CLA 10 Lecture 15: CLA10 Ch15 (Heracles-Hercules - Early Life, Labors, Deeds, Death)
Document Summary
Chapter 15 heracles (hercules): early life and labors, deeds and death. There is an enormous body of myths and tales complete picture must be pieced together from many sources, there is no one dominant account: the birth of heracles: family background. Perseus, founder and king of mycenae, has a son electryon, who has 9 sons and one daughter alcmena. Electryon"s brothers and nephews (descendants of perseus): alcaeus, who has a son amphitryon ( good man ) Sthenelus, who much later has a son eurytheus ( bad ) born right before heracles: the birth of heracles. Then amphitryon returns (again) in triumph and takes alcmena right to bed. Zeus is angry, but acknowledges hera"s success: eurystheus will rule and not heracles. Early adventures: the beginning, nursed by hera: immortality. The greek word for labors = contests (athloi) < our word for athletics. The great deeds of heracles so numerous that ancient commentators grouped them: and some other deeds along the way.
