Week 9 HERCULES

Question 1

Birth of heracles

Answer 1

• son of alcemene and Zeus disguised as husband amphitryon, king of mycenae
• wife hera was jealous and delayed his birth so he lost the kingdom of myceneae to eurystheus, and snakes

Question 2

Madness of heracles

Answer 2

• after many adventures, including attacking Troy in the generation before Trojan war
• heracles marries megara, daughter of creon king of thebes, and have children
• hera makes him go mad and he kills his family
• ro pay penance, he must serve his cousin/uncle king eurystheus of mycenae and accomplish 12 labors

Question 3

12 labors

Answer 3

• nemean lion
• lernaean hydra
• cerynian hind
• erymanthian boar
• augean stables
• stymphalian birds
• cretan bulls
• mares of diomedes
• belt of hippolyte
• cattle of geryon
• apples of hesperides
• cerberus

Question 4

Heracles The thracian wars

Answer 4

• the graphic novel that the film was based off of
• personal retelling of myth drawn on ancient sources
• mythological well-researched and plausible
• introduces heracles as a mercenary with a band of companions
• set in 1200 bc, late bronze age
• much darker than the film, less heroism or happy endings
• producers used material without consultation

Question 5

Heracles the film and rationalizing myth (2014)

Answer 5

• well known myths are narrated by his nephew Iolaus to delay and scare the pirates
• in closing credits, we see heracles has help with all his labors and he wasn’t super-human
• autolycus tells how the myths were formed, why, and the truth

Question 6

Companions of heracles (according to myth)

Answer 6

• Iolaus: nephew of heracles who helps with some labors
• Autolycus: semi-divine son of Hermes. Grandfather of odysseus
• tydeus: calydonian hero who became a prince of argos through marriage anc one of the seven against thebes. Seen as a murderer and cannibal
• atalanta: Arcadian princess and virgin huntress, follower of Artemis (not an amazon). Main character of the calydonian boar hunt
• amphiareus: king of argos and a seer, favored by apollo and Zeus. Generation before Trojan war and appears in calydonian boar hunt. And in the seven against thebes where he dies

Question 7

Centaurs in heracles (2014)

Answer 7

• myths and monsters have rational explanations (centaurs are not half man, half horse, but men on horseback seen from a distance by people who haven’t seen calvary before

Question 8

Why were myths formed

Answer 8

• scare the enemy
• gets bigger and more fantastical as they’re told, need to account for awkward questions
• told to explain an un-explainable phenomena
• myths don’t need to be true, as long as they’re believed

Question 9

Turning myth back into history by rationalizing in heracles (2014)

Answer 9

• heracles is not the son of a god, but an unknown father
• not a hero
• enemies aren’t actually gods, but greedy humans
• labors have rational explanations + help
• hydra was a band of thieves wearing serpent hats/masks
• cerberus the 3 headed hell hound is actually three wolves

Question 10

Time and dating in heracles (2014)

Answer 10

• originally, it was set in 1200 bc by many greeks and the comic itself, even the characters too
• and many props and visuals are from that time period such as gates, walls, chariot
• but in film, it’s 358 bc

Question 11

Ambiguity in opponents of heracles (2014)

Answer 11

• eurystheus: king of mycenae (not athens), enemy of heracles and set the labors
• rhesus: king of trace who fought with the trojans against the greeks
• king cotys from the 4th century bc in 358

Question 12

4th century bc

Answer 12

• after the dark ages (9th-8th century bc), and late archaic/Persians wars (500-480 bc), Athens became all mighty
• philip II of macedon is ruling Greece. Uses diplomacy and stuff
• killed in 336 bc and his son Alexander the great takes over

Question 13

Thrace

Answer 13

• late bronze age: thrace is rich and powerful and in contact with Greece and anatolia
• appeara in homer
• occupied by Persians in 6th century, 4th century Cotys rules and has partners with Athens and Macedonia at different times!

Question 14

Parody of historical epics in heracles

Answer 14

• generals motivation speech (gladiator, spartacus)
• army training (Spartacus)
• allusion to 300 (2006) with shield walls
• single combat with bessi (Troy)

Question 15

Epic allusions in heracles

Answer 15

• on screen text over historical setting
• epic journey over vast landscapes
• epic music, scale, visuals
• clear villain and heros
• finale was worthy of an epic, death, protection, etc

Question 16

Message of the film heracles (2014)

Answer 16

• rationalized myth
• what it means to be a hero, truth behind legend (self-sacrificing, protection, glory)
• humans can be heros, even if they’re not sons of gods