Written by: Manaswi Sapkota - 26004, Grade IX
Posted on: 18 January, 2023
Greek mythology is a fascinating part of the history that most people believe in. Most modern time art pieces nowadays are highly inspired by Greek Mythology. Even though these inspirations are subtle and not noticeable, they do still exist. So what does this mythology consist of? Greek mythology consisted of 12 main gods who were known as the Olympian deities. They were Zeus, Hera, Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Hermes and Poseidon. The mythology also consisted of the involvement of the human species and animals. Today’s main topic is Hercules.
Hercules was the son of Zeus. He was a Demi-god who had great strength and courage. Hercules is usually known as the hero in Greek mythology and indeed, that is true as for most people Hercules was a hero. Being a Demi-god never made Hercules’s character arrogant or ignorant. Hercules constantly put himself through hardship and trouble. He was a symbol of hope for normal human beings. He was keen on showing that everyone has to endure pain so no one gets to complain about it. He wanted to assure everyone that bad things would pass by.
Hercules did commit some villainous acts but they weren’t committed when he was conscious of himself. Hercules killed several innocent people due to the manipulation from Goddess Hera. He killed his entire family after being driven mad with bloodlust from Goddess Hera. She despised Hercules for being the son of Zeus. After finally coming to senses thanks to Athena, Hercules felt insanely guilty. He decided to repent his sins by doing 12 labors. These labors were hard and strenuous yet Hercules did them.
Hercules also killed Iphitos, the son of Eurythoes. After finishing his 12 labors Hercules was traveling through the land of Eurythoe. The king challenged him to win an archery match and as a reward he would get one of his daughters. Hercules won but the king went back at his words causing Hercules to leave mad. Right after that 12 of the king's mars were stolen for which Hercules was blamed. Iphitos believed that Hercules was innocent. They were on the top of the castle discussing who they actually were when suddenly Hercules pushed Iphitos off the walls due to bloodlust. Hercules was punished for it with more labors and serving Queen Ompale of Lydia.
The only death that Hercules caused without being under the influence of the Goddess Hera was the death of his teacher Linus. Hercules was quite arrogant as a child and didn’t follow rules. To teach Hercules a lesson Linus decided to punish him, but the plan didn’t work out as Hercules threw the lure at her and it ended her life instantly. Hercules did not realize how much strength he held.
Hercules did feel extremely guilty for all of these deaths. He tried to do everything he could to cleanse himself from this unforgivable sin. Hercules could be considered a hero as most of his crimes were committed with Goddess Hera being the mastermind. He protected human beings from other evils whilst being a Demi god himself. He could be commended for that. Hercules is a hero to many as his crimes, he repented for were due to Goddess Hera.
References: https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/greek-mythology
https://ancientpal.com/is-hercules-a-hero-or-a-villain/
