Hercules biography. Myths about Hercules

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Municipal budget educational institution

"Secondary school in Biryucha"

This many-faced Hercules...

Artyom Evgenievich,

Student 5 "A" class

Head: Bychkova

Svetlana Alexandrovna,

Russian language teacher and

Literatures MBOU "Secondary School"

G. Biryucha"

Biryuch-2014

Introduction

Main part

1. Birth and youth of Hercules

2. Labors of Hercules

3. Death of Hercules

4. The image of a real hero. The breadth of the image of Hercules

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

Myths were born at the dawn of civilization, incorporating the entire world of the ancients, their thoughts and deeds. A myth is not an old fairy tale, but ancient image understanding of the universe, allowing a person to comprehend himself and the world around him. In myths, man reflected his ideas about reality, which means his thinking was mythological. People believed that nymphs and centaurs coexisted next to them, that the gods, reincarnated as animals and people, descended to earth and, like mortals of flesh and blood, divine heroes they also love, hate and take revenge.

Myths became the first literary form, in which the interweaving of earthly and heavenly destinies amazes us with its sincerity even after thousands of years.

Despite the general fascination with antiquity and especially ancient mythology in Europe in the 18th century. In the historiography of this time, the attitude towards myths as legends and fairy tales that did not contain any serious basis and historical information was firmly and permanently rooted.

This opinion was decisively refuted in the 70s. XIX century by the famous amateur archaeologist Schliemann. In his excavations, he literally followed in the footsteps of ancient heroes and in the depths of the Hissarlik hill in the northwestern part of Turkey he discovered the fortress walls of Homer's Troy. Being an amateur in archeology, Schliemann was unable to correctly date his finds; moreover, obsessed with the idea of ​​finding Troy as soon as possible, he destroyed the cultural layer corresponding to the era of the Trojan War.

At the same time, Schliemann's merit is great - he restored confidence in the myth. The famous Russian poet M. Voloshin wrote: “When the heroic dream of thirty centuries - Troy suddenly became tangible and material thanks to excavations in Hisarlik, when the tombs of the Mycenaean kings were opened and with a living hand we were able to feel the ashes of Aeschylus heroes, put our fingers of the unbelieving Thomas in the wounds of Agamemnon, then something new opened up in our soul... The whole face ancient world changed for us! Figures that have already become conventional signs, have become real again.”

No matter what, the myths of Ancient Greece are still very for a long time will be a subject of constant interest to researchers in the field of culture and mythology, the foundations of which originate in the ancient world.

The image of Hercules is the brightest heroic mythological image in ancient Greek culture, which had a huge and varied influence on the processes of shaping the Greeks' ideas about heroism, heroic human greatness and divine will, a combination of beauty, strength and ideals of justice and boundless determination in achieving the most incredible goals. At the same time, the image itself changed under the influence of the development of Hellenic culture.

The relevance of researchis to introduce the aesthetic values ​​of world culture through the study of the mythology of Ancient Greece.

Problem. Obviously, the era of Ancient Greece has long passed and Hercules is a hero of bygone times, but reading myths about gods and heroes captivates many of my peers. I wanted to know more about Hercules, to find out what caused the interest in his exploits among representatives of my generation?

Target: study the image of Hercules and find out the relevance of the labors of Hercules at the present time.

Tasks:

– get acquainted with the history of the birth and youth of Hercules;

– study and analyze the content of myths about the 12 labors of Hercules;

– compose a questionnaire for 5th grade students: “Did Hercules perform feats?”;

– process the survey results;

– consider the image of Hercules;

– determine what qualities of the hero are manifested in myths;

– determine whether the hero’s qualities are needed now.

Object of study:Myths of Ancient Greece. Labors of Hercules

This work can be classified as short-term, creative, individual, research.

Scientific novelty of the research lies in the connection between antiquity and modernity through the image of Hercules.

MAIN PART

Birth and youth of Hercules

I did not see Hermes, Phoebus,

Ares, whatever their names were,

But in him alone there is everything that heaven

Thoughtlessly people attributed...

Having given birth to him, the Earth dried up.

He was not enchanted by Hebe.

Don't torture the stone! After all, Hercules

You, gods, cannot create another.

I. Goethe

The poetic imagination of each people created the image of a particularly beloved hero. Such a hero in Ancient Greece was Hercules. Hercules - who is he? He was the son of the beautiful Alcmene and Zeus, the main god of the ancient Greeks. On the day when the most famous of the Greeks, the strongman Hercules, was about to be born, his father Zeus had the imprudence to boast in the assembly of the gods that today a man would be born who would rule over all the descendants of Perseus, and his glory would reach the heavens.

Zeus's wife, Hera, did not experience joy when she heard her husband's speech. She had an insidious plan to turn the words of the lord of the gods against the baby who was about to be born. Turning to her husband, she said: “Dear husband, I’m afraid that you will soon forget about your promise and will do nothing to fulfill it. If you really want everything to be as you said, swear that your blood descendant, who will be born today, will truly rule over your neighbors."

Zeus did not notice the cunning trap hidden in his wife’s words, and gave the oath that she asked for. Hera immediately left the meeting and went to the city of Argos, in which Alcmene, the mother of Hercules, lived and which was ruled by King Sthenel, a descendant of Zeus. His wife was carrying a son under her heart, whose birth was expected in two months. Jealous Hera ordered the goddess of childbirth and the goddesses of fate to delay the birth of Alcmene, so Eurystheus, weak in body and spirit, was born first, before the due date. Some time later, Hercules was born, who later became his slave.

Zeus realized that the insidious Hera had deceived him, he was saddened, but he could not refuse his word.

Of all his sons, Zeus loved Hercules most. But Hera did not have warm feelings for him and pursued him all her life.

Having learned that Hercules was born and was lying in the cradle, she sent two snakes to destroy the newborn. It was already night when the snakes crawled into Alkmena’s chamber, their eyes sparkling. They quietly crawled to the cradle and were about to wrap themselves around the body of little Hercules and strangle him, when the son of Zeus woke up. He stretched out his small hands to the snakes, grabbed them by the necks and squeezed them with such force that he immediately strangled them. When the parents ran into the room, they saw an extraordinary miracle: the little newborn Hercules was holding two huge strangled snakes, which were still wriggling weakly in his tiny hands. Amazed by the strength of his adopted son, Amphitryon called the soothsayer Tiresias and asked him about the fate of the newborn. Then the prophetic elder told how many great feats Hercules would accomplish, and predicted that he would achieve immortality at the end of his life. Having learned what great glory awaited his son, Amphitryon gave him an education worthy of a hero.

Hercules grew by leaps and bounds. His parents could not be happier with him and cared about his upbringing and education. They trusted him the best teachers who made sure that the child gained wisdom and physical strength, and was perfect in spirit and body. The boy grasped everything on the fly. He loved archery, throwing a spear, learned to wield a sword, participated in competitions and drove a war chariot.

Hercules became a mighty young man. He was a full head taller than everyone else, and his strength far exceeded that of a man. At first glance, one could recognize him as the son of Zeus, especially by his eyes, which shone with some extraordinary, divine light. No one was equal to Hercules in dexterity in military exercises, and he wielded a bow and spear so skillfully that he never missed. Until a certain time, the life of Hercules was calm.

But the evil Hera, who only left Hercules alone for a while, sent a terrible illness to him - she deprived him of his mind. In a fit of rage, Hercules killed his three sons. When the strong man's reason returned, Hercules, distraught with grief, left his home forever.

The soothsayer Pythia sent him to the city of Mycenae, where he was to serve for twelve long years at the court of the weak, cowardly Eurystheus. Only by completing twelve feats beyond the strength of mere mortals will Hercules be able to cleanse himself of what he has done. Very soon, King Eurystheus gave him his first assignment - to kill the Nemean lion, a man-eater, in the hope that Hercules would die. But our hero, having found the lion’s cave, hid and waited. When a huge lion appeared, pulling the string of his bow, Hercules shot three arrows at him one after another. All the arrows hit the side of the beast, but bounced off its skin, because it was hard as steel. The lion roared menacingly, his roar rolled like thunder across the mountains. Looking around in all directions, the beast stood in the gorge and looked with eyes burning with rage for the one who dared to shoot arrows at him. So he saw Hercules and rushed with a huge leap at the hero. The club of Hercules flashed like lightning and fell like a thunderbolt on the lion’s head. The beast fell to the ground, stunned by a terrible blow, after which Hercules rushed at him, wrapped his powerful hands around the throat of the writhing lion and pressed until he strangled him. Then he took the skin from the formidable lion and threw it like a cloak over his powerful shoulders, and tied his paws on his chest. From that time on, the skin from the lion's head served as a helmet for Hercules. This was the first labor of Hercules. Having matured, Hercules performed many amazing feats. The gods took care of the equipment young hero. Hermes gave him a sword, Apollo gave him a bow and arrows, Hephaestus forged a golden armor, and wise Athena wove clothes.

He defeated enemy troops, killed the rapists who oppressed his people, destroyed monstrous lions, wild boars, birds of prey, tamed mad bulls, and defeated formidable giants.

Labors of Hercules

These are the twelve labors of Hercules, which glorified him forever throughout the entire Oecumene, and, perhaps, throughout the world:

1. Hercules strangled the Nemean lion - an evil, shaggy monster, from whose skin arrows bounced off.

2. Hercules killed the Lernaean hydra - the monstrous creation of Typhon and Echidna. The huge snake body was crowned with nine dragon heads, and one of the heads was immortal, and the poisonous bite of the hydra was fatal. Hercules dropped his arrows into the poisonous blood and bile of the hydra, and from that time on the wounds from his arrows became incurable.

3. Hercules exterminated the Stymphalian birds of prey, which threatened all living things with copper beaks, claws and bronze feathers, which they, taking off, dropped, inflicting mortal wounds on their victims.

4. Hercules caught the Cerynean golden-horned and copper-legged tireless doe, the favorite of the goddess Artemis.

5. Hercules neutralized the monstrous Erymanthian boar, a beast with huge fangs and a furious temper.

6. In one day, Hercules cleaned out the giant barnyard of the king of Elis, Augeas, the son of the great god Helios. Augeas deceived Hercules by not giving him the promised reward. For this, the hero subsequently attacked the king of Elis, killed him and captured rich booty. After the victory, Hercules brought generous gifts to the gods and established the Olympic Games on the Elis plain, among the sacred olive trees planted by the hero himself in honor of the goddess Athena, which were celebrated every four years.

7. Hercules tamed the fierce Cretan bull of King Minos, intended as a sacrifice to Poseidon. Subsequently, the released bull was overtaken and killed in the marathon by Theseus from Athens.

8. Hercules led away the indomitable man-eating horses of the king of Thrace, Diomedes, son of Ares.

9. Hercules won the wonderful belt of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons. Among others, Theseus, another remarkable hero of Hellas, helped him accomplish this feat.

10. Hercules stole the herd of cows of the giant Geryon, killing the two-headed dog Orff and killing Geryon himself.

11. Hercules tamed the three-headed guard with his bare hands underground kingdom dead Hades - the monstrous dog Kerber. Along the way, Hercules freed Theseus from the kingdom of the dead.

12. Hercules obtained the famous golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides - the daughters of the titan Atlas, who held the entire firmament on his shoulders.

After completing the last assignment, only one thought was in Hercules’ head: “Soon I will complete the last task and finally gain freedom.” His whole soul rebelled against the fact that he had to serve the bad, cowardly, weak king Eurystheus. And now Hercules felt immensely happy that his captivity was coming to an end.

Having completed his service to Eurystheus, Hercules performed the ritual of cleansing from spilled blood and became a free man. In order to arrange his life, he went to Ehalia, where the powerful and rich king Eurytus ruled, who had a beautiful daughter Iola. Many suitors tried to get her as a wife, but in vain, because the king promised to give her as a wife to the one who shoots a bow better than him. Every day there were competitions, every day noble and valiant men from different countries experienced happiness in archery. But none of them received Iola’s hand, for no one managed to defeat the king. Only Hercules managed to defeat Eurytus: not a single one of his arrows missed the target. Iola and her brother, who dreamed of becoming related to Hercules, were very happy about this. Meanwhile, the king learned that Hercules was in the service of Eurystheus. And he thought to himself: “Yes, he is an unsurpassed shooter, but his past bears the stamp of slavery. How can I give my daughter to such a man as a wife?” And he decided not to give it away, although he did not directly tell Hercules about this. However, Hercules understood well what was hidden behind the omissions, that there was no need to rush into the wedding. And so he left Ehalia.

Just at the time when all this was happening, the son of Hermes, Autolycus, stole horses and donkeys from Eurytus. The king accused Hercules of the theft. On the contrary, the king's son, who regretted the departure of Hercules, did not believe that such a hero was capable of theft, and was very angry with his father for his bad attitude towards Hercules.

Heracles was seized with furious anger when he learned that they dared to suspect him of such a shameful act. For some time he lost control of himself. He grabbed the son of Eurytus, who so wanted to reconcile him with his father, dragged him to the top of the highest tower and threw him down from there. Zeus himself was angry with Hercules for such an unjustified crime. The remorse that gripped Hercules after his anger cooled a little did not help either. None of the gods whose temples Hercules visited, wanting to receive forgiveness, forgave him for the treacherous murder of his son Eurytus. Only the god Apollo took pity on him, but demanded an expensive payment for purification: to remain in slavery for three more years.

Hercules without hesitation accepted the verdict of God, transmitted through the oracle, for he longed for purification. He voluntarily sold himself into slavery. It was bought by merchants from Asia and taken to

Queen Omphale. Money received from merchants, Hercules, at the behest of the soothsayer,

He had to give Euryta to the king as a ransom for his murdered son. But the proud king did not accept them; he remained as before the enemy of Hercules.

So the dowager queen Omphale became the mistress of the most famous of heroes

Greece. There were many rumors about his life as a slave to Omphale. They said

For example, as if Hercules wore women's clothing, carded and spun wool, and performed all sorts of other women's work. He even had to dance for the amusement of the queen and her court, while the queen flaunted herself in the lion skin of Hercules, armed with his club and bow. After Eurytus drove Hercules out of Echalia, he married Deianira. One day, Hercules and his wife went to visit a neighboring king, with whom they were friends. They approached the river, through which the centaur Nessus carried the travelers on his back. Hercules suggested that this giant take Dejanira to the other side. He himself threw himself into the water, deciding that he would be able to swim across the river without resorting to the help of a centaur. Suddenly he heard a loud scream. Hercules looked in that direction and saw the centaur, clutching Deianira, who was fighting him, running away from the river. Without hesitating for a second, Hercules raised his bow, pulled the string and sent an arrow at the giant (according to another version of the myth, Hercules hits Nessus with a sword).

The shot was accurate. Feeling the approach of death, the centaur came up with a way to take revenge on Hercules. Before he took his last breath, he managed to give Dejanira some insidious advice: to collect the blood from his wound and save it as a magic potion in case Hercules ever stopped loving her. Without suspecting anything, Dejanira collected and hid the blood of Nessus, forgetting that it was mixed with the poison with which Hercules impregnated his arrows. This blood was kept in a cache for a long time, for Deianira and Hercules lived in love and peace.

After some time, Hercules remembered the insult that King Eurytus inflicted on him. Not only did the king refuse to give him his daughter Iola as his wife, he also accused him of theft. Hercules gathered an army and went to Echaly to punish the king. Hercules' revenge was cruel: he devastated the city, killed the king, and appointed his daughter Iola as a servant to his wife.

Having sent home the spoils, including Iola, Hercules climbed the high mountain to make a sacrifice to Zeus in gratitude for the fact that the ruler of the gods patronized him in all matters. Hercules lingered on the mountain. Meanwhile, Dejanira began to yearn for him. She just can’t understand why Hercules doesn’t return home for so long. And she also learned that Hercules made his last military campaign because of this girl, who is in her service. Jealousy and fear of losing Hercules' love gripped her. Dejanira rubbed expensive clothes with the blood of the centaur Nessus and sent them with a messenger to Hercules, thus wanting to revive his love for herself.

Poor thing! Very soon she learned what misfortune this magical remedy had brought. Gill came running and told his mother that as soon as Hercules put on the clothes she had sent, his whole body was seized with terrible pain. Invincible hero, whom no one and nothing could intimidate, fell victim to the involuntary crime of his own loving wife. The poison from the blood of the centaur entered the body of Hercules and caused him unbearable suffering. He could not resist moaning and screaming, tearing off his poisoned clothes, tearing out pieces of his own body.

Having learned what she had done, Dejanira quickly sent her son back to his father. Let him tell him that it was not her fault, that the misfortune happened because of her Great love to him. In desperation, she grabbed a sword and pierced herself in the chest.

Death of Hercules

Having learned about what had happened, Hercules realized that his end was approaching. life path. He ordered himself to be carried to the high Mount Oetu and he himself built a high fire there. He climbed onto it and asked his friends to light the flame so that he could get rid of unbearable torment. No one, however, dared to fulfill this request. Only after much persistent requests from Hercules did one of his young friends, Philoctetes, come forward. With a heavy heart, he lit the fire. For this, Hercules gave him his famous bow and arrows, which never missed their target.

The fire flared up, and the flames forever consumed the hero’s body. Soon a spring emerged from the ground and extinguished the fire. The surrounding area was plunged into darkness and thunder rumbled in the sky. The hero, the largest and strongest of all who ever lived on earth, ascended in a shining cloud to Olympus, where Zeus and other immortal gods were already waiting for him.

There Hera reconciled with him, whose persecution helped Hercules gain eternal glory. His wife in heaven was the beautiful Hebe, the goddess of youth. At his heavenly wedding, Hercules first tasted ambrosia, which preserves eternal youth and bestows immortality.

The enemies managed to defeat Hercules only by cunning, soaking his clothes with poison. Dying, Hercules exclaimed: “Men of Greece! For your sake, I cleansed the earth and sea from monsters and evil...” As a reward for his great deeds, Zeus elevated Hercules to Olympus, where the gods lived, and made him an immortal god. Since then, he has lived a blissful life among the gods, and people on earth pay homage to him as a Greek deity. Poplar, olive, weeping willow and all the places where hot springs come out of the ground. There, monuments were erected to him as a hero who was never afraid of difficulties and dangers. Thanks to this, he became the most famous of all the descendants of Perseus.

Hercules also went to heaven: one of the constellations is named after Hercules, and next to it the constellation Hydra shines.

The image of a real hero. The breadth of the image of Hercules

Hercules is a hero especially loved and revered by the ancient Greeks. Who is the hero?

If we turn to Ozhegov’s dictionary, a hero is

1. A person who performs feats, unusual in his courage, valor, and dedication.

2. The main thing actor literary work.

Can Hercules be called a hero in terms of both meanings? I think it is possible. But there is another meaning of the word “hero”, which was common in Ancient Greece: “A hero is the son or descendant of a deity and a mortal man, a demigod. Usually the hero is endowed with superhuman capabilities and exorbitant strength, but, unlike the gods, he is deprived of immortality.”

It turns out that Hercules fits all three definitions and meanings of the word “hero”:

He is the son of Zeus and the earthly woman Alcmene; he is the main character of one of the most popular cycles of myths: he is unusual in his courage and valor - he performs twelve labors, fighting monsters and defeating them. But with the Nemean lion or the Lernaean hydra, everything is clear - they are monsters, defeating them is heroic. But one of famous feats, who gave the “winged” expression “to clear the Augean stables,” is surprising, but only at first glance.

What is the feat here - to clean the stables from manure?

The myth “The Animal Farm of King Augeas” combines the sublime, beautiful, and the earthly, everyday, low - Hercules had to remove manure from a huge barnyard. This earthly, everyday thing was an important part of the life of ancient man. Let us pay attention to the comparisons with which the bulls from Augeas’ numerous herds are awarded: “with legs as white as snow,” “red as Sidonian purple,” “white as swans.” And one bull, “distinguished extraordinary beauty, shone like a star." An unusual comparison from the point of view of a modern person.

What solution did Hercules find to complete a seemingly impossible task?

Hercules resorted to the cleansing and powerful help of water: the water of two rivers in one day carried away all the manure from the barnyard. This feat revealed not only the hero’s extraordinary physical strength (he destroyed the wall surrounding the barnyard and turned the riverbeds), but also the strength of his mind and ingenuity (he found an ingenious solution to the problem).

This feat of Hercules is of great importance for world history. He laid the foundation for the Olympic Games: after defeating Augeas, Hercules made sacrifices to the Olympic gods and established the Olympic Games. They are also important because during them peace was declared throughout Greece. The Greeks highly valued the winners of the Olympics. That is, a person was valued not only for military valor, but also for victories in peaceful sports competitions. The Greeks even kept chronology based on the Olympic Games. With his own hands, Hercules planted olive trees around the sacred plain, where the Olympic Games were held every four years. The winner of the games was crowned with an olive branch.

What qualities of Hercules, in my opinion, made him the greatest of heroes Greek mythology?

Courage, bravery, perseverance, endurance, perseverance, respect for the will of the gods, a sense of justice, ingenuity and intelligence - all these qualities make Hercules a positive hero - a character expressing the moral values ​​of the people. This means that we can judge what moral qualities valued by ancient people, what were their ideas about good and evil, about justice.

The image of a real hero, as the ancient Hellenes understood it, was by no means their invention or discovery. Such images are popular among the most different nations with completely alien cultural traditions.

Gilgamesh of the Babylonians, Melkart of the Phoenicians - peoples who lived before the ancient Greeks - are in many ways similar to Hercules. Heroes of the Russians folk tales They also defeated Baba Yaga, Koshchei the Immortal, defeated evil spirits, killed the Serpent Gorynych - a close relative of the Lernaean hydra. The Russian Ilya Muromets and the biblical Samson are very similar. And such heroes live in the legends of almost every nation.

However, it was the ancient Greek Hercules who absorbed all the best features: strength and nobility, cruelty towards enemies and mercy, generosity and generosity, loyalty to duty, intelligence and almost childish naivety. It was these qualities that at all times elevated him above other people and made him close in the most different countries and to the most diverse segments of the population.

Probably, much of the image was introduced from other civilizations. The hero most likely did not have real prototype, and the most significant thought seems to be the idea of ​​a collective prototype, concentrated in one person in the densest form (even in comparison with other heroes).

The myth of Hercules passed from the Greeks to another great people of antiquity - the Romans. They named Hercules in their own manner: Hercules. Other nations inherited this myth from the Romans.

Some even named their boys after the hero. So, the Georgians have the name Irakli, the French have Hercule (abbreviated Herculus - Hercules). Poets of different nations wrote about Hercules, his exploits were depicted by artists, he was the source of creativity for sculptors and composers. Even a special oatmeal, very useful for baby food, is called “Hercules”.

The image of Hercules, created by archaic Greek authors, is broad, versatile, and bright. He embodies the best traits of a warrior - a Hellenic warrior of ancient times. Unfortunately, due to the narrowness of the source base, only two views on the personality of Hercules are noticeable - Homer and Hesiod; but even they give three-dimensional picture ideas about the greatest hero of Antiquity.

Conclusion

Having studied the myths about the exploits of Hercules, having studied information about the hero in mythological dictionaries of various authors, as well as critical articles on this topic, after analyzing the results of a survey of classmates, I came to the following conclusions:

– the image of Hercules is truly multifaceted and broad. The complexity and inconsistency of this image gave scope for its interpretation by representatives of a wide variety of genres ancient literature: in epic and tragedy he is a noble hero; in comedies - a merry fellow, a glutton and a carouser; the sophists portrayed Hercules as a young man who consciously renounced pleasures and chose labors and exploits leading to immortality; athletes saw their ideal in Hercules, and he was considered the patron of palestras, gymnasiums and baths; merchants viewed him as the patron of trade; even god-fighting philosophers could find support for their attitude towards the gods in the acts of Hercules. After all, Hercules wounded Hera with an arrow and, according to one rare version, also Hades. And his whole life is an example of how the gods can persecute a mortal without any of his guilt;

– Hercules really performed feats, using not only strength and dexterity, but also intelligence, ingenuity, resourcefulness; these qualities of a hero are valuable for our generation.

From a survey conducted on the topic “Did Hercules perform feats?” you can see that, like me, 95% of my classmates think and only 5% of my peers think that not all twelve trials of Hercules can be called labors;

– the image of Hercules is interesting to modern schoolchildren, it is attractive to modern people. Man consciously strives for perfection and harmony, and the image of Hercules is thought of as such. Hercules himself is clear example closest approximation to this.

Recently, humanity has begun to pay much more attention to health and physical development, and accordingly physical culture and sports. And Hercules is an example of a hero, generously endowed with health and strength and constantly improving the qualities given by nature. In Ancient Greece, Hercules is considered the founder Olympic Games, and given the increasing attention modern people to physical education and sports, then the connection between antiquity and modernity through the image of Hercules becomes obvious. Many of our modern idols, wittingly or unwittingly, follow the model set by the heroes of ancient legends. Take, for example, our fellow countryman, world champion in daily running in Italy, Vladimir Bychkov. In order to achieve such results, he trained a lot and hard, strengthened his health, and trained his willpower. Now, in the eyes of his fellow teenagers, he is a legend of world sports;

- to this day, the hero of the ancient Greeks is popular and loved by people.

The life of ancient peoples was very difficult. Wild animals ravaged their fields, killing livestock and people. Warlike tribes attacked peaceful villages and drove people into slavery. They were mowed down terrible diseases, with which they did not know how to fight. Many peoples died and disappeared from the face of the earth. But they were replaced by new ones, even more courageous, even more persistent and hardworking. Year after year, century after century, they settled the land, cultivated fields, built cities, crossed the seas, exterminated dangerous predators. And people have always dreamed of heroes performing fabulous feats, such as Hercules.

Of course, these heroes are fictitious; they did not exist in reality. But their main feats - the conquest of nature, the curbing of forces hostile to man - were nevertheless accomplished. And countless generations of the most simple, ordinary, ordinary people accomplished them with their unnoticed, everyday work. Therefore, chanting the exploits of Hercules and others fairy-tale heroes, we glorify the works and accomplishments of a long line of our ancestors, a series whose beginning is lost in the mists of millennia.

So, Hercules is the most famous hero of the Greeks and, despite the apparent simplicity of this character, one of the most complex and mysterious images of Greek mythology. This, in my opinion, is the many-sided Hercules, emerging from the stories of ancient mythographers, from epic poems, tragedies, comedies, philosophical works, as well as countless art monuments.

I believe that in my work I implemented the tasks set and achieved my goal.

Bibliography

1. Kun N. A. Legends and myths of Ancient Greece. Gods and heroes. Trojan cycle. –

Novosibirsk: Science. Siberian branch, 1991.

2. Nemirovsky A. I. Myths Ancient Hellas. – M.: Education, 1992.

3. encyclopedic Dictionary young literary critic / Comp. V. I. Novikov. – M.:

Pedagogy, 1998.

4. Mythological Dictionary: a book for students / M. N. Botvinnik, B. M. Kogan,

M. B. Rabinovich, B. P. Seletsky. – M.: Education, 1994.

5. Mythological dictionary: about 1800 articles / G.V. Shcheglov, V.V. Archer. – M.:

AST: Astrel: Guardian, 2007.

Questionnaire for 5th grade students

We ask you to answer all questions in the questionnaire. It’s easy to fill out: you need to circle the number next to the selected answer or enter your answer.

1. How many feats did Hercules perform?

A.5 B.12

B. 8 D. 10

2. Did Hercules always perform his exploits alone?

1. yes

2. no

3. sometimes

3.Do you consider Hercules a hero?

1. yes

2. no

3. sometimes

4.What hero of Russian fairy tales does Hercules resemble?

1. Baba Yaga

2. Serpent Gorynych

3. Ilya Muromets

4. Dobrynya Nikitich

5. Why was Hercules especially revered by athletes?

6. What name did Hercules receive at birth?

7. What heroes was he related to?

8. Who and why hid from Hercules in a copper vat?

9. The names of which constellations are associated with the feat of Hercules?

10. Who showed Hercules the way to the gardens of the Hesperides?

11. Which of Hercules’ labors did Theseus complete?

12. In memory of what feat of Hercules were the pillars of Hercules erected?

13. How did the ancients explain the origin of poisonous plants?

The myth of Hercules begins with his unusual birth. Thunder God Zeus had a penchant for earthly women. He liked the beautiful Alcmene, the wife of the king of Mycenae. Zeus, with gentle speeches, tried to convince her to cheat on her husband. But Alcmene was adamant. Then the Thunderer decided to cheat. He drove all the animals of Hellas into the forest where the king of Mycenae was hunting. Carried away by hunting, he did not return home to spend the night. And Zeus in the form of a husband appeared to Alcmene.

On the day when Hercules was to be born, the Thunderer swore in the presence of the gods that the boy would become the ruler of Mycenae. But Hera, the jealous wife of Zeus, realized that we were talking about an illegitimate child. She pushed back Alcmene's birth by a day. At the hour appointed by Zeus, Eurystheus was born. It was he who became the ruler of Mycenae, in whose service Hercules accomplished famous feats.

Myths about Hercules: 12 labors

Hera, having learned about the birth of the future hero, vowed to kill him. She sent two poisonous snakes into the cradle. But Hercules showed strength and agility from birth. He strangled the reptiles with his hands.

The myth of Hercules tells that Hera later sent madness to the hero. The man's mind became confused as he played with his sons. He mistook the children for monsters. When the attack of madness passed, Hercules was horrified by his own action. Full of remorse, he decided to go to overseas countries.

Hercules sailed with the Argonauts on a ship to distant Colchis for the Golden Fleece. But his journey did not last long - the god Hermes appeared to the hero near the very shores of Greece. He conveyed the will of the gods: let Hercules humble himself and go into the service of the Mycenaean king Eurystheus.

Jealous Hera, in a desire to get rid of the illegitimate son of Zeus, entered into an agreement with Eurystheus. She advised the ruler of Mycenae to choose the most difficult and dangerous tasks for the hero. The myths about the exploits of Hercules, one might say, appeared thanks to Hera. She herself, unwittingly, contributed to the hero’s centuries-long glory.

First feat

Eurystheus gave the first task to Hercules - to destroy the Nemean lion. The monster was born from the giant Typhon and Echidna, a huge snake. The lion amazed with its size and bloodthirstiness. Its durable skin withstood the blows of swords, and arrows dulled on it.

A lion lived in the vicinity of the city of Nemea, destroying all living things in its path. For a whole month Hercules searched for his lair. Finally he discovered a cave that served as a refuge for the Nemean Lion. Hercules blocked the exit from the lair with a huge boulder, and he himself prepared to wait at the entrance. Finally there was a loud roar and a monster appeared.

The myth of Hercules tells that the hero's arrows bounced off the skin of a lion. The sharp sword did not harm him. Then Hercules grabbed the monster by the throat with his bare hands and strangled him.

The hero returned victoriously to Mycenae. When Eurystheus saw the defeated lion, he was afraid of the incredible strength of Hercules.

Second feat

Let's try to retell the second myth about Hercules briefly. Hera came up with a new deadly task for the hero. A terrible monster was lurking in the poisonous swamp - the Lernaean Hydra. She had the body of a snake and nine heads.

The Lernaean Hydra lived near the entrance to world of the dead. She crawled out of her lair and devastated the surrounding area. Being the sister of the Nemean Lion, she had a huge advantage - one of her nine heads was immortal. Therefore, it was impossible to kill the Lernaean Hydra.

Iolaus offered his help to Hercules - he took the hero to the poisonous swamp on his chariot. The hero fought the hydra for a long time. But, having struck down one head of the monster, Hercules saw two new ones appear in its place.

Assistant Iolaus set fire to a nearby grove and began to cauterize the severed heads of the hydra. When Hercules cut off the last, immortal head, he buried it deep in the ground. He laid a huge rock on top so that the monster could never appear on earth again.

Hercules soaked the arrowheads with the poisonous blood of the hydra. And then he returned to Mycenae, where Eurystheus’ new task awaited him.

Third feat

Myths about the exploits of Hercules indicate his strength, agility, and speed. More than a year The hero was chasing the Kerynean doe in order to catch her - this was a new task for the ruler of Mycenae.

A beautiful fallow deer appeared in the vicinity of the Kerenean Mountains. Her horns sparkled with gold, and her hooves shone with copper. The animal's skin sparkled in the sun. The Kerynean fallow deer was created by the goddess of the hunt, Artemis. She did this as a reproach to people who exterminated flora and fauna.

The doe ran faster than the wind - she rushed, running away from Hercules, through Attica, Thesprotia, Boeotia. Whole year the hero tried to catch up with the beautiful fugitive. In desperation, Hercules took out his bow and shot the animal in the leg. Throwing a net over the prey, he carried it to Mycenae.

Artemis appeared in front of him in anger. Ancient myths about Hercules say that the hero bowed to her. He explained how the will of the gods forced him to serve Eurystheus. That he was not chasing the beautiful doe for himself. Artemis had mercy and allowed Hercules to take the animal to Mycenae.

Fourth feat

And Eurystheus has already prepared a new task for the hero. Which one? The fourth myth about Hercules will tell us about this. Its brief content allows us to find out that a wild boar appeared in Arcadia. The Erymanthian boar used its huge tusks to destroy livestock, forest animals, and travelers...

On the way, Hercules visited his acquaintance, the centaur Pholus. They opened the wine, had fun, sang songs. Other centaurs, attracted by the aroma of the wine, armed themselves with stones and stakes and declared that the wine was a gift to the entire community. A fight ensued. Hercules put the centaurs to flight with his poisonous arrows.

Continuing his journey, the hero soon saw the Erymanthian boar. But the blows of the sword did not frighten the animal. Then Hercules raised his shield high. When the sun was reflected in it, the hero directed the beam directly into the eyes of the beast. Then he began to hit the shield with his sword. Blinded, the animal was frightened by the loud noise. He rushed high into the mountains, where he got stuck in deep snow. Then Hercules tied the boar, put it on his shoulders and brought it to Mycenae.

The inhabitants rejoiced at their deliverance from the formidable monster. Eurystheus, seeing the size of the boar, was so frightened that he hid in a bronze pithos.

Fifth feat

King Augeas was famous for his herds and stables. He surrounded the barnyard with a high fence, because he was in fear around the clock that the bulls and horses might be kidnapped. All day long Augeias tried to count the number of horses in the stables. But the herd was in motion, the horses moved, and the count had to start over.

The accumulated sewage from the horses filled all the stables. The smell from them permeated the whole of Arcadia, says the 5th myth. Hercules sent Eurystheus to clear the Augean stables of manure. The king thought that a strong and brave hero would disdain such a task.

Hercules realized that it was necessary to make a hole in the fence. He broke the fence surrounding the stables on both sides. The water flow of the mountain river immediately washed away all the impurities.

The myth of Hercules briefly reports that after this feat, the hero made a sacrifice to the river god for the unpleasant work. Then he restored the fence and returned to Mycenae for a new assignment.

The sixth feat

One day, two huge birds appeared near the city of Stymphalus, the myths about Hercules are told. They had copper beaks and bronze feathers. The Stymphalian birds multiplied over time and formed a flock. They destroyed seedlings in the fields. They dropped their bronze feathers like arrows on everyone who came near them.

Hercules, before entering into battle, studied the habits of the creatures for a long time. He realized that, having shed their feathers, birds become defenseless until new ones grow. The warrior goddess Athena appeared to Hercules and presented him with copper rattles as a gift. Hercules was delighted with the help and made a loud noise with the instrument.

The Stymphalian birds flew up in fear and began to shed their sharp feathers. Hercules took refuge under a shield from their onslaught. After the birds dropped all their feathers, the hero shot them with a bow. And those that I didn’t manage to hit flew away from these places.

Seventh feat

What does the seventh myth about Hercules tell about? The summary indicates that there are no more monstrous animals and birds left in Arcadia. But Eurystheus came up with an idea where to send Hercules - to the island of Crete.

The sea god Poseidon gave King Minos a wonderful bull so that the ruler would sacrifice it to the gods. But the king liked the Cretan bull so much that he hid it in his herd. Poseidon found out about the king's deception. In anger, he struck the bull with madness. The monster ran around for a long time, killing people in a frenzy and scattering herds.

Eurystheus, at the behest of Hera, wished to see the Cretan bull alive. Hercules realized that only force can pacify the animal. He went out to fight, grabbed the bull by the horns, and bent his head to the ground. The animal sensed that the enemy was stronger. The Cretan bull stopped resisting. Then Hercules saddled him and drove him into the sea. So, riding on an animal, the hero returned to Arcadia.

The bull did not even try to throw Hercules off, he calmly entered the stall of King Eurystheus. When the hero, tired after a new feat, went to bed, the ruler was afraid to keep a maddened bull and in fear released him into the wild.

So the bull wandered around the outskirts of Arcadia until he was defeated by another hero of Hellas, Theseus.

Eighth feat

The myths about Hercules also tell about the demonic horses of Diomedes. These carnivorous monsters devoured lost travelers. Shipwrecked sailors were killed. When Hercules and his assistant arrived in the country, he immediately went in search of carnivorous horses. By neighing, he realized where the stables of King Diomedes were.

With a blow to the head, he subdued the first horse and threw a bridle around its neck. When the entire herd was bridled, Hercules and his assistant drove him to the ship. And then King Diomedes and his army stood in the way. Hercules defeated everyone, and when he returned to the shore, he saw that the horses had torn his assistant to pieces and fled.

The hero fed the body of King Diomedes to his own horses, drove them onto a ship and took them to Mycenae. The cowardly Eurystheus, at the sight of the carnivorous horses, in horror, ordered them to be released into the forest. There wild animals dealt with them.

Ninth feat

The 12 myths about Hercules are extremely interesting. They all talk about the strength and courage of the son of Zeus, about the amazing adventures that befell him. The ninth tells about Hippolyta's belt. Eurystheus's daughter Admeta wanted to get it. She heard that the belt was given to the queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta, by Ares himself, the god of war.

Hercules went on a journey with his companions. The Amazons greeted them friendly and asked about the purpose of the trip. Hercules honestly told Queen Hippolyta about how Eurystheus’s daughter wanted to receive her belt as a gift.

Hippolyta agreed to give the jewelry to Hercules. But the goddess Hera interfered. She didn’t like the peaceful solution to the issue - after all, she wanted to destroy the hero. Hera, transforming into one of the Amazons, spread the rumor that Hercules wanted to sell them into slavery.

The militant women believed the evil slander, and a battle ensued. Hercules and his companions defeated the Amazons. The son of Zeus completed this task with a heavy heart. Hercules, the hero of myth, did not want to fight with women, even if they were warriors.

Tenth feat

Our story continues with the tenth myth about Hercules. King Eurystheus thought for a long time before giving the hero a new task. He wanted to send his hated half-brother to a distant country, so distant that it would take a month or more to sail there.

Hercules traveled a long way. He defeated the son of the god Vulcan - the monster Kakus. Later, the city of Rome was founded on the site of their battle.

On the green meadows of Erythia, the cows of Geryon, a giant with three bodies, three heads and three pairs of arms and legs, grazed. They were guarded by a two-headed dog. At the sight of Hercules, he growled and rushed at him. The hero quickly defeated the dog, but then the giant shepherd woke up. The goddess Athena doubled the strength of Hercules, and he knocked the giant down with several blows of his club. The hero won another victory.

Having sailed by ship to Iberia, Hercules lay down to rest, letting the herd go to graze. At first light, he decided to drive the herd overland. Cows traveled through Iberia, Gaul, and Italy. Near the sea, one of them rushed to the water and swam. She ended up on the island of Sicily. The local ruler Eryx did not want to give the cow to Hercules. I had to defeat him too.

The hero returned with the fugitive to the herd and led it to King Eurystheus. The latter sacrificed cows to Hera, hoping to get rid of Hercules.

Eleventh feat

And again long road I was expecting a hero. Eurystheus sent Hercules to fetch the golden apples of the Hesperides. They gave immortality and eternal youth. In the garden of the Hesperides, only nymphs guarded the apples. And the garden itself was located at the edge of the earth, where Atlas held the firmament on his shoulders.

On the way to the end of the world, Hercules freed Prometheus in the Caucasus Mountains. He fought with the son of the land of Gaia - Antaeus. Only by tearing the giant off the ground could the hero defeat him. Having reached Atlas, Hercules told him about the purpose of his journey. They agreed that the hero would hold the heavens on his shoulders, and Atlas would ask the nymphs for apples.

Hercules was already exhausted under the weight of the arch, and Atlas returned. The giant really didn’t want to take on an exorbitant burden on his shoulders again. The cunning man invited Hercules to hold the sky for a while until he himself reached Mycenae and gave the apples to the king. But our hero is not so stupid. He agreed, but on the condition that the giant would hold up the heavens, and in the meantime Hercules would make himself a grass pillow - the burden was too heavy. Atlas believed and took his place, and the hero took the apples and returned home.

Twelfth labor

The last task of Eurystheus was the most difficult, says the 12th myth. The Labors of Hercules (a brief summary of them is presented in this article) takes the reader into the amazing world of the mythology of Ancient Greece, a world full of amazing adventures, powerful and treacherous gods and strong, brave heroes. But we digress. So, 12 labors. Hercules had to descend into the kingdom of the dead and kidnap the dog Cerberus. Three heads, a tail in the shape of a snake - at the sight of this fiend of hell, the blood froze in my veins.

Hercules went down to Hades and fought with Cerberus. Having defeated the dog, the hero brought him to Mycenae. The king did not allow the gates to be opened and shouted for Hercules to release the terrible monster back.

But the myths about Hercules do not end there. The 12 feats that the hero performed in the service of Eurystheus glorified him for centuries. Later, he distinguished himself in military campaigns and arranged his personal life.

The Thirteenth Labor and Death of Hercules

Legends of Hellas say that there is also a 13th labor of Hercules. The myth has brought to this day the story of King Thespia. Hercules stayed in his house while hunting the Lion of Cithaeron. Thespius was worried that his daughters would choose unsightly grooms and give birth to ugly grandchildren. The king invited Hercules to impregnate his 50 daughters. So the hero hunted a lion during the day, and spent the night with the king’s daughters.

Many years later, Hercules married Deianira. They had many children. One day the couple were crossing a fast river. Dejanira was transported by the centaur Nessus. He was seduced by the beauty of the woman and wanted to take possession of her. Hercules struck him with a poisonous arrow. Experiencing terrible torment, Ness decided to take revenge on the hero. He persuaded Deianira to draw his blood. If Hercules stops loving her, all he has to do is soak his clothes in the blood of the centaur, and then the husband will not look at any woman again.

Dejanira kept the bottle with Nessus' gift. Returning from a military campaign, Hercules brought a young captive princess to the house. In a fit of jealousy, Dejanira soaked her husband's clothes in blood. The poison quickly took effect and began to cause Hercules severe pain, and it was impossible to remove his clothes. The eldest son carried his father in his arms to Mount Etu, where he made a funeral pyre. When the flame flared up, a huge cloud covered Hercules. So the gods decided to accept the hero to Olympus and grant him immortal life.

We all know that Hercules is some kind of ancient Greek hero who performed 12 labors. However, few people remember and know how difficult and contradictory his path really was.

How was Hercules, aka Alcides, aka Hercules, born (in Italy)

Surely, many will now remember that our hero’s father was Zeus (the supreme god from Mount Olympus in Greek mythology), and his mother was a simple mortal woman, Alcmene.

The Greek gods have always been distinguished by their human and sometimes impartial essence.

Zeus once imprisoned the titans in the underworld - the children of Uranus (god of the sky) and Gaia (goddess of the earth), who were deities personifying the natural destructive elements.

Offended by Gaia, she persuaded the children to rebel against Zeus again and destroy not only Olympus, but all of humanity.

The giants began to throw stones and burning trees into the sky, they were so angry. Then Zeus's wife Hera and the goddesses of fate told the other gods that the Titans could only be defeated with the help of a mortal hero.

Then Zeus realized that he needed a demigod son who would help him defeat the giants and win the war. The choice falls on Alcmene. The insidious Zeus stops time, takes the form of Alcmene's husband, and for three days the world remains in a state of timelessness. This is how Hercules was conceived.

Time passed, and on the night of our hero’s birth, angry at her husband’s betrayal, Hera forces Zeus to swear an oath that the baby born that night from the clan of Perseus will become the supreme king.

Zeus is sure that Hercules will become him, but Hera turns out to be more cunning - she slows down Alcmene’s birth. That night the first one is born cousin our hero Eurystheus. Then Zeus has to enter into a new agreement with Hera.

Hercules will obey Eurystheus until he completes 10 (!) labors. Once the demigod fulfills the terms of the contract, he will become both free and immortal. This is what we agreed on.

You can often find a myth about how, as a baby, Hercules killed two snakes. According to one version, Hera sent them to kill him. According to another, Alkmena’s husband planted them in order to understand which of the children was a demigod.

Hercules grew up, matured, got married, but Hera still did not forgive her husband’s betrayal. She sends her husband's hated son into madness, in which he destroys his entire family and his brother's children. Having woken up and realizing what he had done, Hercules goes to the oracle, who sends him to his brother to atone for his deeds with feats.

In fact, our hero had only 10 labors to perform, but the king did not accept 2 of them, so Hercules was forced to do 2 more, thus making 12.

The sequence of his exploits varies in different sources, but among them there was a completely unarmed fight with the Nemean Lion, and a clever victory over the Lernaean Hydra, and the expulsion of the Stymphalian birds, which have terrifying metallic plumage.

The labors of Hercules also included:

1. Catching the Keryneian fallow deer.U
2. slaying of the fierce Erymanthian boar.
3. Cleaning the stables of King Augius from manure.
4. Confrontation with the Cretan bull, which was the father of the well-known Minotaur.

And Hercules was able to:

• subjugate the man-eating mares of King Diodemus;
• steal the belt from the main Amazon, Hippolyta;
• kidnap and bring to Mycenae the cows that he took from the three-headed giant Geryon;
• get golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides;
• remove from the kingdom dead chief guard of the god Hades - the three-headed dog Cerberus and deliver him to Tiryns.

In fact, Hercules was famous not only for these exploits; he had many valiant deeds behind him, with which the legends and myths of Ancient Greece are full.

How did Hercules get to Olympus?

One day, while defending his wife Dejanira from a centaur named Nessus, he killed him with a poisoned arrow. Nessus, dying, inspired the wife of Hercules that his blood had the properties of a love potion.

Deianira, terribly jealous of her husband for another girl, saves some of the deceased’s blood for herself, and subsequently soaks her shirt and gives it to her husband.

The blood of the centaur causes Hercules unbearable torment, and he literally steps into the fire, from where Zeus takes him. So Hercules became a god.

Hercules is a forced hero, a demigod who was able to get to Olympus, a victim of politics, intrigue and Zeus’s thirst to maintain power.

Name: Hercules

A country: Greece

Creator: ancient greek mythology

Activity: hero, demigod

Family status: married

Hercules: character story

Ancient Greek mythology is filled with stories of great conquerors, brave warriors and romantic heroes. In the series of divine daredevils, the son, Hercules, especially stands out. The exploits of a man are retold from generation to generation for many centuries, and the masculinity of a brave man evokes admiration even among modern emancipated girls.

History of creation

It is impossible to find out the author of the myths about the ancient Greek demigod. Like any folk art, the legend of Hercules was formed and grew with the help of a large number of people. It is known for certain that Pausanias also made a significant contribution to the spread of legends.

Literary analysis and processing of the works of ancient philosophers allowed Nikolai Kun to release a collection of stories “Myths of Ancient Greece”, which details the life of the great hero.

The appearance of the future god attracts attention. The young man grew head and shoulders above those around him (according to other sources, he is short). Hercules is a brunette with a curly beard. The brave man's eyes glow with a special divine light. A physically developed daredevil is endowed with incredible strength and power.

The character of Hercules is characterized by waywardness and hot temper. Already during his studies, the young man, in a fit of anger, killed his teacher with the hated lyre. The peculiarity of the son of Zeus is hidden madness. Under the pressure of this feeling, Hercules will kill his own children and wife in the future.

The ancient Greeks justified the behavior of their beloved hero by the act of Hera. Zeus's wife, tormented by jealousy, sent mental illness to the demigod. However, Hera often put a spoke in the wheels of the young hero.

The beginning of the legend about the great warrior and brave man is counted from the moment of his birth. The head of Olympus was captivated by the beauty of Princess Alcmena and, reincarnated as her husband, visited the woman. The son of the god Zeus and Alcmene is one of the twins. The future hero's younger brother was conceived by the princess's legitimate husband. The boys received sonorous names - Alcides and Iphiclon. Later, the eldest son, at the insistence of the great seer, will be renamed Hercules.

Inspired by the birth of a descendant, Zeus promises that the firstborn of the Perseus family will rule over all relatives:

“Listen, gods and goddesses, to what I tell you: my heart tells me to say this! Will be born today great hero; he will rule over all his relatives who descend from my son, the great Perseus.”

Hera, the jealous wife of Zeus, uses a spell to hasten the birth of another child. Now Hercules, who was born second in the family of Perseus, must serve Prince Eurystheus. To make amends for his arrogance and long tongue, Zeus negotiates with the gods about a small concession for his son. Hercules must perform 12 labors for the ruler, and then Eurystheus will free his relative from captivity.

Many years later, the matured hero succumbs to another attack of madness and kills his beloved wife, children and younger brother. To atone for his guilt, the son of Zeus went to serve Eurystheus.

Twelve Labors of Hercules

The wanderings of Hercules begin with the destruction of the Nemean lion. A huge monster destroyed all life around the city of Nemea. The hero tried to kill the lion with an arrow, but the weapon bounced off the animal’s skin. The son of Zeus had to strangle the lion with his bare hands. In honor of the first feat, Hercules established the Nemean Games. Eurystheus was horrified when he realized all the strength and power of his relative. Now Hercules is forbidden to approach the ruler's house.

The second feat of the daredevil was murder Lernaean Hydra. The monster had several heads, where each of them was cut down, two new ones grew. The long confrontation ended with the victory of Hercules. The warrior used the poison oozing from the hydra's rads for his arrows. From now on, every shot from the demigod is fatal.

The third task was the Stymphalian Birds. The hero's half-sister, Athena, helped him deal with the birds, whose feathers and claws were made of bronze. The goddess provided the brother with a special tool that made noise. The birds soared into the sky, and the brave man shot the monsters. Those who survived left Greece forever and never returned.

The fourth feat is the Kerynean doe, which devastated the fields. The frantic brave man chased the animal around the world for a year, but could not catch up with the beast. Then Hercules wounded the doe in the leg. This act angered the doe’s owner, the goddess Artemis. The hero had to humbly ask for forgiveness from his sister:

"ABOUT, great daughter Latons, don't blame me! I did not pursue your doe of my own free will, but at the command of Eurystheus.”

The fifth order of the ruler of Mycenae was the killing of the Erymanthian boar. Having found his prey in the middle of the forest, the daredevil screamed and drove the boar into the mountains. They managed to tie up the huge monster stuck in the snow. Hercules delivered the trophy to the castle to the ruler alive, which caused a great commotion.

The next task was clearing the Augean stables. Augeas, the son of the god Helios, owned a huge herd. To clear the rubble, Hercules broke the walls of the stable and directed the river beds there. The water washed away all the manure from Augeas’s premises and yard.

The seventh assignment for the son of Zeus was the Cretan bull. Eurystheus wanted to take possession of the bull, which Poseidon sent to Crete for a bad offering. The ancient Greek hero caught and tamed the monster. But the ruler was afraid to leave the bull in his herd. The monster of Poseidon gained freedom and fled to other lands.

The next whim of the cowardly king was the horses of Diomedes. Magnificent animals lived in Thrace. Horses were fed only human meat for many years. Diomedes did not want to part with his wealth, and a great fight took place. Hercules emerged victorious from the battle. Eurystheus did not want to keep the horses for himself and released them into the wild. Animals were torn to pieces by wild animals in the forests.

The ninth task is the belt of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. The girl happily gave the jewelry to Hercules, but Hera inspired the warlike women that the hero was planning evil:

“Hercules is telling a lie,” Hera said to the Amazons, “he came to you with insidious intent: the hero wants to kidnap your queen Hippolyta and take her as a slave to his home.”

The women rushed to attack, but the great warrior and his friends won. Demigod captured best fighter Hippolytes. The Amazon gave the belt in exchange for the life of her beloved maid.

The tenth task for the hero was the cows of Geryon. The brave man took a long time to reach the secret animal pasture. To steal the herd, Hercules killed the two-headed dog Ortho and the giant Eurytion. On way back Hera sent rabies into the herd. The hero had to chase the cows for a long time, who did not want to leave their homes.

The penultimate feat of the courageous brave man was the abduction of Cerberus. Having descended into the kingdom of the dead, Hercules begged permission to fight the monster. If the hero wins, he will take creepy dog with myself. Hades, the ruler of Cerberus, did not believe that the demigod would defeat his dog and gave permission. But the son of Zeus completed the task.

The final task for Hercules is the golden fruits of the Hesperides. Anyone who touches the magic apples will become equal to the gods. But only the titan Atlant can pick the magic fruits. By cunning, Hercules persuaded the powerful creature to pick the apples and give them to him. The son of Zeus brought fruit to his master. Only Eurystheus did not need gifts. The king suffered that for 12 years he could not destroy the famous hero.

Film adaptations

The myths of ancient Greece are fertile ground for film adaptation. The film about the adventures of the demigod was first released in 1957. the main role went to actor and bodybuilder Steve Reeves. The Italian film tells the story of the search for the Golden Fleece and does not touch upon the main mythology. The audience liked the film, so it received a sequel - “The Labors of Hercules: Hercules and the Queen of Lydia.”

In 1970, the role of the hero went to another bodybuilder -. The film "Hercules in New York" tells about the adventures of the character in modern America. The film became the future governor's film debut.

The athletic character attracts many bodybuilders. In the film, directed by Luigi Cozzi in 1983, Lou Ferrigno played the same role. The bodybuilder character enters into a confrontation with King Minos. In two years film crew filmed a sequel to the film.

The next appearance of the Greek hero was the television musical film “The Cheerful Chronicle of a Dangerous Journey,” which was filmed in the USSR. , the director of the film, showed the audience his view of the adventures of the Argonauts. The role of the son of Zeus was performed by Roman Rtskhiladze.

In 1995, the first full-fledged series about Hercules appeared. The image of the main character was brought to life. The actors and the roles they played glorified the work of the ancient Greeks. The serial film is a free interpretation of myths that affect many deities and heroes.

At the same time, Hercules, performed by Kevin Sorbo, appeared in another epic. "Xena: Warrior Princess", released simultaneously with the adventures of the demigod, was in great demand. The producers had to close the film, which tells the story of the confrontation between Hercules and the forces of evil.

The year 2005 was marked by a new film adaptation of the difficult heroic life of the Greek. This time the main role went to Paul Telfer. The fantasy, which tells the story of the 12 exploits of a heroic demigod, went unnoticed by most at the worldwide box office.

The 2014 film “Hercules: The Beginning of the Legend” achieved a different result. The actors, including (the leading actor) received nominations for the Golden Raspberry - an award glorifying the worst films of our time.

In the same year, another film was released, telling about ancient Greek character. The film "Hercules" is an adaptation of the comic book "Hercules: The Thracian Wars" by Steve Moore. The main role went to the hereditary wrestler.

Except full-length films and TV series, the brave man from myths appears in computer games, musical works and cartoons.

• It was not horses that were kept in the stables of King Augius. Bulls and goats lived in a neglected building.
• The name of the hero in Greece is Hercules, the Romans called the same character Hercules.
• The demigod died due to the fault of his wife, who was jealous of her husband’s slave.
• The city seal of Florence is decorated with the image of the famous Hercules.
• The Greek hero died at the age of 52.
• The main attributes of the demigod are the skin of a lion and a wooden club.

Quotes

“I don’t remember such love on faces since Narcissus looked in the mirror.”

“If the waves are carrying us in one direction, then maybe we shouldn’t resist them.”

“Goodness conceals great power!”

“History is a chronicle of wars, and wars are chronicles of suffering, written with the tears of mothers.”

“The gods are generous with events, but stingy with details.”

Hercules is a hero, the son of Zeus and mortal woman Alcmene.

Alcmene was the wife of the Tirinthian king Amphitryon. While he was away for another war, Zeus took his form and appeared to Alcmene. While they lasted the wedding night, the sun did not rise above the ground for three days. Upon the return of her husband, Alcmene gave birth to two sons at the same time - Iphicles from her husband and Hercules from Zeus.

On the birthday of Hercules, Zeus swore that the baby from his descendants, who would appear on this day, would rule over Mycenae and neighboring nations. Jealousy struck Hera, she delayed the birth of Alcmene and accelerated the birth of Nikippa, who was the wife of the Mycenaean king Sthenel, by two months. As a result, on this day the son of Sthenel, the grandson of Perseus and the great-grandson of Zeus Eurystheus was born. It was he who received power over the Peloponnese.

Hera sent two monstrous snakes to the cradle of Hercules and Iphicles. However, the baby Hercules managed to strangle them. According to another version of the myth, Zeus or Athena tricked Hera into breastfeeding Hercules. However, the baby sucked with such force that Hera had to throw him away, and the Milky Way arose from the drops of milk.

Hercules had the most amazing teachers - the wise centaur Chiron, Autolycus, Eurytus, Castor. They trained a hero various arts, wrestling, archery. Lin taught Hercules how to play the cithara. However, Lin himself died from this cithara. One day he had to punish Hercules, and he, in a fit of anger, killed Linus with a blow from the cithara. Amphitryon was frightened by such strength and the hot temper of Hercules. He had to send him to Mount Cithaeron to the shepherds. When Hercules turned 18 years old, it was there that he killed the lion of Cithaeron, which was devastating the entire area. When Hercules was about to hunt a lion, King Thespius warmly received him for 50 days.

When Hercules was returning from a hunt, he met the heralds of Ergin, the king of neighboring Orkhomenes. They demanded tribute from the Thebans. Hercules, without hesitation, cut off their noses, ears and hands and ordered them to be taken to Ergin instead of tribute. It didn’t matter to Ergin either: the war began. In this war, Hercules killed Ergin and put his army to flight, but Amphitryon, who fought with his son, also died. As a reward for victory, the Theban king Creon gave his wife to Hercules eldest daughter Megara. Soon they had children. Hera’s hostility made itself felt here too: she sent Hercules mad, in a fit of which he killed his children, as well as his brother Iphicles.

When Hercules came to his senses, he went into exile. In Delphi, he turned to God to ask where he should settle. The oracle called him to bear the name Hercules (before that he was Alcides) and ordered him to settle in Tiryns. There, Hercules must serve Eurystheus for 12 years and perform 10 labors. After this he will become immortal. Hercules carried out the orders of Eurystheus, and instead of 10 he performed 12 of his famous feats.

Interesting to know: It is worth noting that the order of feats is different for many authors:

1. Strangulation of the Nemean Lion.
2. Killing of the Lernaean Hydra.
3. Extermination of Stymphalian birds.
4. Capture of the Keryneian fallow deer.
5. Taming of the Erymanthian boar and the battle with the centaurs.
6. Cleaning the Augean stables.
7. Taming of the Cretan bull.
8. Victory over King Diomedes (he threw foreigners to be devoured by his horses).
9. The theft of the belt of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons.
10. The theft of the cows of the three-headed giant Geryon.
11. The theft of golden apples from the Garden of the Hesperides.
12. Taming the guard of Hades - the dog Cerberus.

A large number of myths about the further fate of Hercules tell mainly not about victories over monsters, but about military campaigns, the capture of cities, the birth of numerous children, whose descendants reigned in various Greek city-states.