Mon Feb 13: Heracles/Hercules and the Greek world Ch. 15, pp. 361-397 Folktale types and motifs in Greek heroic myth review p.11 Morphology of the Folktale, Vladimir Propp 1928 Heroic quest NAME: Hera-kleos = (Gk) glory of Hera (his persecutor) >p.395 Roman name: Hercules divine heritage and birth: Alcmena +Zeus -> Heracles pp.362-5 + Amphitryo -> Iphicles Zeus impersonates Amphityron: "disguised as her husband he enjoyed the bed of Alcmena" Alcmena, having submitted to a god and the best of mankind, in Thebes of the seven gates gave birth to a pair of twin brothers brothers, but by no means alike in thought or in vigor of spirit. The one was by far the weaker, the other a much better man, terrible, mighty in battle, Heracles, the hero unconquered. Him she bore in submission to Cronus cloud-ruling son, the other, by name Iphicles, to Amphitryon, powerful lancer. Of different sires she conceived them, the one of a human father, the other of Zeus, son of Cronus, the ruler of all the gods pseudo-hesiod, Shield of Heracles Hera tries to block birth of twin sons (one per father) Eurystheus born on same day (Hera heard Zeus swear that a great ruler would be born that day, so she speeded up Eurystheus' birth) (Zeus threw her out of heaven when he realized what she had done) marvellous infancy: vs. Hera s serpents Hera, Heracles and the origin of the MIlky Way Alienation: Madness of Heracles & Atonement pp.367,370 murders wife Megara and children (agency of Hera) Euripides, Heracles verdict of Delphic oracle:
must serve his cousin Eurystheus, king of Mycenae -> must perform 12 Labors ( contests ) for Eurystheus -> immortality as reward
The Twelve Labors pp.370ff. 1-6 In Peloponnesus (Greek mainland) map p, 7-12 Worldwide pp.376-385 371 1. The Nemean Lion: 7. The Cretan Bull:* also in myths of Crete, impenetrable hide -> new attributes: club, lionskin chapter 17 2. The Lernaean Hydra: -poisonous serpent, multiple heads 8. The Horses of Diomedes side deed rescue of Alcestis from underworld -help from sidekick Iolaus -H. takes poison for his arrows 3. The Ceryneian Deer 9. The Girdle of Hippolyta*: queen of Amazons, by Black Sea romance > murder (Hera meddles) 4. The Erymanthian Boar *10. The Cattle of Geryon: beyond Pillars of Heracles (GIbraltar) -borrowed cup of Helios -Italian side-myth: Heracles at future site of Rome, -slays a monster who steals his cattle 5. The Augean Stables 11. The Apples of the Hesperides: -guarded by Titan Atlas who held up sky on his shoulders side deed: Heracles vs Busiris 6. The Stymphalian Birds 12. Cerberus: the 3-headed hound of the underworld *the locations of these labors are important to know Other adventures rescued Prometheus rescued Hesione and set Priam on the throne of Troy Helped Zeus defeat Giants Relationships with women Megara Omphale (p. 388) -- they switched clothes Iole (Deianira was jealous of her) Deianira (p. 389-94) "preserved in a bronze container for many a year I keep an old gift of the ancient Centaur which, still a maid, I took from the shaggy Nessus as he lay dying< weltering in his blood." " [Nessus told me ] 'This charm will never fail to bind his [Heracles'] heart: End of Heracles as a mortal: Death Apotheosis /Deification pp.389-94 scroll down for practice questions
Heracles practice questions 1. A greek hero pictured wearing a lionskin and carrying a club is probably a. Laius b. Heracles c. Cadmus d. Oedipus 2 Heracles' death was cuased by a. Zeus b. the Nemean Lion c. his frenzied mother and sisters d. a piece of clothing sent to him by his wife Deianira 3. Which divinity was particularly hostile to Hercules? a. Athena b. Hermes c. Hera d. Hades 4. When Zeus visited Alcmena he assumed the form of a. a shower of gold b. a swan c. a bull d. her husband 5. The name Heracles carries the etymological meaning a. son of Hera b. lover of Hera c. enemy of Hera d. glory of Hera 6. The weaker mortal for whom Heracles was forced to perform the twelve Labors was a. Amphitryon b. Omphale c. Eurystheus d. Geryon 7. You see a painting of a large man wearing women's clothing of rish Asian design which are too small for him. He is accompanied by a woman wearing a lion skin, which is too large for her, The man in the painting is most likely a. Odysseus b. Achilles c. Tiresias d. Heracles 8. Which of the following labors of Heracles took him beyond the Peloponnese? a. the Stables of Augeas b. the Nemean Lion
c. The Stymphalian Birds d. The Cattle of Geryon 9. Deianira caused the death of Heracles by a. shooting him with an arrow dipped in the blood of the Hydra b. giving him a piece of clothing treated with the blood of Nessus c. poisoning his food d. telling Artemis that Heracles had killed and eaten one of her sacred stags 10. Heracles demonstrates his superhuman strength at an early age when he a. lifted his crib over his head with one hand b. threw a coin across the Aegean Sea c. strangled two serpents sent by Hera with his bare hands d. picked up his mother right after he was born 11. The reason that Heracles' arrows were so deadly was a. they had been dipped in the river Styx b. they had been dipped in the blood of the Lernaean Hydra c. they were a gift from Hephaestus d. they were given to him by Athena scroll down for the answers
1. b 2. d 3. c 4. d 5. d 6. c 7. d 8. d 9. b 10. c 11. b