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Hercules

File:Hercules_combatant_Achelous_(8655488835).jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Hercules (, ) 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.

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Hercules is the Roman name for the Greek hero Heracles, a son of the god Jupiter and a mortal woman, known in ancient stories for his extraordinary strength and many adventures. He matters because his character became a central figure in classical mythology and continues to be widely referenced in Western culture as a symbol of heroic strength and perseverance.

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Key facts

Deity.type
Roman
Deity.name
Hercules
Deity.image
Hercules combatant Achelous (8655488835).jpg
Deity.caption
Hercules battles Achelous, metamorphed into a serpent, 1824, by François Joseph Bosio. Louvre LL 325.
Deity.abode
Rome
Deity.symbol
Club, Nemean Lion, bow and arrows
Deity.parents
Jupiter and Alcmena
Deity.Greek_equivalent
Heracles
Deity.Etruscan_equivalent
Hercle
Deity.norse_equivalent
Hercules Magusanus

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Image
Antonio del Pollaiolo - Ercole e l'Idra e Ercole e Anteo - Google Art Project.jpg
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Commons category
Hercules
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~23 min read

Article

22 sections
Contents
  • Mythology
  • Birth and early life
  • Death
  • Roman era
  • Germanic association
  • Late ancient and medieval mythography
  • Renaissance mythography
  • Worship
  • Road of Hercules
  • Worship from women
  • Worship in myth
  • Hercules and the Roman triumph
  • In art
  • Roman era
  • Modern era
  • In numismatics
  • Military
  • Other cultural references
  • In films
  • See also
  • References
  • External links

Hercules (, ) 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.

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.

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