Roman Hercules

Question 1

what is the context of the story between Hercules and Cacus

Answer 1

It took place during Hercules’ 10th labour (the cattle of Geryon)
After Hecrules captured the cattle and killed Geryon he had to get it back trhough Eurystheus. To do this he travelled through southern Spain, France and into Italy.

Question 2

WHere did the cult of Hercules stem from?

Answer 2

Hercules and Cacus

Question 3

who was Cacus’ father?

Answer 3

Vulcan

Question 4

What is the story between Cacus and Hercules?

Answer 4

When Hercules arrives in Pallantium he is welcomed. While Hercules slept, Cacus stole 8 of his cattle and took them back to his cave. in order to fool Hercules he led them backwards so that the hoof marks led away from where they were being held. However, one trapped cow moos and Hercules finds where they are.
Hercules takes his club and goes to the mountain. Cacus fled to his cave and block the entrance. (H unable to move it)
Hercules doesn’t give up and he takes the flint peak on the top of the mountain and lifted the mountain off exposing cacus in his lair
Hercules bombards Cacus with whatever he can find and Cacus in defene breathes plumes of black smoke to conceal his whereabouts
Hercules throws himself into the smoke (where it was most dense) and Hercules seized him and chokes hiim to death.
He then brings to body to show Evander and his people

Question 5

explain what happens when Hercules arrives in Pallantium (Cacus)

Answer 5

When Hercules arrives in Pallantium he is welcomed. While Hercules slept, Cacus stole 8 of his cattle and took them back to his cave. in order to fool Hercules he led them backwards so that the hoof marks led away from where they were being held. However, one trapped cow moos and Hercules finds where they are.

Question 6

what happens after Cacus steals the sheep? (what does Hercules do?)

Answer 6

Hercules takes his club and goes to the mountain. Cacus fled to his cave and block the entrance. (H unable to move it)
Hercules doesn’t give up and he takes the flint peak on the top of the mountain and lifted the mountain off exposing cacus in his lair
Hercules bombards Cacus with whatever he can find and Cacus in defene breathes plumes of black smoke to conceal his whereabouts
Hercules throws himself into the smoke (where it was most dense) and Hercules seized him and chokes hiim to death.
He then brings to body to show Evander and his people

Question 7

What is the background of the story between Achelous and Hercules? Who is it told to/by

Answer 7

it is told to Theseus by the river God while he waited for waters to recede after a flood
This was because theseus asked why the river god (Achelous) had a horn broken off his head

Question 8

What is the story of Hercules and Achelous?

Answer 8

both hercules and Achelous wanted to marry princess Deinara of Aitolia
both refused to back down so they decided to fight. All other suittors backed out and they put forward an argument as to why they should each marry D
Hercules made reference to his divine passage, Achelous to his God status and blaming Hercules for his labours because his birth was either a lie or a scandal.
Enraged, Hercules decided to fight Achelous which H won. So, Achelous turns into a snake, H makes fun of him, and H won (after making fun of him)
Then A turned into a single horned bull which H won by breaking off the horn and turning it into a cornucopia

Question 9

what was Deinara princess of?

Answer 9

Aitolia

Question 10

why were Hercules and Achelous fighting

Answer 10

to mary Deinara

Question 11

What is the name of the river God?

Answer 11

Achelous

Question 12

Why was it still conselation that Achelous was beaten?

Answer 12

he still fought Hercules, someone that was so famous

Question 13

Why did both Hercules and Achelous argue that they should marry Deinara?

Answer 13

Hercules made reference to his divine passage, Achelous to his God status and blaming Hercules for his labours because his birth was either a lie or a scandal.

Question 14

What animal did Achelous turn into after he lost the first round fo the fight with Hercules?

Answer 14

a snake

Question 15

How did Hercules react to Achelous turning into a snake

Answer 15

he made fun of him and pointed out that he had defeated the Hydra, so a single snake wasn’t a threat

Question 16

what did Achelous turn into afte rebing beaten a second time?

Answer 16

a single horned bull

Question 17

what animals did Achelous turn into?

Answer 17

Snake then single horned bull

Question 18

how did Hercules beat Achelous?

Answer 18

he broke off the horn of the bull and turned it into a cornucopia, filling it up with fruit

Question 19

What happens with Nessus and Hercules? (to the point Nessus dies)

Answer 19

Hercules, having wed Deinara are heading back to tiryns. The couple arrive at the river Evenus, which was too deep to walk across. Hercules could swim but D couldn’t so the centuar Nessus offered to help. Whilst hercules is crossing river nessus runs of with D but hercules acts quickly and shoots an arrow into the centuars chest

Question 20

What river did Hercules and deinara have to stop at after being wed and why

Answer 20

Evenus-to deep to walk across

Question 21

What was Nessus

Answer 21

a centuar

Question 22

What does Nessus do with Deinara

Answer 22

runs off with her

Question 23

how does H kill nessus

Answer 23

arrow dipped in venom of Learnean Hydra is shot through Nessus’ chest

Question 24

What is Nessus’ final act (IMPORTANT)

Answer 24

Nessus gives deinara his cloak, soaked in his blood (learnean hydra poison) to D presenting it to her as a gift for reviving waning love and says ‘i will not die without revenge’

Question 25

How does hercules die, how is Deinara and Juno involved?

Answer 25

Several years after the episode with Nessus - Juno’s jealousy causes her to get the goddess Rumour to spead lies about Hercules to his wife, making her think that Hercules was in love with iole. D decides to give Hercules the cloak of Nessus so he falls back in love with her. her slave gives it to H and whilst giving a sacrifice to the Gods, the cloak catches light and sticks to his speech. Whilst dying Hercules builds himself a funeral Pyre and dies. Jupiter, having seen this, decides to give a speech to the Gods so Hercules can be allowed onto Olympus and they allow is

Question 26

What does rumour do? who does it involve

Answer 26

makes Deinara belive H is inlove with Iole, a princess from Oechalia in thessaly.

Question 27

Who is Iole

Answer 27

a princess from Oechalia in Thessaly which Rumour uses to make Deinara believe hercules is inlove with Iole

Question 28

How does H become a demigod

Answer 28

H sheds his human form after Jupiter appeals to the other Gods so that H can go to mount Olympus after his heroic deeds on earth.

Question 29

how does Achelous feel after having fought H?

Answer 29

although he lost the battle he feels that there is no more shame in being beaten than having fought someone like Hercules

Question 30

how does Acheolous initially make Hercules angry?

Answer 30

by saying that he is either a liar in saying his father is Jupiter or he is a bastard (son of adultery) and both are just as shameful as each other

Question 31

how does Achelous argue he is a superior suitor?

Answer 31

he is a God, he is local and has their best interests at heart

Question 32

why does Hercules cover himself and Achelous in sand

Answer 32

for grip

Question 33

what happens when Achelous’ horn is snapped off

Answer 33

it is turned into a cornucopia by the Naiades (nymphs, spirits of the spring) and given to the Goddess of abundance (Plautus-goddess of wealth)

Question 35

what are the naiades

Answer 35

nymphs and spirits of spring, streams and fountains which made a cornucopia from achelous’ horn

Question 35

who is the goddess of abundance?

Answer 35

Plutus - goddess of wealth reviewed Achelous’ horn turned into a cornucopia by naiads from Hercules