Herakles
Heracles, alternatively Herakles and also known in Latin as Hercules, was a legendary Greek hero. According to mythology, he was the son of the Greek god Zeus and the human woman Alcmene, and as a demigod, was known for his immense strength and stamina. Among his many adventures, the most famous were the Twelve Labours he performed for King Eurystheus of Argos. The second of these labours involved slaying the Lernaean Hydra while the eleventh required him to steal the Apples of Eden from the garden of the Hesperides.[1]
In classical antiquity, the town of Heraklion was named after him.[2] The Egyptian city of Herakleion was named after him. In 48 BCE, a gladius named Hercules' Gladius was reputedly the very sword he used to kill the Hydra although Roman swords did not exist in his lifetime.[3]
Trivia
- Ercole Massimo's family was said to have originated from the union of Hercules and an unnamed nymph. [4]
- The name Heracles (Ἡρακλῆς ) means 'Glory of Hera' which he took in an attempt to appease the goddess; his birth name is recorded as Alcaeus (Ἀλκαῖος) or alternatively Alcides, formed by the Greek word for 'strength' (Ἀλκα) appended by a patronymic.
Gallery
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Statue of Herakles infront of Olympia
Appearance
- Assassin's Creed II (painting only)
- Assassin's Creed: Origins (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (statute only)