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Hercules

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File:Hercule et le Lion de Némée 03.JPG
Hercules and the Nemean Lion (detail), silver plate, 6th century BC (Cabinet des Médailles, Paris)

Hercules is the Latin name used in Rome for the divinity corresponding to the Greek mythological hero Heracles (or Herakles), the Roman name being a metathesis of the Greek name. He was son of Jupiter and grandson of Theseus, the Roman counterpart to the Greek god Zeus and the mortal Alcmene. He was made to perform twelve great tasks, called The Twelve Labours of Hercules and became a god.

In popular culture the Romans adopted the Etruscan Hercle, a hero-figure that had already been influenced by Greek culture, especially in the conventions of his representation, but who had experienced an autonomous development. Etruscan Hercle appears in the elaborate illustrative engraved designs on the backs of Etruscan bronze mirrors made during the 4th century BC, which were favoured grave goods. Their specific literary references have been lost, with the loss of all Etruscan literature.

This Hercle/Hercules, the Hercle of the ejaculation "Mehercle!", remained a popular cult figure in the Roman legions. The literary Greek versions of his life and works were appropriated by literate Romans from the 2nd century BC onwards, essentially unchanged, but Latin literature of Hercules added anecdotal detail of its own, some of it linking the hero with the geography of the Western Mediterranean. Details of the Greek cult, which mixed chthonic libations and uneaten holocausts with Olympian services, were adapted to specifically Roman requirements as well, as Hercules became the founding figure of Herculaneum and other places, and his cult became entwined with Imperial cult, as shown in surviving frescoes in the Herculanean collegium that was devoted to Hercules.

Roman images of Hercules were modelled upon Hellenistic Greek images and might be contrasted with the images of Heracles that appear in Attic vase-painting (see Heracles). One aspect of Greek Heracles was not adopted by Roman culture: the ambivalent relationship with his patroness/antagonist Hera that was an archaic aspect of "Hera's man", Heracles.

File:Ercolano1 Copyright2003KaihsuTai.jpg
Hercules frescoes in the collegium at Herculaneum

Character

Hercules and his nephew, helper and eromenos Iolaus.
1st c. CE mosaic from the Anzio Nymphaeum, Rome

In Roman works of art and in Renaissance and post-Renaissance art that adapts Roman iconography, Hercules can be identified by his attributes, the lion skin and the club: in mosaic he is shown tanned black, a virile aspect. He is a paragon of action and masculinity, and thus embodies characteristics such as great strength, great courage, and great appetites, including erotic adventures with both women and boys or young men. These qualities did not prevent him from being regarded as a playful figure who used games to relax from his labors and played a great deal with children. While he was a champion and a great warrior, he was not above cheating and using any unfair trick to his advantage. However, he was renowned as having "made the world safe for mankind" by destroying many dangerous monsters, and he was also held up as an example for never having attacked first, but for having conquered all merely by defending himself when attacked, and protecting the helpless and distraught. His self-sacrifice obtained him the ascent to the Olympian realms and he was welcomed by the gods.

Roman Cult

The cult of Hercules may have been the first foreign one to be adopted in Rome. According to legend, Hercules is said to have founded his most important shrine in Rome, the Great Altar of Hercules (Ara Maxima Herculis), later housed within the Forum Boarium, the cattle market of Rome, within Rome's original Palatine settlement. This altar has been dated to the 6th or 5th century BC. It stood near the Temple of Hercules Victor. Hercules became popular with merchants, who customarily paid him a tithe of their profits.

Mark Antony identified himself with Hercules, and even invented a son of Hercules, called Anton, from whom Antony claimed descent. In response, his enemy Octavian identified with Apollo.

Some early emperors took up the attributes of Hercules (eg Trajan), and later Roman Emperors, in particular Commodus and Maximian, went further and often identified or compared themselves with him and supported his cult; Maximian styled himself "Herculius".

The cult of Hercules spread through the Roman world. In Roman Egypt, what is believed to be the remains of a Temple of Hercules are found in the Bahariya Oasis.

Myths of Hercules

File:BandinelliHercules.jpg
The Farnese Hercules type remade as Hercules and Cacus, by Baccio Bandinelli, 1525 - 1534, (Piazza della Signoria, Florence)

The Romans adopted the Greek version of Heracles' life and works essentially unchanged, but added anecdotal detail of their own, some of it linking Hercules with the geography of the Western Mediterranean.

In Roman mythology, Acca Larentia was Hercules' mistress. She was married to Tarutius, a wealthy merchant. When he died, she gave his money to charity. In another version, she was the wife of Faustulus.

Hercules in popular culture

Since the Renaissance, Hercules has rarely been distinguished from Heracles, the Roman figure overshadowing the Greek. Later interpretations of Hercules' legend cast him as a wise leader and a good friend (many of the movie and TV adaptations cast him in this light, especially the 1995-1999 syndicated TV series). The legend of Hercules endures, though often co-opted to suit the political fashion of the day. Hercules has also had an undeniable influence on modern pop culture characters such as He-Man, the main protagonist of the Masters of the Universe series, who is also widely admired for his massive strength. The legend of Hercules has been described in many movie and television adaptations.

The Italian HERCULES Film Series (1957-1965)

A series of 19 Italian Hercules movies were made in the late 50's/ early 60's. The actors who played Hercules in these films were Steve Reeves, Gordon Scott, Kirk Morris, Mickey Hargitay, Mark Forest, Alan Steel, Dan Vadis, Brad Harris, Reg Park, Rock Stevens and Michael Lane. The films are listed below by their American release titles, and the titles in parentheses are the original Italian titles (if they were different).

  • Hercules (Le Fatiche di Ercole/ The Labors of Hercules, 1958) starring Steve Reeves
  • Goliath and the Dragon (La Vendetta di Ercole/ The Revenge of Hercules, 1960) starring Mark Forest (this Hercules film was transformed into a "Goliath" movie before it was distributed in the USA for some reason)
  • Hercules and the Captive Women (Ercole alla conquista di Atlantide/ Hercules at the Conquest of Atlantis, aka Hercules and the Haunted Women) 1961, starring Reg Park
  • Hercules in the Haunted World (Ercole al centro della terra/ Hercules at the Center of the Earth) 1961 (directed by Mario Bava) starring Reg Park
  • Hercules in the Vale of Woe (Maciste contro Ercole nella valle dei guai/ Maciste Vs. Hercules in the Vale of Woe) 1961, starring Frank Gordon as Hercules (this was made as a semi-comedy/ satire on peplums)
  • Ulysses Vs. The Son of Hercules (Ulisse contro Ercole/ Ulysses Vs. Hercules) 1962, starring Mike Lane as Hercules
  • The Fury of Hercules (La Furia di Ercole/ The Fury of Hercules, aka The Fury of Samson) 1962, starring Brad Harris
  • Hercules, Samson and Ulysses (Ercole sfida Sansone/ Hercules Challenges Samson) 1963, starring Kirk Morris as Hercules
  • Hercules Vs. the Moloch (Ercole contro Molock/ Hercules Vs. Moloch, aka The Conquest of Mycene) 1963, starring Gordon Scott
  • Son of Hercules in the Land of Darkness (Ercole l'invincibile/ Hercules, the Invincible) 1964, starring Dan Vadis (this was originally a Hercules film that was retitled into a "Son of Hercules" film so that it could be included in the "Sons of Hercules" TV syndication package)
  • Hercules Vs. The Giant Warrior (il Trionfo di Ercole/ The Triumph of Hercules, aka Hercules and the Ten Avengers) 1964, starring Dan Vadis
  • Hercules Against Rome (Ercole contro Roma, 1964) starring Alan Steel
  • Hercules Against the Sons of the Sun (Ercole contro i figli del sole, 1964)starring Mark Forest
  • Hercules and the Tyrants of Babylon (Ercole contro i tiranni di Babilonia, 1964) starring Peter Lupus
  • Samson and the Mighty Challenge (Ercole, Sansone, Maciste e Ursus: gli invincibili/ Hercules, Samson, Maciste and Ursus: The Invincibles, aka Combate dei Gigantes/ Battle of the Giants) 1964, starring Alan Steel as Hercules (this was more of a comedy/ satire on peplums & featured Hercules prominently as the main character)
  • Hercules and the Princess of Troy (no Italian title, but this film was aka "Hercules vs. the Sea Monster") 1965, starring Gordon Scott. (Note* - This 48-minute Italian/U.S. co-production was made as a pilot for a Charles Band-produced TV series that never materialized)
  • Hercules, the Avenger (Sfida dei giganti/ Challenge of the Giants, 1965) starring Reg Park. This was a cheap made-for-TV quickie that consisted mostly of re-edited stock footage taken from 2 earlier Hercules films ("Hercules and the Captive Women" and "Hercules in the Haunted World").

A number of English-dubbed Italian films that featured the Hercules name in their title were never intended to be Hercules movies by their Italian creators.

  • "Hercules, Prisoner of Evil" was actually a retitled Ursus film called "Ursus, The Terror of the Kirghiz".
  • "Hercules and the Black Pirate" and "Hercules and the Treasure of the Incas" were both retitled Samson movies (the second film not even being a sword-and-sandal film, but rather more of a Western).
  • "Hercules and the Masked Rider" was actually a retitled Goliath movie called "Goliath and the Masked Rider".
  • "Hercules Against the Moon Men", "Hercules Against the Barbarians", "Hercules Against the Mongols" and "Hercules of the Desert" were all originally Maciste films (see Maciste section below).

None of these films in their original Italian versions were connected to the Hercules character in any way. Likewise, most of the "Sons of Hercules" movies shown on American TV in the 1960's had nothing to do with Hercules in their original Italian incarnations.


Video Games

Children's Tales

Hercules' tale was later toned down into a children's movie. He is still presented as an illegitimate son of Zeus, where he performed the labors when he causes an accident that claims the life of his mother. His half-brother Iphicles was never revealed, he is helped by Athena in one of his labors which was to defeat the stymphalian birds and he never confronts Hera. It's a happy ending since he marries Megara in the end and they are assumed to live happily ever after. The reason was because of the gory nature of the original story.

Comic books

Hercules has also appeared in several comic book adaptations:

See also

References

  1. The Classical and Hellenistic conventions of frescoes and mosaics is to show women as pale-skinned and men as tanned dark from their outdoor arena of action and exercising in the gymnasium.(See also and ).
  2. Aelian, Varia Historia, 12.15
  3. The various founders of this altar, including Hercules himself, are discussed at the Lacus Curtius website.
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