Myths
Birth of Hercules
Boetia. Zeus and the mortal Alcmene (asks Helios not to rise for three days). Heteropaternal superfecundation (with Amphitryon) – half-brother Iphicles, nephew Ioalus. Hera's hatred.
Hercules and the Creation of the Milky Way
Zeus or Hermes briefly put the infant Hercules at Hera's sleeping breast – when she pushes him away a bit of milk spills
Hercules at the Crossroads
The young Hercules must choose between Vice and Virtue
Who hated Hercules?
Hera (because of Zeus's affair) and King Eurystheus (also a descendant of Perseus, and Hera's champion)
Who selected Hercules' labours?
King Eurystheus
Which two labours of Hercules didn't count?
Hydra (helped by Iolaus) and Stables (rivers did it)
1st Labour of Hercules
Killing of the Nemean Lion
2nd Labour of Hercules
Killing the Lernaean Hydra (with Ioalus)
3rd Labour of Hercules
Catching the Cyreneian Hind
4th Labour of Hercules
Catching the Erymanthian Boar (Chiron, Prometheus)
5th Labour of Hercules
Cleaning the Augean Stables
6th Labour of Hercules
Defeating the Stymphalian Birds
7th Labour of Hercules
Capturing the Cretan Bull
8th Labour of Hercules
Stealing the Mares of Diomedes (Thrace)
9th Labour of Hercules
Belt of Hippolyta (Amazons)
10th Labour of Hercules
Cattle of Geryon (Erytheia, far West [Spain])
11th Labour of Hercules
Stealing 3 Apples from the Garden of the Hesperides (Atlas, Farthest West)
12th Labour of Hercules
Capture of Cerberus (from the Underworld)
Death of Hercules
Hercules' wife (Deianira) is flirted with by the centaur, Nessus, and Hercules shoots and kills him with a poisoned arrow. Before he dies, Nessus gives the blood soaked Tunic to Deianira, saying it will arouse her husband's love. Later, when she is jealous, she gives the Tunic of Nessus to Hercules.
Who were Hercules' wives?
1. MEGARA (daughter of King Creon of Thebes) - Hercules kills her children when Hera sends him mad - hence he does the labours.
2. OMPHALE (Queen of Lydia to whom he is enslaved for a year, as penance, after another inadvertant murder [of an Argonaut])
3. DEIANIRA (who is tricked into killing him with the Tunic of Nessus)
4. HEBE, goddess of youth, once he has become a god
Who were Hercules male lovers?
Most famously his nephew, Iolaus - marries Megara - helps kill hydra - settles Sardinia (the Iolei people)
Who were Hercules children?
Theban children with Megara (murdered); Tylonids with Omphale (rulers of Lydia); Heracleidae from son Hyllus (with Deianira); Alexiares and Anicetus (with Hebe) - gods of town fortifications
Where was Bellerophon from?
Corinth. Child of Eurynome and Poseidon, foster child of Glaucus, King of Corinth (son of Sisyphus).
What did Bellerophon do?
Tamed Pegasus (with Athena's bridle) and slew the Chimera (putting block of lead down its throat, so it melted when it blew fire and suffocated).
Death of Bellerophon
Tries to reach Olympus to disprove the existence of the gods, but Zeus sends a gadfly to sting Pegasus, and Bellerophon crashes to earth.
Euripides' lost play, Bellerophon
Disbelieving in the existence of gods (perhaps because of the problem of evil), Bellerophon flies on Pegasus to Olympus, before Zeus kills him for his hubris.
Origin of Typhon
Child of Gaia and Tartarus, out of Gaia's anger with Zeus for destroying the giants (her children)
Children of Typhon and Echidna
Orthrus (Geryon's dog), Cerberus, the Hydra, and the Chimera. Possibly Ladon (dragon in the Hesperides' Garden), the Caucasian Eagle (of Prometheus), and the Sphinx.
Cadmus - Origin
Phonecia - Parents, King and Queen of Tyre - Sister, Europa
Cadmus - Feats
Meant to save sister, instead founds Thebes. He kills a water dragon (which slew two companions), and --told by Athena-- plants its teeth, from which spring men, the SPARTOI(sown). Cadmus has them attack each other, five survive - build city with him, five leading familes. Wife - Harmonia.