From the bloodline of Perseus, a mighty half-god
was born.
With the strength of a thousand men, he would
become the strongest, the greatest.
Slaying more monsters than any man or god,
He would triumph over mortals and the divine.
Hercules son of Zeus.
Once upon a time, the wondering eyes of lord
zeus, descended upon Alcmene, the beautiful
princess of Myceneae, and grand daughter of
Perseus.
Alcmene was already betrothed to her cousin,
Prince Amphitryon, who was at that time, away
at war.
The night before Amphitryon returned to announce
his victory, Zeus transformed himself into
Amphitryon, and visited Alcmene.
Knowing everything about the war, the god
recounted stories of the battle, just as the
real Amphitryon would.
And the unsuspecting Alcmene, welcomed him
joyously.
They slept together that night, and the princess
got pregnant by the god.
When the real Amphitryon returned, he also
laid with Alcmene, and also got her pregnant.
Alcmene visited the oracle of delphi, who
revealed to her, what had transpired.
She was carrying the son of Zeus, and the
son of Amphitryon.
When time came for the princess to give birth,
Zeus, knowing his son was supposed to come
first, decreed, that the descendant of perseus
to be born next, would become king of Myceneae.
But, Hera, had other plans.
Hera entered the house of Alcmene, and commanded
Elitheya, goddess of childbirth, to sit with
her legs crossed, so Heracles would not be
born.
She then visited Nicippe, the pregnant wife
of King Sthenelus, uncle to Amphityon and
Alcmene.
Although Nicippe's pregnancy was not to be
due, till after a few weeks, Hera put her
into labour, and she gave birth to a sickly
son, named Eurystheus.
Zeus saw he had been tricked, but he couldn't
go back on his word.
Eurystheus, would be king of Myceneae.
In his fury, Zeus scolded Elitheya, who jumped
in fear, thereby uncrossing her leg, allowing
Heracles to be born.
The birth of Amphitryon's son, Iphicles, followed
afterwards.
Now Zeus would not let his favorite son go
empty handed, so he blessed baby Heracles
with the strength of the gods.
Athena would further deceive hera, into amplifying
heracles' strength, without her knowing.
Fearing the wrath of Hera, Alcmene had abandoned
baby heracles, called Alcides at that time,
in the woods to die.
But Athena picked him up, and cunningly presented
him to hera as a motherless child, cleverly
invoking the motherly side of the queen goddess.
Hera, completely oblivious as to who the baby
was, breastfed him everyday, thus, increasing
the his already godly strength.
Soon, baby heracles had gotten enough nourishment
to grant him unimaginable raw strength.
One day, while being breastfed, he sucked
so hard on hera's nipples, that the goddess
whinced in pain, pushing him away.
It is said that hera's milk sprayed out into
the heavens, creating the milky way.
Athena afterwards, returned baby heracles
to Alcmene, who perhaps, having regretted
her actions, gladly took her baby back in.
In her last bid to appease hera, alcmene changed
his name from Alcides to Heracles, which meant
"for the glory of hera."
But hera would not be appeased.
When heracles turned 8 months old, Hera sent
2 water serpents to the house of Amphitryon,
to kill the son of zeus.
The serpents crawled into the bedroom of Heracles
and his younger brother Iphicles, and as soon
as little iphicles sighted the snakes, he
cried out, alerting the servants.
However, when the servant ran to the scene,
the serpents were already dead.
Little heracles had strangled the serpents,
crushing them with his tiny hands, holding
them up in each hand, for all to see.
Marveled by this astonishing feat, Amphitryon
sought the advice of the blind prophet, Tiresias,
who then foretold that Heracles would go on
to slay many more monsters during his lifetime.
Thus, young heracles was tutored by the best
teachers, and trained by the best warriors,
the most famous being his step father Amphitryon,
and the wise centaur chiron.
