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Chapter Fourteen, Lecture One. Heracles. Heracles. Strong man and primitive tough guy But still admired and venerated for “heroism” – dangerous tasks done with physical strength for a good purpose. Heracles.
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Chapter Fourteen, Lecture One Heracles
Heracles • Strong man and primitive tough guy • But still admired and venerated for “heroism” – dangerous tasks done with physical strength for a good purpose
Heracles • Representation of natural world by toting a club…shield and spear were civilized weapons! • Bad manners and behavior
Heracles • BUT he rid the civilized world of dangerous men, animals, and beasts!
Heracles • He was eventually taken to Olympus where he became a god.
Heracles • Alcmena is a decendant of Perseus.
The Birth of Heracles • Pirates kill all but one of Electryon’s sons. • Prepares a campaign against them • Gives Amphitryon Alcmena to watch over • But he and Amphitryon get into a fight and Amphitryon kills him over a herd of cattle. • Amphitryon escapes to Thebes with Alcmena and marries her. • Banished because he shed kindred blood, his uncle
The Birth of Heracles • Alcmena won’t have sex with him until Amphitryon avenges the death of her brothers. • Meanwhile, Zeus sneaks in, disguised as her husband. • Amphitryon comes later. • Thus, there are divine and human seed in her and she gives birth to twins. • Heracles (Alcides) demigod • Iphicles mortal
The Birth of Heracles • Zeus’s boast about Eileithyia delivering a ruler on that day, a descendent of Zeus’ who will rule all surrounding regions • Hera holds up Heracles’ birth and advances Eurystheus’s birth 2 months early • Eurystheus ends up being ruler. Heracles becomes a slave to him • Lucina (Eileithyia) sat outside the birthing room with her legs crossed and fingers crossed to delay Heracles’ birth. • Galanthis pretended he had been born and Lucina stood up thus allowing Alcmena to give birth. Turned into a weasel.
Serpents • Hera sent venomous serpents to kill Heracles, but he grabbed them in his baby fists and strangled them. This is how Amphitryon figured out which son was his and which was Zeus’.
Milky Way • Hera took pity and breast fed Heracles, but he bit her so she threw him from her and Hera’s spurting milk became the Milky Way.
Tutors • Autolycus was King of Thieves and the father of Odysseus. Wrestling tutor for Heracles. • Eurytus was the best archer. Heracles’ tutor on how to shoot a bow and arrow. • Linus was Heracles’ tutor for the lyre. Linus complained about Heracles’ big, clumsy fingers breaking the strings, so Heracles killed him by bashing in his head with the lyre. • Heracles was acquitted of the murder by way of self-defense.
Daughters of Thespius • While hunting a lion, Heracles stayed with Thespius and each night Thespius sent one of his fufty daughters to Heracles’ bed. Heracles thought it was the same woman every night. • Another version: All 50 were sent to him in one night and he slept with all of them thinking they were one woman. • Thus begetting his first 50 children!!
Erignus • He intercepted heralds on their way to collect 100 cattle from Thebes, so he cut off the heralds’ noses and ears, put them on strings around the heralds necks and sent them back to Erginus. • Erginus attacked Thebes, but Heracles armed them with weapons from temples. They won and forced the Minyans to pay twice as much.
Madness and Murder • Married to Megara, daughter of Creon, the new king of Thebes • Driven mad by Hera and kills Megara and their three children: stabbed the first, shot the second with an arrow and then bashed in his head, shot third child and Megara with same arrow. • Athena appeared and hit him in the chest with a rock. He fell into a coma • After consulting at Delphi, as punishment, Heracles must serve Eurystheus, his cousin as a slave.
