) played Hercules in 'Hercules and the Princess of Troy,' and Lou Ferrigno (TV's Incredible Hulk) played the hero in 'Hercules,' and 'Hercules II.'Thom Geier shows Hercules's darker moments in popular culture by examining his film flops.Arnold Strong's (Arnold Schwarzenegger) contribution in 'Hercules in New York.' placed our here against the mob and city life.In 1962, Hercules hit an all time low with, 'The Three Stooges Meet Hercules.The idea was not to create a quality movie featuring Hercules, but to flood the market with images of the hero.(U.S.News: The Incredible Hunk vs. Cheesy Monsters)(MS)
Casting Call
Bodybuilders have been thrown into any sort of Hercules movie to show off their physique.These heroes do not always fit into the genre of what people assume Hercules to look like.Steve Reeves seems to be the most popular of all the bodybuilder Hercules, but he was not the only one.Directors always called for a big man to fill the job of Hercules in a movie production.Variants in the roll could be seen by actors like: Dave Draper, the blond Hercules, or even Serge Nubret who was know as the French titan who the darkest skinned Hercules of them all.A list of different Hercules movies with an array of actors can be seen at this simple website. (MS)
Bodybuilders have been thrown into any sort of Hercules movie to show off their physique.These heroes do not always fit into the genre of what people assume Hercules to look like.Steve Reeves seems to be the most popular of all the bodybuilder Hercules, but he was not the only one.Directors always called for a big man to fill the job of Hercules in a movie production.Variants in the roll could be seen by actors like: Dave Draper, the blond Hercules, or even Serge Nubret who was know as the French titan who the darkest skinned Hercules of them all.A list of different Hercules movies with an array of actors can be seen at this simple website. (MS)
Pop Culture Icon
Hercules is a changing character and has been interpreted in many different ways.As a popular culture icon he must be entertaining and demonstrate more of a point than just using brute force.Hercules is now seen as intelligent as well as muscular.It seems that he has gone through a metamorphosis that demonstrates he has a huge heart, sound mind, as well as physical prowess.At Brian's Drive in Theater one can see the roundabout versions of Hercules.An in-depth biography of each actor along withpictures can be seen.Links to other Hercules sites as well as videos to purchase are among the selections to be found.This tribute to the Greek hero is very comprehensive and allows the reader to see and read about the men behind the hero. (MS)
StoriesFebruary 25, 2020Hercules is a changing character and has been interpreted in many different ways.As a popular culture icon he must be entertaining and demonstrate more of a point than just using brute force.Hercules is now seen as intelligent as well as muscular.It seems that he has gone through a metamorphosis that demonstrates he has a huge heart, sound mind, as well as physical prowess.At Brian's Drive in Theater one can see the roundabout versions of Hercules.An in-depth biography of each actor along withpictures can be seen.Links to other Hercules sites as well as videos to purchase are among the selections to be found.This tribute to the Greek hero is very comprehensive and allows the reader to see and read about the men behind the hero. (MS)
The story of Hercules starts before the great hero was even born.
Hercules’s father, Zeus, was known to slip out of his home on Mount Olympus in order to seduce nymphs and mortal women (with or without their consent… yeah, he kind of sucked).
Hera, Zeus’s wife, queen of the gods and goddess of women, marriage, and family, was jealous and vengeful toward her husband’s many mistresses and illegitimate children. But Zeus didn’t really care, so he kept stepping out on Hera and Hera kept exacting revenge on Zeus’ conquests.
On one such occasion, the object of Zeus’ affection was a mortal woman named Alcmene.
Zeus used his power to disguise himself as Alcmene’s husband, Amphitryon, which was extra level creepy. Unable to spot the imposter, Alcmene welcomed the king of gods into her bed. That night, she got pregnant and later gave birth to a son. Alcmene and her husband named the baby Hercules which means “glorious gift of Hera” in Greek.
When Hera discovered her husband’s secret affair had bred a child, she was overcome with jealousy, rage and hate. Determined to kill Zeus’s illegitimate son, Hercules, Hera sent two snakes to strangle the baby in his sleep.
Luckily for Hercules, having Zeus as a father meant he was a demigod, unusually strong and fearless. He grabbed each snake by the neck and strangled them just before they were able to strike.
The Real Story of Hercules is the Story of a Warrior
Hercules, also known as Heracles, Herculies, Herculea or Hercukes, is a prime example of a mighty warrior.
Without any more major interference from Hera, Hercules grew into a great warrior. He single-handedly led the attack that drove the Minyans out of Thebes. In gratitude, Creon, king of Thebes offered his eldest daughter, Megara, to the hero.
Hercules and Megara got married and had three strong sons. The family lived happily together.
It Wasn’t Happily Ever After for Hercules
It turns out, jealous Greek gods don’t let go of grudges so easily.
Determined to make him suffer, Hera once again interfered in Hercules’s life.
Hera used her power to get inside Hercules’s head. He fell into madness and went insane with rage. Under Hera’s dark influence, he gruesomely murdered his beloved wife and children. It doesn’t get any more real than that.
Even worse, Hercules had no idea that he had murdered his wife and children because of Hera’s trickery. When he came to, he was totally destroyed by his actions. With a broken heart, he set out to seek punishment for the horrifying crimes he had committed. Four winds casino smoking.
Hercules travelled to Delphi to ask Apollo (another son of Zeus and the god of prophecy) what he should do to rid his soul of this evil.
Origin Of Hercules Story
Even though it was no secret (among the gods at least) that Hera had truly been the cause of Hercules’s terrible crimes, Apollo commanded Hercules to endure a long and harsh punishment to atone for his sins.
Apollo sent Hercules to the city of Tiryns where he had to serve the cruel king, Eurystheus, for twelve years and complete twelve impossible tasks, known as the Twelve Labors.
Apollo promised that after Hercules had completed his punishment, his soul would be cleansed of evil and he could join the gods on Mount Olympus.
Sounds simple, right?
Not really. Here are the 12 labours that Hercules completed to fulfill Apollo’s wishes.
The 12 Labours of Hercules
Hercules was a real strong man, with really big goals. Here are his labours:
- The Lion – First, Hercules was sent to the hills of Nemea to kill a lion that was terrorizing the people. Hercules skinned the lion and wore the pelt as a cloak for the rest of his life.
- The Hydra – Hercules traveled to the city of Lerna to slay the nine-headed poisonous, snake-like creature called Hydra who lived underwater, guarding the entrance to the Underworld.
- The Hind – Hercules had to capture the Cerynitian deer with the golden antlers who was sacred to the goddess Artemis.
- The Board – Hercules was sent to Mount Erymanthus to capture a terrifying, man-eating wild boar.
- The Stables – Hercules had to clean all the sh*t out of King Augeas gigantic stables in one day. While this may sound simple, this was actually a huge (and smelly) task.
- The Birds – Hercules traveled to the town of Stymphalos and drove out the huge flock of carnivorous birds.
- The Bull -Hercules journeyed to Crete to capture a rampaging bull that had impregnated the wife of the king. (The queen later gave birth to the Minotaur, a creature with a man’s body and a bull’s head.)
- The Horses – Hercules was sent to capture the four man-eating horses of the Thracian king Diomedes.
- The Belt – Hercules was sent to steal an armored belt that belonged to the Amazon queen, Hippolyte.
- The Cattle – Hercules travelled nearly to Africa to steal the cattle of the three-headed, six-legged monster, Geryon.
- The Apples – King Eurystheus sent Hercules to steal a set of golden apples (Hera’s wedding gift to Zeus).
- The Three-Headed Dog – The final challenge led Hercules to Hades, where he had to kidnap Cerberus, the vicious three-headed dog that guarded the gates to the underworld.
Basically, for 12 years, Hercules’ story was collecting a lot of stamps on his passport and he had to nearly die many, many times.
The Story of Hercules AKA a Life of Hardship
Hercules Story Summary
After Hercules successfully completed the 12 labors, Apollo’s promise of an immortal life on Mount Olympus was still many difficult years way. Hercules had to rescue the princess of Troy from a hungry sea-monster and help Zeus defeat the Giants in a great battle for the control of Olympus before he could take his earned place among the Olympians.
Many years later, Hercules remarried to Deianira, whose name means “man-destroyer” or “destroyer of her husband”. Yikes.
One day, upon returning home from what would be his last adventure, Deianira presented Hercules with a cloak. She had coated it in what she thought was a magic balm that would guarantee his love for her forever. Unfortunately for Hercules the balm was actually poison.
When Hercules put the cloak on it began to burn him. Unable to get the cloak off, Hercules was sure death was the only release from this agonizing pain. And so a huge funeral pyre was built for the hero atop Mount Oeta.
Just as the fire started to burn all around Hercules, the gods looked down from Mount Olympus. At that moment, Hera finally agreed that Hercules had indeed suffered enough. Zeus sent Athena to save Hercules from the burning pyre and bring him to Mount Olympus on her chariot. So that was cool.
Finally, at the end of Hercules’ story, he was welcomed home and allowed to spend eternity among the gods on Mount Olympus.