The Birth of Heracles

Main
>
Greek Mythology
>
Greek Myths, Legends, and Tales
>
The Birth of Heracles

It all began with the celebrated hero Perseus and his descendants. His son, Electryon, ruled in Mycenae, but the Taphian tribe stole his herds and even killed his sons, who tried to take them back. King Electryon then promised to give his beautiful daughter Alcmene to whoever recovered his herds and avenged his sons.

The king of the Taphians entrusted the herds to another king, who in turn gave them to Amphitryon. Amphitryon, without hesitation, returned them to Electryon and won Alcmene's hand. But during the wedding, a quarrel broke out between the king and Amphitryon over the vengeance for his sons. As a result, Amphitryon killed the king and fled with Alcmene to Thebes. She agreed to go with him only on the condition that he would still avenge her brothers. So, upon arriving in Thebes, Amphitryon appealed to King Creon and set out with an army against the Taphians.

Perseus

Zeus took advantage of Amphitryon's absence, having set his eye on the beautiful Alcmene. He took the form of her husband and lay with her. Soon after, Amphitryon himself returned. In this way, Alcmene became pregnant and was to give birth to twins — one by Zeus, the other by her husband Amphitryon.

On the day Alcmene was due to give birth, Zeus gathered with the other gods on Olympus. The Thunderer began to boast that on that very day, a great hero would be born into the line of his son Perseus, one who would rule over all his kin. But Hera guessed that he meant his own son, so with the help of Ate, the goddess of delusion, she tricked Zeus into swearing an oath that whoever was born first into the line of the Perseids would rule over them. Zeus agreed, and Ate immediately left the feast and rushed in her chariot to Argos. There, the wife of another Perseid, Sthenelus, was also expecting a child. Hera used her magic to hasten the birth, and so the weak and cowardly Eurystheus was born into the world.

Olympus

Hera returned to Olympus and announced to all the gods that, while they had been feasting, a son had been born that very day in the city of Argos to the Perseid Sthenelus, and he was named Eurystheus. He was born first and, by Zeus's own word, was to rule over the other descendants of Perseus.

At this, Zeus realized that the goddess had outwitted him, and, to ease his son's fate somewhat, he struck a new, unbreakable bargain with Hera. His son would not remain under the power of Eurystheus for his entire life, but would be freed once he had completed twelve labors for him. Beyond this, in the end he would gain immortality. Knowing how grueling the trials awaiting the hero would be, Zeus entrusted his beloved daughter Athena Pallas with watching over him. As for Ate, the goddess of delusion, he nearly strangled her and cast her down from Olympus to live among mortals.

Alcides and Iphicles

That same day, after Eurystheus, two more twins were born into the line of the Perseids. The first was the son of Zeus and Alcmene, who was named Alcides at birth. The second was Iphicles, son of Amphitryon and Alcmene. Many years later, Alcides would receive another name from the Pythia, the prophetess of Delphi. Under this name, he would win glory and immortality and settle on Olympus as a god. His name would mean "Because of Hera" or "Glorified through Hera." That name would be — Heracles.

The Birth of Heracles

Related Articles