Hercules

Megan Hoorn Douglas Hunter Ashlee Jed
 * Group Members:**

Hercules was a Greek hero and the son of the god Zeus and the mortal woman Alemena. He was raised by his adoptive father Amphitryon. Hera, Zeus' immortal wife, tries to kill Hercules when he was an infant by sending two serpents. The serpents do not succeed in killing Hercules, in fact the exact opposite happens, he strangles each of the snakes, one in each hand. Later in his life, Hercules marries Megara with whom he had two children. In another attempt to ruin his life, Hera induced a rage upon Hercules which caused him to kill his children and wife. Aside from what Hera started, Hercules was known for his brutal personality. Hercules was educated on many different levels. Rhadamanthys taught him the basics, Linus taught him music (Hercules later kills him with his lyre on accident), Autolycus taught him how to fight, and Kastor taught him how to use weapons. When Hercules was 18, he killed a lion that kept killing Amphitryon's herd. His most popular story is the one of his twelve labors. The first labor was to kill the Nemean lion. The second labor was to kill the hydra, a nine-headed beast whose heads regenerate when they're cut off. The third labor was to capture the deer of Kyrenia. The fourth labor was to capture the Erymanthian boar. The fifth labor was to clean King Augeias' stables in one day. The sixth labor was to kill the Stymphalian bird. The seventh labor was to capture King Diomedes man-eating horses. The ninth labor was to obtain the girdle of Hippolytes. The tenth labor was to bring back the cattle of Ceryon. The eleventh labor was to obtain the apples of the Herperides and the final labor was to capture Cerberus, the three headed dog. "Heracles, Hercules, Greece, Greek Mythology." in2greece.com - Travel Guide to Greece, Greek Islands, History, Mythology, and Maps. Web. 25 Sept. 2011. []


 * Starting Points to Consider:**
 * How did Herakles and Harry have similar upbringings, personalities, adversaries, challenges, tasks?


 * What elements, motifs, characters, creatures, themes, settings, events, or symbols in stories of Herakles are similar to Harry’s? To other stories or books?


 * What allusions to Herakles can you find in music, modern texts, film, pop culture?