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HERAKLES
There is more material available on Herakles than any other Greek god or
hero. His story has many more episodes than those of other heroes, con-
cerning his life and death as well as his battles with myriad monsters and
other opponents. In literature, he appears in our earliest Greek epic and
lyric poetry, is reinvented for the tragic and comic stage, and later finds his
way into such unlikely areas as philosophical writing and love poetry. In
art, his exploits are amongst the earliest identifiable mythological scenes,
and his easily recognisable figure with lionskin and club was a familiar
sight throughout antiquity in sculpture, vase-painting and other media. He
was held up as an ancestor and role-model for both Greek and Roman rul-
ers, and widely worshipped as a god, his unusual status as a hero-god being
reinforced by the story of his apotheosis. Often referred to by his Roman
name Hercules, he has continued to fascinate writers and artists right up
to the present day.
In Herakles, Emma Stafford has successfully tackled the ‘Herculean task’
of surveying both the ancient sources and the extensive modern schol-
arship in order to present a hugely accessible account of this important
mythical figure. Covering both Greek and Roman material, the book high-
lights areas of consensus and dissent, indicating avenues for further study
on both details and broader issues. Easy to read, Herakles is perfectly suited
to students of classics and related disciplines, and of interest to anyone
looking for an insight into ancient Greece’s most popular hero.
Emma Stafford is Senior Lecturer in Classics at the University of Leeds. Her
research and teaching interests lie in Greek cultural history, especially reli-
gion, myth and art. She is author of Worshipping Virtues: Personification
and the Divine in Ancient Greece (2000), and Life, Myth and Art in Ancient
Greece (2004), and co-editor of Personification in the Greek World (2005).
She has also written numerous articles on Greek religion and iconography.
Gods and Heroes of the Ancient World
Series editor Susan Deacy
Roehampton University
Routledge is pleased to present an exciting new series, Gods and Heroes
of the Ancient World. These figures from antiquity are embedded in our
culture, many functioning as the source of creative inspiration for poets,
novelists, artists, composers and filmmakers. Concerned with their mul-
tifaceted aspects within the world of ancient paganism and how and why
these figures continue to fascinate, the books provide a route into under-
standing Greek and Roman polytheism in the 21st century.
These concise and comprehensive guides provide a thorough under-
standing of each figure, offering the latest in critical research from the lead-
ing scholars in the field in an accessible and approachable form, making
them ideal for undergraduates in Classics and related disciplines.
Each volume includes illustrations, time charts, family trees and maps
where appropriate.
Also available:
Aphrodite Medea
Monica S. Cyrino Emma Griffiths
Apollo Dionysos
Fritz Graf Richard Seaford
Perseus Oedipus
Daniel Ogden Lowell Edmunds
Athena
Susan Deacy Forthcoming:
Diana
Zeus
Fay Glinister
Ken Dowden
Prometheus
Carol Dougherty
Susan Deacy is Lecturer in Greek History and Literature at Roehampton
University. Her main research interests are Greek religion, and gender and
sexuality. Publications include the co-edited volumes Rape in Antiquity
(1997), and Athena in the Classical World (2001), and the monograph A
Traitor to Her Sex? Athena the Trickster (forthcoming).
HERAKLES
Emma Stafford
First published 2012
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2012 Emma Stafford.
The right of Emma Stafford to be identified as author of this work
has been asserted by her in accordance with sections
77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted
or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented,
including photocopying and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from
the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Stafford, Emma.
Herakles/Emma Stafford.
p. cm.—(Gods and heroes of the ancient world)
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
1. Heracles (Greek mythology) I. Title.
BL820.H5S83 2011
398.20938—dc23
2011023977
ISBN: 978–0–415–30067–4 (hbk)
ISBN: 978–0–415–30068–1 (pbk)
ISBN: 978–0–203–15245–4 (ebk)
Typeset in Utopia
by Swales & Willis Ltd, Exeter, Devon
For Gabriella
CONTENTS
Series foreword xi
Acknowledgements xv
List of figures xvii
Abbreviations and conventions xix
Maps and genealogical table xxii
Foreword: Why Herakles? xxv
WHY HERAKLES? 1
INTRODUCING HERAKLES 3
Telling the story 3
Synopsis of the myth 4
Explaining Herakles 8
Contexts and sources 15
Overview 19
KEY THEMES 21
1 MONSTERS AND THE HERO I: THE TWELVE LABOURS 23
The strong man figure and monster-fighting 23
Development of the canon of labours 24
Individual labours 30
Overview 49
2 MONSTERS AND THE HERO II: OTHER BATTLES 51
A wealth of opponents 51
Early exploits 52
Strong men and transgressors 55
viii CONTENTS
Strange beasts 68
Overview 78
3 THE TRAGIC HERO 79
A complex character 79
Early tragedy 80
Sophokles: death and deification 80
Euripides: madness and family values 87
Visual reflections of tragedy 96
Roman adaptations 98
Overview 103
4 VICE OR VIRTUE INCARNATE 104
From monster-slaying to comedy, philosophy and romance 104
The comic hero 105
Herakles intellectualized 117
The romantic hero 130
Overview 136
5 POLITICAL HERAKLES 137
The art of political legitimation 137
Herakles as ancestor and ideal ruler 137
Herakles the founder 156
Tyranny and democracy at Athens 163
Overview 170
6 WORSHIP OF THE HERO-GOD 171
Herakles heros-theos 171
Rituals and remains 175
The Roman cult of Hercules 194
Overview 197
HERAKLES AFTERWARDS 199
7 POST-CLASSICAL VARIATIONS 201
The afterlife of a hero 201
Herakles/Hercules and the Christians 202
Telling Hercules’ story I: Renaissance literature 206
Hercules’ image reborn: art from the Renaissance onwards 209
CONTENTS ix
Herculean politics 218
From monarch to revolutionary: Hercules in France 221
Telling Hercules’ story II: literature from the seventeenth
century on 225
Hercules the movie star 232
Conclusion: Herakles/Hercules now 239
Notes 245
Glossary 263
Further Reading 266
Works Cited 272
Index 295
Description:"There is more material available on Herakles than any other Greek god or hero. His story has many more episodes than those of other heroes, concerning his life and death as well as his battles with myriad monsters and other opponents. In literature, he appears in our earliest Greek epic and lyric p
