Hercules (also known as Alcides) was the name in Roman mythology of the hero Heracles from Greek mythology, the Roman name being a metathesis of the Greek name. He is the son of Jupiter (also known as Jove), the Roman counterpart to the Greek god Zeus and the mortal Alcmene. Hercules made the choice of a life of virtue offered to him by Athene, in preference to a life of pleasure offered by Aphrodite, in his youth. He was made to perform twelve great tasks, called The Twelve Labours of Hercules and became a god; the Romans adopted the Greek versi ...

Including:

• Hercules - Origin of the legend
• Hercules - The Greek Legend of Heracles
• Hercules - Movie and television adaptations
• Hercules - Spoken-word myths - audio files
• Hercules - Namesakes

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Heracles was born in Thebes to Queen Alcmene of Tiryns and Zeus (who took the guise of her husband Amphitryon). Heracles was conceived over three nights and upon his birth was his father's pride and joy. This resulted in Hera's hatred and jealousy of the young boy. Ironically, Heracles name means "Hera's Glory". At eight months old, Hera sent two snakes to kill him in his crib. The infant grabbed the snakes and strangled them to death. After killing his music tutor with a lute, he was sent to tend cattle on a mountain by Amphitryon. H ...

See also:

Hercules, Hercules - Origin of the legend, Hercules - The Greek Legend of Heracles, Hercules - Movie and television adaptations, Hercules - Spoken-word myths - audio files, Hercules - Namesakes

Read more here: » Hercules: Encyclopedia II - Hercules - The Greek Legend of Heracles

Heracles was born in the 13th century BC in Thebes to Queen Alcmene of Tiryns and Zeus (who took the guise of her husband Amphitryon). Heracles was conceived over three nights and upon his birth was his father's pride and joy. This resulted in Hera's hatred and jealousy of the young boy. Ironically, Heracles' name means "Hera's Glory". Note: Zeus later became worried about Heracles dethroning him. After killing his music tutor with a lute, he was sent to tend cattle on a mountain by Amphitryon. Here, he was visited by two nymphs - Pleasure and Virtue - who offered him a choice between a pleasant and easy ...

See also:

Hercules, Hercules - Origin of the legend, Hercules - The Greek Legend of Heracles, Hercules - Movie and television adaptations, Hercules - Spoken-word myths - audio files, Hercules - Namesakes

Read more here: » Hercules: Encyclopedia II - Hercules - The Greek Legend of Heracles

The cult of Hercules may have been the first foreign one to be adopted in Rome; his most important shrine, the Ara Maxima, was in the original Palatine settlement. He became popular with merchants, who customarily paid him a tithe of their profits. Hercules is said to have founded an altar where the Forum Boarium, the cattle market, was later held. One possible origin for the myth of the Cattle of Geryon, one of The Twelve Labours of Herakles, has been attributed to an older Milky Way myth which associates the Milky Way constellation with a herd of dairy ...

See also:

Hercules, Hercules - Origin of the legend, Hercules - The Greek Legend of Heracles, Hercules - Movie and television adaptations, Hercules - Spoken-word myths - audio files, Hercules - Namesakes

Read more here: » Hercules: Encyclopedia II - Hercules - Origin of the legend