THE BIRTH OF HERACLES IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY
Heracles, or Hercules as he is also known, is the most famous of all the Greek heroes, with his legendary Labours, and many other adventures. In Greek mythology there is also a famous story about the birth of Heracles, and indeed, it is a story that also is a creation story for the Milky Way.
Heracles the Perseid
Heracles would be born into the family line of another famous Greek hero, Perseus, the slayer of Medusa.
Perseus would wed Andromeda, the Aethiopian princess he had rescued from the sea monster, and Perseus would subsequently found the city of Mycenae, where he was the first king. Perseus and Andromeda would become parents to seven sons, Perses, Electryon, Alcaeus, Sthenelus, Heleus and Mestor, and two daughters, Autochthe and Gorgophone.
In the story of Heracles’ birth it is Electryon, Alcaeus and Sthenelus who are important figures.
Perseus would wed Andromeda, the Aethiopian princess he had rescued from the sea monster, and Perseus would subsequently found the city of Mycenae, where he was the first king. Perseus and Andromeda would become parents to seven sons, Perses, Electryon, Alcaeus, Sthenelus, Heleus and Mestor, and two daughters, Autochthe and Gorgophone.
In the story of Heracles’ birth it is Electryon, Alcaeus and Sthenelus who are important figures.
Alcmene and Amphitryon Exiled
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Electryon would succeed his father Perseus as king of Mycenae, and would become father to Alcmene and many sons, although these sons were subsequently killed in a war with the sons of King Pterelaus; and Alcaeus became king of Tiryns, and had a son called Amphitryon.
Amphitryon would come to Myceneae to woo Alcmene, but even though the marriage was agreed between the cousins, Amphitryon would accidentally kill his soon to be father-in-law Electryon. |
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Sthenelus would use this as an excuse to seize the throne of Mycenae, and he also exiled Alcmene and Amphitryon, who would subsequently find sanctuary in Thebes.
Still Amphitryon and Alcmene were not wed, for Alcmene would not marry until her brothers had been avenged, and so Amphitryon went to war.
Still Amphitryon and Alcmene were not wed, for Alcmene would not marry until her brothers had been avenged, and so Amphitryon went to war.
Zeus Comes to Alcmene
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Now Alcmene was one of the beauties of the age, and it was a beauty that soon attracted the wondering eye of Zeus.
Amphitryon had been successful in his war but the day before Amphitryon returned to Thebes, Zeus sprang into action. Zeus transformed himself into an exact double of Amphitryon, and complete with knowledge of the war, and associated spoils, Zeus presented himself to Alcmene. Alcmene was completely fooled by Zeus, and so Zeus and Alcmene slept together, and Alcmene became pregnant by the god. The next day of course the real Amphitryon returned, but the returning hero was more than a bit perturbed by the only slightly warm welcome Alcmene gave him. Alcmene of course was convinced that she had already welcomed Amphitryon the day before, but Alcmene and Amphitryon slept together, and Alcmene also became pregnant by Amphitryon. Amphitryon would consult with the Oracle of Delphi about the confusing situation that he was being faced with, and it was the Pythia, the priestess of the Oracle who told Amphitryon of Zeus’ visit to Alcmene. |
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The Proclamation of Zeus
As the time came for Alcmene to give birth to the son of Zeus, the god made a proclamation that the descendent of Perseus born the following day would become King of Mycenae. It was a rash promise, which some said was induced by Ate, the Greek goddess of Blind Folly.
Zeus of course meant this descendent to be his son, but by that time the descendants of Perseus were numerous, and Zeus also had not figured on the anger of his wife Hera. The birth of a son to Alcmene would be evidence of her husband’s unfaithfulness, and so Hera decided to interfere.
Zeus of course meant this descendent to be his son, but by that time the descendants of Perseus were numerous, and Zeus also had not figured on the anger of his wife Hera. The birth of a son to Alcmene would be evidence of her husband’s unfaithfulness, and so Hera decided to interfere.
The Birth of Heracles Delayed
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Hera went to the house of Amphitryon, where Alcmene was due to give birth, but Hera ordered Ilithyia, the Greek goddess of childbirth, to sit cross-legged ultimately preventing Alcmene from giving birth.
Hera then departed for Mycenae, where the wife of King Sthenelus, Nicippe, was also in the late stages of pregnancy, although she was not due to give birth for several weeks. Nevertheless, Hera caused Nicippe to give birth early, and so on the day proclaimed by Zeus as the birth day of the future king of Mycenae, Eurystheus was born. Some say that Hera initially intended Alcmene to never give birth, but Ilithyia was tricked into jumping up, uncrossing her legs, and so Alcmene gave birth to the son of Zeus, who was initially called Alcides (although he would later be renamed Heracles in an attempt to appease Hera, for the name means “for the glory of Hera), and the following day, Alcmene gave birth to the son of Amphitryon, Iphicles. |
The Birth of Heracles - Jean Jacques Francois Le Barbier (1738-1826) - PD-art-100
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Future Immortality for Heracles
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Zeus could not go back on his word, and so it was Eurystheus, the son of Sthenelus who was destined to become the future king of Mycenae. To soothe his anger though, Zeus decided to punish Ake, and so the goddess was thrown out of Mount Olympus, and she would thereafter go to live amongst man.
Zeus then plotted himself, and he bargained with his own wife, getting Hera to agree that if Heracles successfully completed a series of epic adventures, then he would become one of the immortals of Mount Olympus. |
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Hera agreed for it left her plenty of time to kill the illegitimate son of Zeus.
Heracles Abandoned and the Creation of the Milky Way
It was not Hera directly though who first threatened the life of Heracles, for Alcmene was so worried about the anger of Hera, that it was Heracles’ own mother who abandoned the new-born Heracles in a Theban field, presuming that he would die from exposure.
As with many other heroes though, Heracles did not die, for he was rescued, for his own half-sister, the goddess Athena, plucked him from that Theban field and took the baby with him to Mount Olympus.
Athena decided to have fun with her stepmother, Hera, and so Athena told Hera of her rescuing an “unidentified” baby; and the motherly instincts of Hera, kicked in, and so Hera took the baby to nurse him, unaware of just who she was nursing.
Heracles would suck so hard on the nipple of Hera that the goddess was forced to push the baby away, and the milk of the goddess would be released, spraying out into the heavens, creating the Milky Way.
The baby Heracles had consumed enough nourishment from the goddess to give him strength and power beyond that of any normal mortal; and Athena would then return her half-brother to the care of Alcmene and Amphitryon.
As with many other heroes though, Heracles did not die, for he was rescued, for his own half-sister, the goddess Athena, plucked him from that Theban field and took the baby with him to Mount Olympus.
Athena decided to have fun with her stepmother, Hera, and so Athena told Hera of her rescuing an “unidentified” baby; and the motherly instincts of Hera, kicked in, and so Hera took the baby to nurse him, unaware of just who she was nursing.
Heracles would suck so hard on the nipple of Hera that the goddess was forced to push the baby away, and the milk of the goddess would be released, spraying out into the heavens, creating the Milky Way.
The baby Heracles had consumed enough nourishment from the goddess to give him strength and power beyond that of any normal mortal; and Athena would then return her half-brother to the care of Alcmene and Amphitryon.
The Birth of the Milky Way -
Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640) - PD-art-100
Heracles Kills His First MonstersA few months later, when Heracles was just eight months old, Hera made her first attempt to kill the illegitimate son of Zeus. Hera sent two deadly serpents into the bedroom of Heracles and Iphicles.
When Iphicles saw the serpents, he cried out, causing the servant who acted as Heracles and Iphicles’ nurse to come running. The nurse though encountered no danger, for the baby Heracles had already killed the two snakes, strangling one in each hand. Amphitryon would call upon the seer Tiresias for advice, and the Theban seer would proclaim that the Heracles would kill many more monsters in his life time. |
Heracles and the Serpents - Niccolò dell' Abbate (1509-1571) - PD-art-100
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It would be many years before Heracles became immortal, and so Hera had many more attempts at killing the son of her husband.