2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25
How many mysterious and unknown is fraught with Ancient Greece. The exploits of Hercules, committed millennia ago by a demigod man, are still of interest to millions of readers. And no one can answer for sure whether this is a myth or a reality.
Gods of Ancient Greece
The ancient Greeks practiced polytheism. They firmly believed that all the gods live on Olympus, but sometimes descend into the world of people in human form. Zeus - the supreme god of Olympus - became the father of Hercules, and his mother was Alcmene, an earthly woman from the descendants of Perseus himself. The goddess of the earth, Hera, was jealous of her husband for Alcmene and tried in every possible way to harm her and the child.
Still lying in the cradle, Hercules stood on the verge of death. Hera sent two snakes to him. But the brother of Hercules, the son of Alcmene, screamed in fear. Then Hercules got up and strangled the vipers. The intrigues of the goddess do not end there. Years pass. Heracles marries and has children. But then Hera sends an attack of madness on him, and he kills his relatives. Then the hero goes to the Oracle, who offers him to atone for his sin by performing feats.
The Labors of Hercules
The first on the path of Herculesbecomes a Nimean lion. This is a beast of such strength that neither spears nor arrows take it. The demigod lures him into his own lair, stuns him with a club and strangles him. After removing the skin from the animal, he pulls it on himself and becomes invincible.
Hercules fights the Hydra. She mercilessly exterminates people and cattle, but Hercules was able to defeat her. Hydra is a nine-headed snake. When the hero cuts off one head, two grow in its place. Hercules' nephew helped him, he burned the heads with fire, and Hercules cut down the main one.
After that, Hercules catches the golden-horned doe, the Erymanthian boar and clears the famous Augean stables (there is still a popular expression that means a huge amount of work that is almost impossible to do). Hercules then tames the ferocious Cretan bull. The god of the seas Poseidon himself gave this animal to King Minos so that he would sacrifice it. But Minos refused to kill the bull, then Poseidon sent ferocity and rabies on the bull. This is not all the exploits of Hercules. He takes possession of the belt of Ares, tames the mares of Diamed. Colorful battles, an exciting plot - these are the exploits of Hercules. The book "The Twelve Labors of Hercules" conveys this vividly.
Battle with Cerberus
The king of the Peloponnese could not kill Hercules, he passed all 11 tests. There remains the last test, perhaps the most daring and terrible. Hercules must descend into hell to deliver the three-headed Cerberus to the king. The hero is so strong that he grabbed the dog with his bare hands. He brought it to the king, and then released it again, so that he would continue to guardkingdom of Hades.
The exploits of Hercules ended there, but adventures took place in his life. Hercules marries Dejanira. Once they were crossing the ocean, and a violent centaur wanted to kidnap the wife of Hercules. But he managed to shoot him with a poisoned arrow (its tip was soaked in the blood of the hydra, once defeated by Hercules). Dying, the Centaur whispered to Dejanira to collect his blood and soak her husband's clothes with it - then he would forever love only her. Years have passed. Hercules fell in love with another. The jealous wife decided to take the advice of the centaur. But his blood from the blood of the hydra itself turned into poison. Hercules could not take off his painful clothes. The fabric was torn off along with pieces of leather. Dejanira, seeing what she had done, committed suicide. And Hercules kindled a fire and rushed into it so as not to experience terrible torment.
For all the exploits of Hercules, the gods of Olympus endow him with immortality.
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