The Tragic But Glorious Life of Hercules

I believe that there are many Hero’s of Greece who deserve to be called the best but in my opinion because Hercules’s life was full of tragedy and glory it paved the way for an amazing story to tell. Below I have mentioned how I came about and how it all ended, I have also included the reason for why his life was so tragic and some events which he dealt with. Enjoy

The Roman name for him was Hercules but the Greek version is Heracles.

Hercules was born as the son of the great God Zeus, his mother was a mortal woman named Alcmene. Hercules had a somewhat tragic life. This may have already been a prediction as when he was in his youth he killed his music tutor “probably pretty easily” due to his amazing strength. Because he had committed this unforgivable act he was sent into the mountains to work on a farm, while there he was confronted by two nymphs called pleasure and virtue, they gave him a choice for his life. The two choices were a life which was pleasant and easy or a life which was tragic but glorious, you will never guess what he chose, that’s right the tragic and glorious one.

Hera was the wife of Zeus and Hercules was living proof of Zeus’s adultery, this allowed the goddess Hera, to become a large part of why his life was so tragic. She was not so friendly when it came to Hercules. After her failed attempt to stop Hercules’s birth (another story) she swore she would take her revenge on the offspring of Zeus’s adultery and she knew for certain Hercules was one of many. Later in his life he fell in love with the princess of Thebes and made two children with her, “but wait his life is supposed to be tragic” ok well he was driven mad by Hera and ended up killing his own children. After his madness was cured he was required to do 12 labours in a deal to purify the sins he had made.

The 12 labors are listed below. 

1. To destroy the Lernaean Hydra.
2. To kill the Nemean Lion.
3. To capture the Ceryneian Hind.
4. To capture the Erymanthian Boar.
5. To clean the Augean Stables.
6. To round up the Mares of Diomedes.
7. To kill the Stymphalian Birds.
8. To capture the Cretan Bull.
9. To steal the Girdle of Hippolyte.
10. To herd the Cattle of Geryon.
11. To fetch the Apples of Hesperides.
12. To capture Cerberus.

Later on after he had finished the 12 labors, he joined the Argonauts, and was part of finding the Golden Fleece, rescuing damsels in distress, helping the gods fight the Gigantes and of course conquering Troy.

Well after he’d had his share of fighting, rescuing and conquering, he fell in love with another Princess, this Princess was promised to him by her father King Eurytus. The deal was that if he could defeat her two brothers in an archery contest he could have her, of course Hercules being the Hero that he is, won. The deal was taken back by the King and Hercules was not happy so he just decided to kill her brothers and her father. There was one brother, Iphitus who liked Hercules and thought the deal should be made, and Hercules excluded him from his murderous rampage of the King and his sons. But of course Hercules’s life is a tragic one and he ended up once again being driven insane by Hera and managed to throw Iphitus off the city wall “unlucky”. Hercules was once again cured and decided to purify himself with 3 years of servitude to queen Omphale of Lydia.

Hercules’s death was a strange one. It all started when he took a wife, her name was Deianeira. When they were both travelling to Tiryns they came across a fast flowing river which Hercules could easily swim across if he was not with his wife. Luckily (meaning not luckily) there was a centaur who offered to help take his wife across the river, but his really intentions were soon seen, as he tried to steal away Deianeira, while Hercules was swimming. Hercules wasn’t going to take this so he shot the centaur with his bow, using the arrows which were stained with the blood of the Hydra, whose blood happens to be extremely poisonous. They centaur quickly told Deianeira that if she takes his tunic, which was now blood soaked, she would be able to excite the love of her husband.

Now years later Deianeira had some competition for Hercules’s love, remembering what the centaur had said, she gave the tunic (still coated with the blood of the Hydra) to Lichas the herald. Hercules receives the tunic and puts it on, the poison takes effect instantly and Hercules starts the die, his bones showing through and his skin melting away. Before he died he built a pyre for himself using some trees he pulled from the ground, no one but his very close friend Philoctetes would light the fire. As he rose towards mount Olympus he gave Philoctetes his bow and arrows, which would go onto kill Paris prince of Troy, but the war would continue until the Trojan horse.

In this article I have tried to outline some of the events which made his life tragic and glorious, but there is much more to Hercules, probably the most famous Hero of them all.