Heracles
by Alejandro Valdez
Heracles, also know as Hercules to the Romans, was the most famous Greek and Roman hero. He was born in the early 500's BC. His father was the great god of gods named Zeus and his mother was Alcmene, who was the grandaughter of Perseus. In the Perseid home their was going to be another child born and Zeus swore that he was going to be the next ruler of Greece. But the evil jealous wife of Zeus, Hera, put a trick on the family which was that a sickly child should be born and that was Eurystheus. He was the one that became king of Greece.
When Heracles was born he had to serve Eurystheus because he was Heracles' king. Ever since Heracles was born, he had a big enemy and that was Hera the jealous wife of Zeus. When Heracles was a child he was attacked by two serpents which were sent by Hera. They were supposed to strangle Heracles, but he killed the two serpents. Later in the years he got married to a royal princess named Megara and had a family, but Heracles killed his family and wife because of an evil madness sent by Hera. After this incident happened he was obliged to become servants of Eurytheus.
Eurytheus imposed 12 labours upon Heracles: the Nemean Lion, the Hydra of Ledra, the Boar of Erymonthus, the Hind of Ceryneia, the Birds of Slympholus, the Stables of Augeias, the Cretan Bull, the Horses of Diomedes, the Girdle of the Amazon, the Cattle of Geryon, the Dog Cerbeus, and the Apples of the Hesperides. When he had finished doing what Eurytheus had told him to do with the 12 Labours he had to fight the river god Achelous for the hand of Deianeira. When he was taking her home the Centaur tried to violate her but Heracles shot him with a great poison arrow. When he was dying he told Deianeira to keep his blood from his wound and that anyone who got rubbed with his blood would fall in love with her forever.
Later in the years Heracles fell in love with Iole, daughter of Eurytheus, king of Oechalia. When Deianeira found out she got jealous because she wanted Heracles for herself. Then she remembered that she sent Heracles a garment smeared with Centaur's blood. But the blood was poisoned, and killed Heracles, the great son of the god Zeus.
Source Book: Encyclopedia Britannica
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