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Revision as of 01:58, 16 October 2006 by 64.12.117.11 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) For other uses, see Hercules (disambiguation).
Hercules is the Latin name used in Rome for a hero 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.