Hercules

Hercules (/ˈhɜːrkjʊˌliːz/, US: /-kjə-/) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.

This article is about Hercules in Roman classical mythology. For the Greek divine hero from which Hercules was adapted, see Heracles. For other uses, see Hercules (disambiguation).

Hercules
God of strength and heroes
Hercules battles Achelous, metamorphed into a serpent, 1824, by François Joseph Bosio. Louvre LL 325.
AbodeRome
SymbolClub, Nemean Lion, bow and arrows
ParentsJupiter and Alcmena
ConsortJuventas
Equivalents
Greek equivalentHeracles
Norse equivalentHercules Magusanus
Etruscan equivalentHercle

The Romans adapted the Greek hero's iconography and myths for their literature and art under the name Hercules. In later Western art and literature and in popular culture, Hercules is more commonly used than Heracles as the name of the hero. Hercules is a multifaceted figure with contradictory characteristics, which enabled later artists and writers to pick and choose how to represent him. This article provides an introduction to representations of Hercules in the later tradition.

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