HERCULES, her'-cit-lbs, called He'racles by the Greeks, a celebrated hero deified' after death, was son of Jupiter and Alemena (q. v.), and was, by the artifice of Juno, subjected to King Eurystheus of Argos and Mycenm. He was reared at Tirynthus, or Thebes, and, at eight years, boldly crushed two serpents sent by Juno to kill him, while his brother Iphiclus (q. v.) alarmed the house with his shrieks. He was taught fighting by Castor, shooting by Eurytus, driving by Autoly'cus, singing by Eumolpus, and the lyre by Linus. At eighteen Hercules went to King Thesplus of Thespis (by whose fifty daughters he became father of fifty children), to slay a lion which ravaged the district of Mount Cith,eron. After this success he delivered his country from an annual tribute of one hundred oxen to Erginus q. v.), whom he killed, and received in marriage the daughter of King Creon of Thebes. To check his rising fame, Eurystheus (q. v.) ordered him to appear at Mycenm, and imposed on him the famous Twelve Labours of Hercules ; the hero refused, whereupon he was punished with Juno by mania, and murdered his children by Meggra. On becoming sane, he retired into solitude ; but, being told by Apollo's oracle that he must be for twelve years subservient to Eurystheus and would be deified after achieving his labours, he went to Myceuw to perform them. Hercules received from Minerva a coat of arms and helmet, from Mercury a sword, from Neptune a horse, from Jupiter a shield, from Apollo a bow and arrows, and from Vulcan a golden cuirass and brazen bus kins ; and he also bore a famous club of brass, or of wood cut by himself in the forest of Nemma. Thus armed he performed these twelve labours— (a.) He killed the lion of Nentrea (q. v.), at which Eurystheus was so astonished that he forbade Hercules entering within the city, and he made himself a brazen vessel to retire within for safety ; (a.) he killed the Lernman Hydra (q. v.); (3.) he brought alive and unhurt to Eurystheus a stag, famous for swiftness, golden horns, and brazen feet, which haunted the neighbourhood of CEnoe after a year he entrapped it, and appeased Diana, who was indignant at an animal sacred to her being molested; (4.) he brought alive to Eurystheus the wild boar which ravaged the district of Erymanthus, and in this expedition destroyed the Centauri (q. v.); (5•) fie cleaned the stables of Augias (q. v.); (6.) he killed the carnivorous birds of Lake Stylni5halus (q. v.); (7.) he brought alive an enormous wild bull which laid waste Crete ; (S.) he ob tained the flesh-eating mares of Diomedes (a, q. v,); (9.) he obtained the girdle of the Amazonian queen lizAho/Yei (q. v.); (so.) he killed the monster Geryon (q. v.) ; (is.) he obtained the golden apples of the Hes,,Oirido (q. v.); (12.) he dragged on earth the three headed dog Cerberus, having promised Pluto to employ no arms against the monster, and he again restored him to hell : Hercules had descezded into Tartarus by a cave near Mount Tmnilms, and was also allowed to carry away his friends Theseus and Pirith5us. Hercules also of his own accord performed some great achievements (see Cacus, Antecus, Eryx, Atlas, Ablda, &c.) He accompanied the Argonauts before he delivered himself up to Eurystheus, assisted the gods against the Gzganteo (q. v.), conquered Lamm:don (q. v.), and murdered 1:˘hitus (q. v.) in a fit of insanity. After being purified from this murder, he was visited by a disorder which obliged him to apply to Delphi ; and, from the boldness with which he was received by the Pythia, he re solved to plunder the temple ; a conflict ensued with Apollo, which was ended by the inter ference of Jupiter with his thunderbolts, and Hercules was informed by the oracle that he must be sold, and remain three years a slave to recover from his disorder. He complied, and
Mercury, by Jupiter's order, conducted him to Qmen Omphale of Lydia, who purchased him ; but, surprised at his exploits and grateful for his clearing the country from robbers, she set him free and married him. Hercules had by her Agelaus and Lamon (ancestor of Ciwsus), and, by one of her maids, Alceus. After the three years he returned to Pelopon nest's and restored Tynd5rus, who had been expelled by Hippoc5on, to the Spartan throne ; and he married Deianira after overcoming her other suitors (see ACHELOOS), Having acci dentally killed a man, he had to leave Calydon before the hunting of the boar, and retired to King Ceyx of Trachinia, who purified hint of the homicide ; and on the way, when crossing the Evenus, killed Nessus for insulting Deianira (q. v.). Hercules, -to avenge his having been once refused the hand of Jilt (q. v.), killed her father EurVus and his three sons, and seized Isle, whom he took with him to Mount (Eta, where he wished to raise an altar and offer sacrifice to Jupiter. He sent Lichas to Deianira for a proper dress for sacrifice, and she, to recall his affections to herself from Iole, sent him, as a philtre, the robe of Nessus, which she did not know was poisoned. As soon as Hercules put it on, he was attacked with incurable pains ; he implored the pro tection of Jupiter, gave his bow to Philocates, erected a large funeral pile on Mount (Eta, and calmly directed Philoctetes (or Pwan, or Hyllus) to set it on fire when he had ascended it. Jupiter, with the approbation of the gods, suddenly surrounded the pile with smoke ; and Hercules, after his mortal parts were totally consumed, was carried up to heaven in a chariot drawn by four horses, amidst peals of thunder, and his friends raised an altar where the burning pile had stood. Mencetius sacri ficed to him a bull, a wild boar, and goat, and ordered the people of Opus to annually observe the same ceremonies. His worship soon be came general, and his temples were magnificent. The white poplar was sacred to him. Hercules is generally represented naked, but occasionally covered with the skin of the Nemman lion, and holding a knotted club in his hands, on which he often leans. At times he is crowned with, poplar-leaves, and holds the horn of plenty under his arm ; and, at others, he is standing with Cupid, who breaks to pieces his arrows and his club, to intimate the power of love over the hero, who suffered himself to be beaten and ridiculed by Omphale, while she dressed herself in his armour and set him to spin with her handmaids. After being deified. Hercules was reconciled to Juno, who had persecuted him in life, and received from her Had in marriage. His offspring on earth, the Hera clide (q. v.), conquered the Peloponnesus after various unsuccessful attempts. He was father of Deictian and Therhneichas by Megara; Ole siMus by Astydamia ; Palemon by Autoniie Everes by Parthen5pe ; Hyllus, G1ycisoneeeS, Gyneus, and Odites by Deianira; Thesscilus by Chalciiipe ; Thestalns by Epicastia ; Tic polenzus by Asty5che ; Agathyrsus, Celan, and Scytha by Echidna, &c. Hercules was regarded by the ancients as the model of virtue and piety ; and "tlio choice of Hercules" the preference of virtue to pleasure, as de scribed by Xenophon, is well known. I. A promontory of the Bruttii, now Start/ye/do. 2. FRETUM, frit'-finz, the Straits of Gibraltar, between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.