Héraclès

Heracles is a half-god of Greek mythology, son of the god of the Zeus gods. Although widely regarded as a hero throughout ancient Greece and endowed with true moral values, he committed many murders and reprehensible acts throughout his life, although not out of a desire to do evil, simply because of his brutal, unreasonable and stubborn nature.

Youth and early life
Heracles is descended from Perseus, whose son Alcée (the fort) gave birth to Amphitryon, the foster father of Heracles. On the other hand, Electryon (the brilliant), another son of Perseus, was the father of Alcmène (the strong one). Heracles will be born under the double sign of strength and light. In fact he has a divine kinship since his biological father is Zeus who wanted to give himself a son capable of being a powerful protector for Immortals and mortals alike. Zeus went down to the city of Thebes at night, and there, having taken the shape of Amphitryon, he joined his wife. When Amphitryon returned shortly after a victorious expedition, he threw himself into his wife's arms. From these two successive unions, Alcmène would conceive two false twins: Heracles and Iphicles.

His birth was difficult because of Hera, who delayed him and did not hesitate a few months later to send two snakes to devour him in his cradle; but he suffocated them with his bare hands.

He then received a solid military, sports and artistic education, but he was a difficult pupil because he accidentally killed his music teacher.

By the time he had reached his eighteenth year, Heracles was sent to the countryside where he undertook to kill the lion of Citheron who was decimating the herds of Amphitryon and his neighbour, King Thespios.

He received a sword from Hermes as a gift, a bow and arrows from Apollo, a golden bib of Hephaestus and Athena gave him a tunic. But generally Heracles is easily recognizable by the lion's skin that covers him and his club.

Armed with his club, he exterminated throughout the world, robbers and monsters of all kinds, he fought tyrants, and the gods themselves. On the "Around Heracles" page you will find a list of all those who are involved in the hero's business, here is a brief summary.

After various exploits he went to Thebes, where he married Megara, daughter of Créon, whom he killed with their common children in a madness.

To atone for this crime, he had to obey King Eurysthaeus, who imposed on him a series of trials, which were called the "twelve works" of Heracles (of Hercules)

Works of Hercules
According to the authors, the order of "work" differs; the following list was taken from Apollodore (II, 5,1 ff):

1) Getting rid of the lion of Nemea;

2) Defeat  the hydra of Lerne;

3) the Cerynite doe;

4) the wild boar of Erymanthe;

5) Clean the stables of Augias;

6) Kill Stymphale Lake birds;

7) the Cretan bull;

8) the removal of the cavals of Diomedes;

9) Bring back the belt of the Amazon Hippolyte;

10) the battle against Geryon;

11) Hercules with Atlas in the garden of the Hesperides;

12) Cerberus to be chained.

Sequence of his life
Finally, he married Déjanire, whom he abandoned for Iolé. Déjanire sent her fickle husband a tunic dipped in the poisoned blood of Nessos. As soon as he put on the garment, he felt his flesh burning and saw his body burned up. Then he set up a stake on Mount Oeta, and threw himself into the flames.

Finally, he was admitted to Olympus, received immortality and married Hebe, the goddess of youth.

Acts of wickedness

 * Heracles killed Linos, his music teacher, who wanted to punish him for his mediocrity, with a blow of Lyre, stool, stone or plectrum according to the versions.
 * He mutilates a regiment of soldiers, emissaries of King Erginos because they had disrespected him.
 * He killed his entire family in a madness provoked by Hera. He will go out and do twelve jobs to make amends.
 * He slaughtered several centaurs and even his master Chiron, for he had stubbornly tried to taste an amphora of wine guarded by the centaur Pholos for other centaurs. This act also causes the death of Pholos, who inadvertently injures himself with an arrow of Heracles and dies instantly.
 * He killed King Diomedes by throwing him away while he was captured and tied in pasture to his own cannibal mares who shred him.
 * He assassinates Queen Hippolyte impulsively following a trick of Hera, believing that she betrayed him when he learns that the Amazons attack him.