Hercules and the Nemean Lion (detail), silver plate, 6th century BC (Cabinet des Médailles, Paris). The Nemean lion ( Modern Greek: Λέων της Νεμέας (Léōn tēs Neméas Latin: Leo Nemaeus was a vicious monster in Greek mythology that lived Silver (ˈsɪlvɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol " Ag " (argentum from the Ancient Greek: ἀργήντος - argēntos gen Unglazed platesjpg|thumb|A set of plates before being glazed at a Pottery shop The 6th century BC started the first day of 600 BC and ended the last day of 501 BC. The Cabinet des Médailles, or Cabinet de France, more formally known as Le département des Monnaies Médailles et Antiquités de la Bibliothèque Nationale, is Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city

Hercules is the Roman name for the mythical Greek hero Heracles, son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmena. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC See also Mythology Myth is derived from the Greek word μύθος mythos, which simply means 'story' The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions In Greek mythology, Heracles or Herakles ("glory of Hera " or Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology In Greek mythology, Alcmene or Alcmena ( Greek:) was the mother of Heracles His first wife was Megara and his second wife was Deianeira. In Greek mythology, Megara ("great houses" was the oldest daughter of Creon, king of Thebes. Deïanira or Dejanira (Latinized in Greek, Δηϊάνειρα or Δῃάνειρα; Deïaneira 'man-destroyer' When Hera found out about Zeus's illegitimate son, she placed two snakes in his bed to kill him. Hera was unsuccessful, as Heracles, being born with great strength strangled the snakes when he found them.

Etymology

Hercules' Latin name is not directly borrowed from Greek Herakles ("glory of Hera" vel sim. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. ) but is a modification of the Etruscan name Hercle, which derives from the Greek name via syncope. The Etruscans were a people of unknown origin living in Northern Italy, who were eventually integrated into Roman culture and politically became part of the Roman Republic An oath invoking Hercules (Hercle! or Mehercle!) was a common interjection in Classical Latin. Classical Latin is the form of the Latin language used by the ancient Romans in what is usually regarded as "classical" Latin literature. ^[1]

Character

Hercules and his nephew, helper and eromenos Iolaus. In the pederastic tradition of Classical Athens, the eromenos ( Greek ἐρώμενος pl For the Butterfly Genus, see Iolaus (butterfly. In Greek mythology, Iolaus (in Greek, Ἰόλαος
1st c. CE mosaic from the Anzio Nymphaeum, Rome

In Roman works of art and in Renaissance and post-Renaissance art that adapts Roman iconography, Hercules can be identified by his attributes, the lion skin and the club: in mosaic he is shown tanned black, a virile aspect. The Nemean lion ( Modern Greek: Λέων της Νεμέας (Léōn tēs Neméas Latin: Leo Nemaeus was a vicious monster in Greek mythology that lived A club (also known as cudgel, baton, truncheon, night stick, and bludgeon) is among the simplest of all weapons Art History Mosaics of the 4th century BC are found in the Macedonian palace-city of Aegae, and they enriched the floors of Hellenistic ^[2] While he was a champion and a great warrior, he was not above cheating and using any unfair trick to his advantage. However, he was renowned as having "made the world safe for mankind" by destroying many dangerous monsters. His self-sacrifice obtained him the ascent to the Olympian realms and he was welcomed by the gods.

The Roman gilded bronze Hercules, found near the Theatre of Pompey in 1864, (Vatican Museums, Rome)

Roman cult

"Hercules and the Hydra" by Antonio Pollaiuolo

In popular culture the Romans adopted the Etruscan Hercle, a hero-figure that had already been influenced by Greek culture — especially in the conventions of his representation — but who had experienced an autonomous development. Two remarkable survivals of full-size Greek and Roman bronzes demonstrate the reaction of classicising Hellenistic and Roman sculptors to the style of Lysippus The Vatican Museums (Musei Vaticani in Viale Vaticano in Rome, inside the Vatican City, are one of the greatest museums in the world since they display works In Greek mythology, the Lernaean Hydra ( Greek: ( was an ancient nameless serpent -like Chthonic water beast that possessed numerous Antonio del Pollaiolo ( January 17, 1429 /1433 &ndash February 4, 1498) also known as Antonio di Jacopo Pollaiuolo or Antonio Etruscan Hercle appears in the elaborate illustrative engraved designs on the backs of Etruscan bronze mirrors made during the fourth century BC, which were favoured grave goods. Grave goods, in Archaeology and Anthropology, are the items buried along with the body Their specific literary references have been lost, with the loss of all Etruscan literature, but the image of the mature, bearded Hercules suckling at Uni/Juno's breast, engraved on a mirror back from Volterra, is distinctively Etruscan. Uni was the supreme Goddess of the Etruscan pantheon and the patron goddess of Perugia. Juno was the protector and special counselor of the Roman state Volterra is a town in the Tuscany region of Italy. History The town was a Neolithic settlement and an important Etruscan center with an This Hercle/Hercules — the Hercle of the ejaculation "Mehercle!" — remained a popular cult figure in the Roman legions. In Grammar, an ejaculation is an Utterance that expresses a feeling outside of the normal language structure The literary Greek versions of his life and works were appropriated by literate Romans from the 2nd century BC onwards, essentially unchanged, but Latin literature of Hercules added anecdotal detail of its own, some of it linking the hero with the geography of the Western Mediterranean. The 2nd century BC started the first day of 200 BC and ended the last day of 101 BC. Details of the Greek cult, which mixed chthonic libations and uneaten holocausts with Olympian services, were adapted to specifically Roman requirements as well, as Hercules became the founding figure of Herculaneum and other places, and his cult became entwined with Imperial cult, as shown in surviving frescoes in the Herculanean collegium. This article discusses cult in the original and typically ancient sense of "religious practice" (cultus Chthonic (from Greek χθόνιος khthonios "of the earth" from khthōn "earth" pertaining to the Earth; earthy subterranean Herculaneum (in modern Italian Ercolano) is an ancient Roman town located in the territory of the current commune of Ercolano. His altar has been dated to the 6th or 5th century BC. It stood near the Temple of Hercules Victor. The Temple of Hercules Victor or Hercules Olivarius is an ancient edifice located in the Forum Boarium in Rome. Hercules became popular with merchants, who customarily paid him a tithe of their profits. A tithe (from Old English teogoþa "tenth" is a one-tenth part of something paid as a (usually voluntary contribution or as a Tax or levy

Mark Antony identified himself with Hercules, and even invented a son of Hercules, called Anton, from whom Antony claimed descent. Marcus Antonius (in Latin: M·ANTONIVS·M·F·M·N ( c January 14 83 BC&ndash August 1, 30 BC known in English as Mark In response, his enemy Octavian identified with Apollo. Augustus ( Latin: IMPERATOR·CAESAR·DIVI·FILIVS·AVGVSTVS September 23 63 BC – August 19 AD 14) born Gaius Octavius Thurinus, was

Some early emperors took up the attributes of Hercules (eg Trajan), and later Roman Emperors, in particular Commodus and Maximian, went further and often identified or compared themselves with him and supported his cult; Maximian styled himself "Herculius". The Roman Emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period (starting at about 27 BC Lucius Aurelius Commodus Antoninus ( August 31, 161 – December 31, 192) was a Roman Emperor who ruled from 180 to 192 (also with Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus Herculius (c 250 &ndash c

The cult of Hercules spread through the Roman world. In Roman Egypt, what is believed to be the remains of a Temple of Hercules are found in the Bahariya Oasis. El-Waha el-Bahariya or Bahariya ( Arabic: الواحة البحرية meaning the "northern oasis" is an Oasis in Egypt.

Myths of Hercules

Statutes of an religious association in Roman-era Greece whose members worshipped Hercules.

The Romans adopted the Greek stories about Heracles essentially unchanged, but added anecdotal detail of their own, some of it linking Hercules with the geography of the Western Mediterranean. In Greek mythology, Heracles or Herakles ("glory of Hera " or

In Roman mythology, Acca Larentia was Hercules' mistress. Roman mythology, or more appropriately Latin mythology, refers to the mythological beliefs of the Italic people inhabiting the region of Latium and its The word mythology (from the Greek grc μυθολογία mythología, meaning "a story-telling a legendary lore" Acca Larentia (or Acca Laurentia) was a mythical woman later goddess in Roman mythology whose festival the Larentalia, was celebrated on December She was married to Tarutius, a wealthy merchant. For the historical figure and astronomer sometimes called Tarutius see Lucius Taruntius Firmanus (fl When he died, she gave his money to charity. In another version, she was the wife of Faustulus. In Roman mythology, Faustulus was the shepherd who found the infants Romulus and Remus, who were being suckled by a she-wolf known as Lupa on the

In Aeneid 8. For the group of nine Ancient Egyptian deities see Ennead. The Aeneid (əˈniːɪd in 195ff. , Vergil relates a myth about Hercules' defeating the monstrous Cacus, who lived in a cave under the Palatine Hill (one of the eventual Seven Hills of Rome). Publius Vergilius Maro ( October 15, 70 BCE &ndash September 21, 19 BCE later called Virgilius, and known in English as Virgil or In Roman mythology, Cacus was a fire-breathing monster and the son of Vulcan. The Palatine Hill ( Latin: Collis Palatium or Mons Palatinus) is the centermost of the Seven Hills of Rome The Seven Hills of Rome east of the river Tiber form the geographical heart of Rome, within the walls of the ancient city

Germanic association

Tacitus records a special affinity of the Germanic peoples for Hercules. Publius (or Gaius) Cornelius Tacitus (ca 56 &ndash ca 117 was a senator and a Historian of the Roman Empire. The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic In chapter 3 of his CE 98 work Germania, Tacitus states:

. The Germania ( Latin title De Origine et situ Germanorum, English for the Origin and Situation of the Germans) written by Gaius . . they say that Hercules, too, once visited them; and when going into battle, they sang of him first of all heroes. They have also those songs of theirs, by the recital of this barditus^[3] as they call it, they rouse their courage, while from the note they augur the result of the approaching conflict. For, as their line shouts, they inspire or feel alarm.

Roman era Hercules' Clubs appear from the 2nd to 3rd century, spread over the empire (including Roman Britain, c. Hercules' Club (also Hercules-club, Club-of-Hercules; German de Herkuleskeule, de Donarkeule) is a Roman Empire and Migration Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between AD 43 and 410 f. Cool 1986), mostly made of gold, shaped like wooden apples. A specimen found in Köln-Nippes bears the inscription "DEO HER[culi]", confirming the association with Hercules. Köln-Nippes is a passenger and freight Railway station situated at the northern border of the city of Cologne in western Germany

In the 5th to 7th centuries, during the Migration Period, the amulet is theorized to have rapidly spread from the Elbe Germanic area across Europe. The Migration Period, also called Barbarian Invasions, or sometimes Völkerwanderung ( German for "wandering of peoples" is the English name The Irminones, also referred to as Herminones or Hermiones, were a group of early Germanic tribes settling in the Elbe watershed and by the These Germanic "Donar's Clubs" were made from deer antler, bone or wood, more rarely also from Bronze or precious metals. Thor ( Old Norse: Þórr) is the red-haired and bearded God of Thunder in Germanic paganism and its subset Norse paganism They are found exclusively in female graves, apparently worn either as a belt pendant, or as an ear pendant. The amulet type is replaced by the Viking Age Thor's hammer pendants in the course of the Christianization of Scandinavia from the 8th to 9th century. Viking Age is the term denoting the years from about 700 to 1066 in European history. The Christianization of Scandinavia refers to the process of conversion to Christianity of the Scandinavian people starting in the 8th century with

Art

Hercules frescoes in the collegium at Herculaneum

Roman images of Hercules were based upon Hellenistic Greek images and might be contrasted with the images of Hercules that appear in Attic vase-painting (see Heracles). In Greek mythology, Heracles or Herakles ("glory of Hera " or One aspect of Greek Hercules was not adopted by Roman culture: the ambivalent relationship with his patroness/antagonist Hera that was "Hera's man", Hercules. In the Olympian pantheon of classical Greek Mythology, Hera (ˈhɪərə or /ˈhɛrə/ Greek) or Here ( in Ionic and Homer

Hercules in popular culture

Main article: Hercules in popular culture

Since the Renaissance, Hercules has rarely been distinguished from Heracles, the Roman figure overshadowing the Greek. Hercules, the Greek mythical hero also known as Heracles, has been an important figure in Western popular culture Later interpretations of Hercules' legend cast him as a wise leader and a good friend (many of the movie and TV adaptations cast him in this light, especially the 1995-1999 syndicated TV series). The legend of Hercules endures, though often co-opted to suit the political fashion of the day. Hercules has also had an undeniable influence on modern pop culture characters such as He-Man. He-Man ( "The Most Powerful Man in the Universe!") ( IPA: /ˈhiː The legend of Hercules has been described in many movie and television adaptations, including several comic series featuring the hero. Sword and sandal films or pepla (singular= peplum) are a Genre of adventure or Fantasy films that have subjects set in Biblical Hercules (also known as Heracles and Herakles) is a fictional Olympian god in the DC Universe based on the Greek Demigod Hercules is a Fictional character that appears in Comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Hercules in numismatics

Hercules in numismatics

Hercules has been the main motive for many collector coins and medals, the most recent one is the famous 20 euro Baroque Silver coin issued in September 11, 2002. Euro gold and silver commemorative coins are special Euro coins minted and issued by member states of the Eurozone. Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. The obverse side of the coin shows the Grand Staircase in the town palace of Prince Eugene of Savoy in Vienna, currently the Austrian Ministry of Finance. This article refers to the Austrian Habsburg military leader for the stepson of Napoleon Bonaparte see Eugène de Beauharnais. Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. Gods and demi-gods hold its flights, while Hercules stands at the turn of the stairs. The term " demigod " meaning "half-god" is used to describe mythological figures whose one parent was a god and whose other parent was human

See also

• Heracles
• Pillars of Hercules
• Labours of Hercules
• Zeus

Notes

References

• Etruscan mirror illustrated Uni and Hercle
• Hercle and Menerva on an Etruscan mirror from Città di Castello, c 300 BCE: Badisches Landesmuseum
• Images of Hercules