CLAS 430 Lecture 12: Heracles
Document Summary
Hera-kleos = glory of hera (his prosecutor) He is the son of zeus and alcmena, a queen. Alcmena had a new husband amphitryon who went off to fight a war. Zeus wanted her, so he pretended to be her husband and spent a night. The real amphitryon came back right after and also slept with her. As a result, alcmena conceived twins (one from each) She tried to prevent him from being born by getting a lesser goddess to sit outside. Alcmena"s door and use magic to block the birth. A servant distracted the goddess and broke the spell. Hera sent serpants to destroy the infants and heracles killed them. Zeus wanted to give heracles breast milk and he got it while hera was asleep. Heracles woke her up and the breast milk spilled, causing the milky way. Heracles goes mad and murders his wife and kids because of hera. Heracles then goes to the oracle to receive a sentence.
