Hercules
The Origins and History of Ancient Mythology's Most Famous Hero
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Hercules
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Narrated by:
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Scott Clem
About this listen
There are few mythological characters that require less of an introduction than Hercules. His labors are known and have been reimagined by cultures far beyond their Greek beginnings, and he continues to influence modern culture in more ways than any other ancient Greek hero.
What is curious about Hercules's character is that, despite his fame even in the ancient world, there was no authoritative source for his biography. The Library of Myths, commonly though falsely attributed to Apollodorus, is frequently used to illustrate the key episodes of Hercules's life. Despite being written at some time during the 2nd century CE, the Library encapsulates much of the conglomerate of popular tales that has become Hercules's vulgate biography.
Ultimately, though these tales are well known, their true beauty lies in the social and religious influence of their telling and the historical memories that remain, to this day, as shadows in their lines.
The truth is that Hercules's biography is an amalgamation of many myths from across the Mediterranean and beyond, with many mythographers seeing fit to include a symbol here and a descendent there according to the needs of the society at that time.
©2017 Charles River Editors (P)2017 Charles River Editors