22: Heracles Flashcards
1
Q
etymology of heracles and geographical associations
A
- heracles: ‘glory of hera’
- hera: implacable nemesis
- associated with mycenae, tiryns, argos (all in peloponnesus)
- also associated with boeotia (birth and some adventures) and trachis (final adventures and death)
2
Q
historical origins
A
- prince of tiryns: vassal of mycenaean King
- end of mycenaean age, he enters greece
- pan hellenic hero: particular locales but ranges throughout greek world
- italy: hercules and incorporated into state religion
3
Q
heracles the lion tamer
A
- ‘master of animals’
- association with eastern myth
- primitive qualities like brute strength –> wields club and wears lion skin
4
Q
conception of heracles
A
- zeus lusts after alcmena, the granddaugther of perseus
- amphitryon, the husband of alcmena
- zeus disguises as amphitryon and impregnates her.
- Heracles: son of Zeus
- Iphicles: son of Amphitryon
5
Q
other versuion of conception and from who
A
- Plautus’ Amphitruo
- Jupiter (zeus) comes disguised as Amphitruo’s servant, Sosia
- Alcmena gives birth to twins: Heracles and Iphicles
6
Q
hera on heracles’ birth
A
- zeus boasts that his descendant was born that day to rule over all
- hera delays heracles’ birth and speeds up Eurystheus’ birth: grandson of Zeus
- Heracles becomes Eurystheus’ slave
7
Q
suckling heracles
A
- zeus gives infant heracles to hera to suckle
- heracles bites down so hard hera pulls away
- ‘milky way’ created
- galaxy from G: Galakt-‘Milk’
- hera unleashes serpents and heracles kills them in the crib
8
Q
heracles anger
A
- he had mentors. He kills music teaacher, Linus, with lyre and is sent away to mt. cithaeron
- slept with 50 daughters of thespius, sleeps with 1 each night
9
Q
madness of heracles
A
- megara, daugther of creon, king of thebes
- megara is heracles’ first wife with whom he has 3 kids
- hera drives heracles mad and he murders his entire family and seeks purification at delphi
- pythia’s instructions: go to Tiryns to perform 12 labours for eurystheus. if he accomplishes all of this then he getes immortality
10
Q
labours and side deeds
A
- 12 Athloi: contests with prizes that are perormed while still being eurystheus’ slave
- sometimes alone and sometimes aided by athena and iolaus (newphew)
- side deeds: G. Parerga during and after labours
11
Q
12 labors
A
- nemean lion
- lernaean hydra
- cerynean hind
- erymanthian boar
- augean stables
- stymphalian birds
- cretan bull
- mares of diomedes
- girdle of hippolyta
- cattle of geryon
- apples of hesperides
- cerberus
12
Q
12 labors
A
- canonical 12 labours but some 10 are only counted and 2 are discounted as cheating
- the canonical 12 are on metopes of temple of zeus at olympia
- 1st 6: set in peloponnesus that is centred upon mycenae and man vs beast
13
Q
Nemean Lion
A
- nemea (new of Mycenae)
- task was to kill lion and bring back skin
- he kills liom with a club, other versions are with bow and arrows
- variant: he strangles lion and skins with own claws
- club and lion skin are iconic
14
Q
lernaean hydra
A
- lerna (SE of Mycenae)
- hydra: water serpent
- 9 heads: 8 mortal and 9th immortal. for every head cut off 2 more grow
- aided by iolaus: cauterizes stump and hera sends an enormous crab
- buries immortal head beneath boulder and dips arrows into hydra’s venomous blood. Hera transforms crab into constellation ‘cancer’
15
Q
cerynean hind
A
- Mt. Cerynea (in Arcadia)
- Hind (=Deer) sacred to Artemis who had golden antlers aka ‘golden hind’
- he tracks it for 1 year but must not harm it otherwise he will face artemis’ wrath
- variant: pindar’s 3rd olympain ode: heracles goes to land of hyperboreans to conquest over death
