One of these women was Alcmene, the human princess of Tiryns and Mycenae and the granddaughter of Perseus.Īlcmene was married to Amphitryon, but her exceptional beauty attracted Zeus’s attention. While Zeus was married to Hera, he was notorious for his many affairs with both goddesses and human women. Hercules was one of many Greek heroes who was the son of Zeus, the king of the gods. Is it any wonder the hero was so revered that he came to be worshiped as a god? The Birth and Childhood of Hercules The stories of Hercules are filled with adventure, danger, romance, and cleverness. Throughout his life Hera would seek to utterly destroy her stepson in any way she could. He was one of the many sons of Zeus who rose to prominence in Greek legends. The Greeks knew him as Heracles, a name that paid honor to his stepmother, Hera. The Greeks held just as much love for him, though. Hercules was so popular in ancient Rome that their name for the Greek hero is still the one used most often today. Roman emperors compared themselves to Hercules, hoping to emulate his position in the minds of their people. Hercules, however, is the Roman name for this great Greek hero. His famous twelve labors and the many other adventures he went on made him the epitome of strength and courage. When you think of heroes from the ancient world, Hercules is almost certainly one of the first names that comes to mind.
