Death of Hercules and his ascension to Olympus. Hercules (Heraclius, Alcides, Hercules), the greatest hero of Greek myths and legends, the son of Zeus Death of Hercules summary

For many years Hercules lived in Trakhin with his wife and children, but he could not keep up with his previous way of life and constantly wandered to different countries: he would go to punish someone, then - to help someone out, save him from death. So he finally went with his army on a campaign against Evryta, who once expelled him in disgrace from his home. A year and another five months had passed since the departure of Hercules, and Deianira had no news of him and did not know where he was and what had become of him. In the old days, when the hero went to some enterprise, he left home cheerful and cheerful, confident that he would soon return victorious, and Deianira parted with him without any care or sorrow; this time, from the very departure of her husband, she was constantly tormented and tormented by fear of his fate. And the hero himself was embarrassed by a sad foreboding of something unkind. He left his wife a tablet on which was inscribed the prediction of the Dodona oracle, who had once predicted: if someday Hercules stays in a foreign land, away from his home, for more than a year and three months, he will either die, or if it does not happen to him in this time of no misfortune - he, returning under the roof of his house, will spend the rest of his life peacefully and carelessly, among people close to him. Believing the oracle's prediction, Hercules divided in advance between his children the land that was the property of their ancestors, and determined which part of his property should inherit Deianir.

Tormented by longing, Deianira communicated all her fears to her eldest son, Gill, and instilled in him the idea of ​​going in search of his father himself. While Gill was about to set off, one of his slaves hastily approached the house of Hercules and told Deianira that her husband was alive and would soon return home crowned with victory. The slave heard this outside the city from the mouth of Lichas, sent by Hercules to inform Deianira the good news of his return. The fact that the messenger has not yet appeared before Deianira is due to the joy and curiosity of the people, who surrounded him in tight crowds and demanded from him the most accurate and detailed information about all the adventures that happened with Hercules.

Hercules kills Evryta and his sons. Painting on an antique vase

Finally, Lichas himself comes with good news. Hercules destroyed the enemy strongholds and put to death the arrogant king with all his children; this is how the hero Evryta punished for the insult he once inflicted on his guest. Hercules sent with Lichas Deianira the best of the captives taken in the last war; he himself remained on the banks of Euboea, near Mount Keneyskaya - here he intended to bring, on a vow, a solemn sacrifice to Zeus in gratitude for the granted victory. Deianira looks with sadness and compassion at the captives, at these unfortunate virgins who no longer have either clan or fatherland, doomed to eternal slavery in a foreign land. Of all the crowd of captives, one especially attracts the attention of Deianira with her marvelous beauty and regal appearance. "Unhappy," Deianira said, turning to her, "how sorry I am for you, how hard your bitter fate is! Tell me who you are and who are your parents? Your appearance shows that you come from a noble family. Who is she, Lichas? Tell me me; the unfortunate woman can only cry, and I do not want to poison the sorrows of her heart with questions. She is not from the blood of Evryta? " - "How can I know this," Lichas answered with a sly air, "I do not know her name or origin; she must be from some famous family." Deianira did not ask any more and ordered that the captives be taken to the house and treated with humanity.

Barely had time to leave Lichas with the captives brought - the slave who was the first to bring her the news of the arrival of a messenger from Hercules approached Deianira, and began to speak such speeches: “Do not believe the messenger sent to you from your husband: he is hiding the truth from you. , from his lips, in the presence of many witnesses, I heard that your husband went to war on Evryta because of this maiden, because of her he killed him and destroyed his city. This captive is Iola, daughter of Evryta; Hercules once sought her hands and still cherishes love for her. He did not send her here to make a slave: she will be your husband's concubine. " The slave's speech amazed Deianira: she did not soon regain consciousness. She summoned Likhas, who was already on his way back to Euboea, and began to question him again. "You lied to me when I asked you about the origin and fate of the captive you brought; tell me now the whole truth, without hiding. I know - this is Iola, Hercules loves her. I conjure you great Zeus, do not hide the truth from me. Or do you think that I can be angry with my husband for the fact that love, dominant over all living, won his heart too? Or do you consider me capable of hating this unfortunate maiden who has never done me anything wrong? I looked at her with sadness and compassion; beauty she was ruined by her happiness and plunged into slavery of her homeland! " Lichas finally discovered the truth and added that until now he had not spoken the truth because he was afraid to embarrass the queen. Outwardly calm Deianira sent Lichas away from herself and told him to postpone leaving for Euboea: in gratitude for the captives sent to her, she wanted to send Hercules a gift of her work.

Deianira's heart was overwhelmed with grief. From that time on, she no longer possessed the undivided love of Hercules, she was no more complete mistress in his house; she had a rival - a young, blooming beauty, and Deianira was already close to the time when beauty begins to fade and fade: how could she not be afraid that she would soon have to be the wife of Hercules only by name, and his love would turn to another ? Couldn't bear this Deianir. And now she remembered the talisman given to her once by Nessus, and she gladly took up this means, which, as she believed, would return her husband's love forever to her. She takes out the magic ointment that she has kept secret for so long, away from the fire and daylight, and with this ointment she rubs the splendid garment that she has appointed as a gift to her husband. Having carefully folded the clothes, she put them in a drawer and gave them to Likhas. "Take these clothes to my spouse - this is my gift to him, I worked it myself. So that no mortal touches her, so that neither a ray of the sun, nor the glitter of fire touches her - until Hercules, clothed in her, will come solemnly, before all the people, to the altar of the gods and will not offer my sacrifice on it. Such was my vow - to make him magnificent clothes by the time he, after returning from the war, will appear before the altar of the gods to offer a thanksgiving sacrifice. This gift is from my hands - let this seal, which I will seal the sent casket, convince him of. " Lichas promised to exactly fulfill the orders of his mistress and hastened to Euboea; carefree and full of joyful hopes, Deianira began to wait for her husband's return.

Deianira's calm was only briefly, and her joy soon gave way to great sorrow. When Deianira accidentally entered the room where she was preparing clothes for her husband, she did not find woolen cotton with which she rubbed the fabric with magic ointment; This cotton, as though it was no longer needed, she threw on the floor: the wool, warmed by the rays of the sun, decayed and disintegrated into dust; in the place where the cotton lay, some kind of poisonous and foamy moisture swelled and hissed. Doubt and fear took possession of Deianira's soul: what misfortune would not have happened to Hercules from her gift! And could a centaur give her good advice - the same centaur who because of her was put to death by her husband? In embarrassment, with longing in her heart, she waited for the news of her husband.

Suddenly Gill appears, who, not being able to wait at home for his father's arrival, went to him on Euboea; Gill brought terrible news to the embarrassed Deianira.

"Oh, mother!" He exclaimed, full of anger and horror. - "What did you say, my son! - exclaimed Deianira. - Who convinced you that I am the culprit of the misfortune?" “I didn’t hear from others, I saw it myself, with my own eyes,” the young man continued. “I arrived at my father at a time when he, having erected many altars to Zeus at the foot of Kenon, was preparing to begin the solemn sacrifice. At the same time, I arrived. to Euboea and Lichas with your gift, with deadly clothes. The father rejoiced at the expensive gift and, at your request, put on the clothes sent to him and in it began to make the sacrifice. raised his hands to heaven, his body was suddenly covered with terrible sweat, all his bones shook: as if he had been struck by the sting of a poisonous echidna. poison clothes? this slave by the leg and in a wild insane rage hit him on the coastal rock; the waves engulfed the disfigured corpse of the unfortunate man. All those present at this terrible event let out a cry of condolences about the fate of the deceased slave, and no one dared to approach the raging Hercules. He was then bent to the ground, then thrown high up, and he uttered terrible screams and groans: and these groans were echoed by the echo of the mountains. When, finally, exhausted from pain, he fell and, rolling on the ground, began to loudly curse the marriage with you, the marriage that brought him premature death, his gaze accidentally fell on me: shedding bitter tears, I stood not far from him. "Come to me, my son!" - he said to me, - do not leave me in difficult times; take me away from this country, do not let me die in a foreign land! "Then we carried him to a ship and sailed with him to the shores of Hellas; the path for the sufferer was difficult: tormented by terrible torment, he trembled and continually uttered groans and screams. Soon the ship will arrive. and, perhaps, you will see the unfortunate man still alive; but most likely he has already given up his ghost. Mother! Your business; may the vengeful Erinias punish you: the best of the husbands of Hellas died an inglorious death from you. "

Deianira did not say a word in response to her son's reproaches. Struck by grief and despair, she silently retired to the inner chambers and wandered for a long time like a shadow around the empty house, finally, sobbing, threw herself on the bed, unfastened the gold buckles on her clothes, untied her belt and bared her chest. One of the maids, who followed Deianira into the interior of the house and watched her actions, seeing what her mistress was thinking, was horrified and rushed to call her son to her. When Gill and the maid entered Deianira's bedchamber, they found her already lifeless, floating in blood: with a double-edged sword she struck herself in the chest and thrust that sword to the very heart. Shedding bitter tears, the son threw himself on the corpse of his mother and grieved bitterly that he had so thoughtlessly accused her of a terrible crime; later, he already learned from the household about how Deianira was deceived by the insidious centaur and how she became the involuntary cause of Hercules' death.

Gill was also covering his mother's corpse with kisses, when the steps of some strangers were heard in the yard. These were the people who brought Hercules to the bed. Gill's groanings awakened him from oblivion, and again he began to be tormented by unbearable torment. “Where are you, my son?” Hercules exclaimed. “Have pity on me, take a sword and thrust it into my chest; save me from torment! Oh, ungrateful children of Hellas! Will none of you put an end to my torment with a sword or fire? And how much I have suffered, how many deeds I have accomplished, how many labors I have endured for the good of Hellas! Look, these are the hands with which I mastered the Nemean lion and the Lernaean hydra, with which I fought against the giants and the dog of Hades; where is my former neo-challenge power? my muscles, the blood in my veins dried up and the brain in my bone dried up! And it was not the spear of an armed enemy that struck me, not the army of giants, not the monster of the desert - the hand of a woman ruined me. Oh, bring her, my son! I will strike her with a terrible execution ! "

Death of Hercules at the funeral pyre. Painting by G. Reni, 1617-1619

Then Gill told his father what he had only recently learned from the household: Deianira's guilt was involuntary, she was seduced by the centaur, who, before her death, gave her an imaginary talisman - blood from her wound mixed with the poison of the Lernaean hydra; With this magic, bewitching ointment, she rubbed the clothes sent to her husband, believing that by this means she would again attract his love to herself. The son's story softened the hero's anger, and he saw that his end was near: the oracle once predicted that none of the living would ever take Hercules' life - only the dead could kill him. Only then did the hero understand this fortune-telling. Having hastily betrothed his son Gill to Iola, he ordered himself to be carried to the top of Eta: he wanted to die on this mountain, and not in another place. Here, on his orders, a huge bonfire was erected; Hercules lay down on the fire and asked his son and everyone around him to light the fire. No one, however, dared to comply with the request. Then Philoctetus, a friend of Hercules, the ruler of the neighboring region, approached the fire; convinced by the hero Philoctetes agreed to light a fire and as a reward for this he received the deadly arrows of Hercules who did not know the miss. When the fire flared up, its flame was intensified by the lightning that struck it; a thick cloud descended from the sky, and Hercules, shaded by a cloud, with the rolling of thunder, was delighted to the top of Olympus: the flame devoured the hero's mortal, mortal nature, and he, deified and already immortal, ascended into the dwelling of the gods. On Olympus, the transformed hero was perceived by Pallas Athena and led him to her father Zeus and to Hera, who had persecuted Hercules throughout his arduous earthly life, but now she was reconciled with him. Zeus and Hera combined the deified Hercules with their daughter Hebe, eternally young and eternally beautiful, and Hebe gave birth to Hercules two divine sons: Aniket and Alexiada, "invincible" and "averter of troubles."

Hercules is a hero with remarkable strength and a lion's heart. Defender ordinary people, assistant to them. The son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene, he was famous for his kindness. Every schoolchild knows the legends about.

Heroes do not last forever, and this mighty warrior was no exception. How did Hercules die? Let's talk about this below.

The birth of a hero

Before turning to the question of why Hercules died, let us recall his life on earth.

The son of the Greek supreme God Zeus and an ordinary woman named Alcmene. Legend has it that the husband of the beautiful Alcmene was the brother of the king of Argoss. And this beautiful young man bore the name Amphitryon. As soon as he saw the girl, he was so struck by her beauty that he immediately forgot about everything in the world. And he went to the house of the beauty, to her parents, to ask for the hand and heart of a young person.

Alcmene's parents did not oppose the desire of the young man of royal blood. And they gave their daughter for him. The newlyweds were happy. And only one circumstance darkened their lives. Amphitryon was an avid hunter and often left his young wife alone in their house.

On one of these days, when Alcmene was longing for her husband, being in the house, he drew attention to the beautiful Zeus. And then he wanted to make her his wife. He began to appear in dreams, persuading him to stop loving his husband-hunter. The young woman did not give in to persuasion, for her heart belonged only to Amphitryon. And then Zeus drove all the forest animals into the forests, where the husband of the rebellious beauty so often hunted. Amphitryon, like a passionate hunter, rushed there, and Zeus, assuming his form, visited Alcmene.

After the allotted time, Hercules was born -

Feats

How did Hercules die? On the next feat? Not at all. But we will return to this a little later. Now let's talk about the feats performed by this mythical character.

The offspring of the giant Typhon and the monster with the female head of Echidna. The lion was huge and very scary. However, Hercules was able to strangle the monster with his bare hands.

Sister of the Nemean lion, half-blood. It was distinguished by the fact that it had several heads, including an immortal one. The son of Zeus cut off the heads of the monster, burned the wounds with fire. The victory was his.

Stymphalian birds. The birds were distinguished by the fact that they had bronze feathers and claws. If not for the help of Athena - the half-sister of Hercules - the latter would have had a hard time. The goddess of a wise and just war provided the hero with a special weapon that made a fuss. After the birds soared into the air, the demigod safely shot them.

Kerinean fallow deer. A favorite of Artemis, wreaking havoc on the fields. To no avail, Hercules drove the animal through the forests and fields. Then the hero shot her, wounding her in the leg. Than angered the Goddess - the patroness of hunting.

Erymanthian Boar. The son of Alcmene and Zeus took the animal alive. Despite the size of the boar, they managed to tie it up and deliver it to the palace of King Eurystheus. Who gave all these unthinkable orders to the hero.

Augean stables. In order to fulfill this order of the king, Hercules had to break down the walls of the stables and direct the river beds there.

Cretan bull. According to myths, Poseidon was angry with the inhabitants of Crete for a bad offering. And he sent a huge, ferocious bull on them. Hercules caught Poseidon's bull and brought him to Eurystheus. After all, it was he who so wanted to own the monster. However, the king was frightened by the fierce animal, and the son of Zeus set the bull free.

Horses of Diomedes. Lovely animals. But only - from the view. These cute horses ate human meat. To get the animals, the hero had to engage in battle with their rightful owner. Hercules won, but the fate of the horses was sad. The cowardly king, who dreamed of getting them, did not dare to leave the cannibals in his herd. They were set free and torn apart by wild beasts.

We are all about exploits and exploits. And when will we come to the answer to the question of how Hercules died? This secret will be revealed very soon. In the meantime, briefly about the 9th feat. Hippolyta's Belt - Queen of the Amazons. The beautiful Amazon parted with him voluntarily, giving it to Hercules.

Geryon's cows. To get the herd, our hero had to fight a giant and a two-headed dog. Naturally, both of them were defeated. Hercules got the herd, but thanks to Hera, he then gathered animals for a long time in the fields. The evil stepmother of the hero tried and sent rabies to the cows.

The abduction of Cerberus. To accomplish this feat and the whim of King Eurystheus, Hercules had to overcome the three-headed dog. And with the permission of its owner - Aida. The latter did not believe that his nephew would defeat the dog. And in vain.

Golden fruits of the Hesperides. Apples that give immortality. And this assignment was carried out by a brave hero. But the tsar did not need apples, he longed to destroy the hero. And Eurystheus failed.



It would seem that the life of a hero is one continuous interesting fact... Indisputably. But there are others about which little is known. And this is not the death of Hercules, although it is also not particularly mentioned in mythology.

In all myths, the son of Zeus and Alcmene is glorified as a good hero. But there is an opinion that Hercules had an explosive character. And was prone to speaking in modern language, attacks of schizophrenia. Therefore, he killed his entire family: his wife with three children.

According to myths, the hero was tall. With dark hair and curly beard. According to other sources, Hercules is short and densely built.

The Augean stables were a stable. Why? Because they contained a huge number of bulls, not horses.

One of Greece's greatest heroes died at the age of 52. So we got to the main point - how Hercules died. The answer to this question is in the next subsection.



Death of the son of Zeus

The hero died at the hands of his own wife, no matter how wild it sounds. And the myths tell that this was the case. Hercules and Deianira crossed a raging and dangerous river. A centaur named Nessus volunteered to transfer the woman. And then he desired her. Naturally, Hercules was indignant, and a fight ensued. The son of Zeus killed the insolent man, but he lied to Deianira before his death. He said that his blood could be used as a love potion. Although she was poisoned. Deianira collects the centaur's blood, and this seems to be the end of the matter.

No matter how it is. The wife was jealous of the son of Zeus for the beautiful Iola. And she sent him clothes soaked in the blood of Nessus. The hero put on a tunic, and the poison caused him terrible torment. To avoid them, the man threw himself into the fire.

According to another version, his death occurred at the age of 50. Hercules committed suicide after discovering that he could not draw the string of his bow. Therefore, why Hercules actually died is not known.

Conclusion

Heroes die too. And sometimes a completely inglorious death. However, the memory of them lives on thanks to perfect deeds.

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

How Hercules was born, he is Alcides, he is Hercules (in Italy)

Surely, many will now remember that the father of our hero was Zeus (the supreme god from Mount Olympus in Greek mythology), and my mother is a simple mortal woman Alcmena.

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

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

The offended Gaia 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 at the sky, so they were angry. Then Zeus's wife Hera and the goddesses of fate told the rest of the gods that the titans can only be defeated with the help of a mortal hero.

Then Zeus realized that he needed a demigod son who would help 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 is in a state of timelessness. So Hercules was conceived.

Time passed, and on the night of the birth of our hero, angry with her husband's betrayal, Hera makes Zeus take an oath that the baby from the Perseus clan born that night will become the supreme king.

Zeus is sure that Hercules will become him, but Hera turns out to be more cunning - he slows down Alcmene's childbirth. On that night, the first cousin of our hero Eurystheus is born. Then Zeus has to conclude a new agreement with the Hero.

Hercules will obey Eurystheus until he completes 10 (!) Feats. After the demigod fulfills the terms of the contract, he will become both free and immortal. On this and agreed.

You can often find the myth that, as a baby, Hercules killed two snakes. According to one version, Hera sent them to kill him. According to another, they were planted by Alcmene's husband in order to understand which of the children is still a demigod.

Hercules grew up, matured, married, but Hera still has not forgiven her husband's betrayal. She sends madness to her husband's hated son, in which he is all his family and his brother's children. Waking up and realizing what he had done, Hercules goes to the oracle, who sends him to his brother - to atone for the deeds committed by exploits.

In fact, our hero had only 10 feats, but the king did not accept 2 of them, so Hercules was forced to do 2 more, thus, and 12 came out.

The sequence of his exploits varies in different sources, but among them was a completely unarmed fight with the Nemean lion, and a deft victory over the Lernaean hydra, and the expulsion of the Stymphalian birds with terrifying metal plumage.

The exploits of Hercules also included:

1. Catching the Kerinean fallow deer.
2. the baptism of the dire Erymanth boar.
3. Cleaning of manure from the stables of King Avgius.
4. Confronting the Cretan bull, who was the father of the famous Minotaur.

And Hercules was also able to:

• to subjugate the cannibalistic mares of Tsar Diodemus;
• steal the belt from the main Amazon, Hippolyta;
• to kidnap and bring to Mycenae the cows, which he took from the three-headed giant Geryon;
• get golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides;
• to bring the main guardian of the god Hades, the three-headed dog Cerberus, out of the realm of the dead, and deliver him to Tiryns.

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

How did Hercules end up on Olympus

Once he, protecting his wife Deianira from a centaur named Nessus, killed him with a poisoned arrow. Nessus, dying, inspired the wife of Hercules that his blood has the properties of a love potion.

Deianira, who is terribly jealous of her husband for another girl, keeps a little of the deceased's blood for herself, and then impregnates her shirt and gives it to her husband.

The blood of the centaur inflicts unbearable torment on Hercules, 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 for power.

Hercules' last two exploits were the most difficult. Before he had time to return to his place in Tiryns, Eurystheus gave him another task. He ordered him to bring golden apples from the magic garden of the Hesperides.
An apple tree with golden fruits grew in this garden - it was presented by Gaia, the goddess of the Earth, to her daughter Hera on the day of her wedding with Zeus. The Hesperides were the daughters of the titan Atlas, who held the firmament on his shoulders. The garden of the Hesperides was guarded by the hundred-headed dragon Ladon.
Using cunning, Hercules managed to deceive the mighty Atlanta and, with his help, get the golden apples.

The last, twelfth feat was accomplished by Hercules when Eurystheus sent the hero to the kingdom of the dead Hades to deliver him the terrible three-headed dog Cerberus, guarding the entrance to the underworld. Instead of hair, this dog had snakes wriggling on its body, and at the end of its tail there was a snake head with a huge mouth.
Eurystheus was already rejoicing in advance:

This time, Hercules will not return alive!

Hercules went to the dark kingdom of Hades and reached its gates. But he did not want to kidnap Cerberus from the god Hades, who was the brother of Zeus, and decided to ask him to give him up. Hercules descended into the underworld, where night always reigned, and went to his ruler Hades.
Seeing Hercules in a lion's skin, with a huge club, the shadows of the dead scattered in horror, and only one of them approached the hero. It was the shadow of his friend, the hero Meleager.

O great Hercules! When you return to the world of the living, in memory of our friendship, take my sister Deianira as your wife!

Hercules promised to fulfill the request of a friend and went on. Finally, he appeared before the throne of Hades.

What brings you to the kingdom of darkness, Hercules?

Oh great Hades! I did not come here of my own free will, and I am not willing to ask you ...

Hades knew that Hercules was serving Eurystheus at the behest of the Olympian gods, and said:

Kerber will be yours if you can tame him without a weapon.

Hercules found the dog, which was sitting on a chain at the gates of the underworld, and grabbed him by the neck. The dog howled menacingly and began to break free from the mighty hands of Hercules, fighting back with its tail and biting into his body with snake teeth. But the dog could not resist and fell at the feet of Hercules, half strangled.

Hercules led Cerberus to the gates of Mycenae. Eurystheus almost died of fear when he saw a terrible three-headed dog, from whose mouths poisonous foam was dripping. He shouted in horror:

Take him back to Hades!

Hercules returned the dog to the kingdom of the dead.

Having completed twelve labors, Hercules received the forgiveness of the gods and went to wander the world. He reached Calydon, a city in Aetolia, where the beautiful Deianira, the sister of his deceased friend Meleager, lived.
Remembering the promise made to a friend in underworld, Hercules began to ask the king Calydon for the hand of his daughter Deianira. But it turned out that among many of her suitors was the river god Aheloy, and Deianira had already been promised to him.
No one dared to compete with the immortal god who could turn into a bull, a spotted serpent and a man with a bull's head. She was not happy with the bridegroom Deianira, who was gripped with fear at the sight of a giant with a shaggy beard, on which streams of water constantly flowed down.

Hercules entered into battle with the bull-headed Acheloy. Like two mighty bulls, they fought with each other and stood firm like heavy rocks. He pressed Hercules Acheloy to the ground, but he slipped out of his hands, turning into a snake.

Even in the cradle I strangled a snake! - Hercules laughed and, like iron tongs, grabbed the snake by the neck.

Then Aheloy turned into a bull, but Hercules grabbed him by both horns and threw him to the ground so that he broke one horn. The disgraced Aheloy had to surrender.

Having married Deianir, Hercules went with her to Tiryns. On the way, they came to the stormy river Even. On the shore, they saw the centaur Nessus, who offered to transport Deianira to the other side for a small fee. Hercules put Deianira on a centaur, and he himself set off to swim across the river.
But Nessus turned the other way and tried to kidnap Deianira. Hearing the screams of his wife, Hercules grabbed his bow and shot a poisoned arrow at the kidnapper. Blood gushed from the wound, mixed with the poison of the Lernaean hydra.

Dying, the centaur Nessus said to Deianira:

I didn't mean to hurt you! I want to give you some advice: Collect my blood and save it. She will help you keep Hercules' love forever. If he ever stops loving you, rub his clothes with my blood - and no woman will be dearer to him than you!

Several years passed, and Deianira learned that Hercules was going to marry a beautiful young girl. Resentment squeezed Deianira's heart. And then she remembered what Ness had once told her.
She took out the vessel in which she kept the centaur's blood, rubbed Hercules' tunic with it, put it in the chest and sent it with the messenger to her husband:

Let him wear it when he sacrifices to Zeus!

But as soon as Hercules put on this tunic, it seemed to have grown to his body, and a terrible poison began to burn him. Mad with pain, Hercules tried to tear off his clothes, but the blood was already boiling and the poison penetrated to the bones. Only death could save Hercules from terrible torment.
He asked his friends to take him to the top of the mountain, build a large fire and burn it on it. Heracles spread a lion's skin on top of the woodpile, lay down on it, placing his club under his head, and ordered the fire to be set on fire. This is how the great Hercules perished. But Zeus announced to all the gods:

Hercules will not be touched by death, he will be immortal! - and took him to Olympus.

Hercules, v ancient greek mythology a hero, a demigod with immense strength.

Family and environment

Numerous myths about the further fate of Hercules, after being freed from service, basically boil down not to victories over monsters, but to campaigns, the capture of cities and the birth of numerous children, whose descendants reigned in the city-states of Greece.

Herodotus writes that when Hercules passed through Scythia, he met a half-virgin, half-snake and entered into a marriage with her. The sons from this connection became the ancestors of the Scythians.

Hercules also participated in the campaign of the Argonauts along with Hylas. According to one version, he was not just a participant, but a leader.

Hercules was also placed in the sky as a constellation. There are different versions of which constellation Hercules represents. Or it is the Kneeling, which reflects the victory of the hero over the dragon at the Hesperides. Or Ophiuchus, as he strangled a snake near the Sagaris River in Lydia. Either he became the constellation Gemini along with Theseus or Apollo.

Name, epithets and character

At birth, Hercules was named Alcides. The very name "Hercules" most likely means "the glorified Hero" or "thanks to Hera". This etymology was already known to ancient authors, who tried to reconcile the apparent contradiction between the meaning of the name of Hercules and the hostile attitude of Hera towards him. In different parts of Greece, Hercules was revered under different names. The Eritheans revered him as Hypocton, as he exterminated the worms that eaten away the vine.

Cornopion is revered by the Ethians for ridding them of the locust, which they call "cornopus". In Iberia, his epithet is Pevkei, in Thebes, Blunder.

Another epithet of Hercules is Melampigus, this is also the name of the rock at Thermopylae. According to Hesychius, this epithet means "brave, impudent."

A few more epithets found in different sources are Keraminth, Mekistey, Musaget and Palemon.

The Greeks identified Hercules with the Phoenician patron god of navigation, Melkart, the Celts revered him as the patron saint of writing and the art of the bards. They adhered to the tradition according to which Hercules was an ideological Dactyl, whom they called Ogmius.

The descendants of Hercules were called Heraclides. In Roman mythology, Hercules corresponds to Hercules.

Cult and symbolism

The cult of Hercules was widespread throughout the Greek world, and sacrifices were performed in some cases according to the ritual adopted for the gods, in others - according to the ritual customary for heroes. According to Diodorus, the cult of Hercules, as a god, first appeared in Athens. Hercules was revered as the patron saint of gymnasia, palaestra and term, often as a healer and averter of all troubles. Sometimes he was revered along with Hermes, the patron saint of trade.

Hercules very early became a common Greek hero, and the details of the legends that connected him, probably initially with a certain locality or a Greek tribe, were erased. Nevertheless, all attempts to associate the emergence of the myths of Hercules with one specific place (either with Thebes or with Argos) or to consider Hercules as a specifically Dorian hero turn out to be unconvincing. The exploits of Hercules quite clearly fall into three cultural and historical types: curbing monsters, military exploits of an epic hero, and fighting against God.

In Sicyon, Thebes and other cities, festivities were held in honor of Hercules - Heraclea. They were established to commemorate the death of the hero and were held on the second day of the month of metageutnion (approximately August-September).

In Phocis there was a sanctuary for Hercules the Misogynist, whose priest was not supposed to sleep with a woman for a year.

Ovid writes that the birthday of Hercules was celebrated on the day of the winter solstice, like the birthdays of Zeus, Apollo and other gods. According to Theocritus, Alcmene gave birth to Hercules on the day of the vernal equinox, when the Italians, Babylonians and other peoples celebrated New Year... The fourth day of the month was dedicated to Hercules as the founder of the Olympic Games, he also owned every fourth year.

A temple dedicated to Hercules stood in Thespia, its servant was a virgin priestess. The sanctuary of Hercules the Horse Binder was established in Thebes.

The veneration of Hercules was spread throughout Macedonia, whose kings were venerated by his descendants.

The indispensable attributes of Hercules were the skin of the Nemean lion, which served as his armor, and a club made of oak (or ash, or olive).

In culture and art

Euripides writes about Hercules in the tragedies "Furious Hercules", "Alcestis" and "Heraclides", Sophocles in the tragedy "Trachine women", Pausanias in "Description of Hellas", Hesiod in "Shield of Hercules" and many other authors. The XV anthem of Homer and the XII Orphic hymn are dedicated to him.

The variety of myths about this Hero and the presence of similar characters in the myths of other peoples prompted ancient philologists to think that Hercules was a collective image and several heroes bore this name. The Roman scholar Varro believes that Hercules were 24, and John Lydus numbers 7.

Hercules was portrayed as a child strangling a snake, a youth resting after a feat or performing a feat, a mighty bearded man, armed with a club and dressed in the skin of the Nemean lion he had killed.

From ancient times to modern times, the myths about Hercules never cease to be of interest to writers, sculptors and artists.

Some of the most interesting works in painting are paintings by Paolo Veronese "The Choice of Hercules" (c. 1580), Reni Guido "Hercules and the Hydra of Lernaeus" (1620), Annibale Carracci "The Choice of Hercules" (c. 1596). Francisco de Zurban created a whole series of ten canvases dedicated to exploits, it is interesting that each of his paintings depicts a club, it either lies on the ground and is in the hands of the hero. The symbolist Gustave Moreau illustrated the battles of Hercules with the Lernaean hydra and the Stymphalian birds. The image of the hero was no less popular in the Rococo era, the most interesting work by Francois Boucher "Omphale and Hercules", where the latter appears as a hero-lover surrounded by cupids and a romantic interior. It is not a surprise that the stories about this hero are popular in contemporary art, one of the strangest paintings is the painting by Salvador Dali "Hercules Raises the Surface of the Sea and Asks Venus to Wait to Wake Cupid", written in 1963, what exactly the author wanted to say is not clear at all.

From the works of sculpture, it is worth paying attention to the Farnese sculptor Hercules Lysippos (an ancient Roman copy from the Greek original), Hercules from the Forum of the Bull and Hercules the archer from the pediment of the temple of Athena in Aegina.

Of the famous sculptors of later times, Antonio Pollaiolo "Hercules and Antaeus", "Hercules and Hydra" (1478), Giambologna "Hercules and Antaeus", "Hercules and Nessus" and others, William Brody "Hercules and the firmament "(1850) and so on.

The myths of Hercules also inspired composers Bach, Cavalli, Vivaldi and Saint-Saens.

In modern times

Not many people know that the name Hercule of the character of the famous detective Hercule Poirot of the writer Agatha Christie is the French version of the name "Hercules". And in 1947, she writes the book "The Exploits of Hercules", which is 12 short stories, entitled in honor of some feat, where Poirot solves another riddle.

Hercules or Hercules is often found in modern cinema, as a character in a film, TV series or cartoon. In 1997, the Disney studio even filmed the full-length cartoon "Hercules", and a little later an animated series based on it.

The computer games industry has not spared the Hero either. Here are some of the games where Hercules meets - Rise of the Argonauts, God of War III, Gods of the Arena and others.

In honor of Hercules, one of the largest asteroids of the main belt (532) Herculina was named, discovered on April 20, 1904 by the German astronomer Max Wolf at the Heidenberg Observatory.

A prominent impact crater on the northern side of the moon's visible side is called Hercules. The constellation of the northern hemisphere of the sky, visible throughout Russia, bears the same name, initially it was called "Kneeling", but in the 5th century. BC. The Greeks begin to call him "Hercules". If you connect the stars with dashes, then the constellation looks like a figure of a man who knelt on one knee and raised a club above his head.