The Legend of Hercules Hercules: earliest descriptions of the constellation identify it as Engonasi, the kneeling one. Its representation of the most famous of Greek heroes, Hercules, wasn't recognized by astronomers in their stellar catalogs until well after 300 BC when Herodotus' uncle, the historian Panyassis sought to add another of the Argonauts to the stellar vault in the fifth century BC. Hercules wasn't connected with this constellation for several more years. For a star group so close to Thuban, the pole star of 2700 BC, surprisingly little history survives.
Mesopotamia: representation of Marduk, the patronal god of the city of Babylon in Ur whose cult replaced the cult of Bel. Marduk was the most popular Babylonian god in the fourteenth century BC and was considered the god from which all others derived their power. His popularity arose from his triumphant duel with Tiamat, the celestial Dragon, as he created all from Chaos. He is said to have brought order from Chaos when he slew the Dragon with his mace and cut her body into two parts. One part was placed above and became the heavens, one he placed below his feet and became the earth. Her breasts became the mountains, the Tigris and Euphrates flowed from her eyes, the sea sprang from her body, her blood was oil. He then made a path for the sun to follow, divided time into a calendar of twelve months of thirty days each and created man from the bones of Qingu, ally of and lover to Tiamat. All ziggurats were dedicated to Bel-Marduk. The most famous ziggurat, Esagila, in the city of Babylon became famous as the Tower of Babel. See the Mesopotamian legends of Andromeda, Cetus, Draco, Hydra and Perseus.
Greece: the legend of Hercules is perhaps one of the most well known stories in classical Greek mythology. The assignment of the constellation as Hercules was first depicted in a star atlas in 1485 in Venice. The figure appears in all illustrations with various trophies of his labors including his club, the Nemean lion's skin, the golden apples of the Hesperides, and the three heads of Cerberus, among others.Hercules was the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene, the granddaughter of Perseus and Andromeda. Hera, Zeus' wife, was understandably jealous of this tryst and plotted to kill Hercules when he was a child. All of her plans, including a giant snake sent to crush the infant, failed miserably. Reaching manhood, Hercules performed many feats of valor. For liberating Thebes from the Minyans, he was awarded the hand of Megara, Princess of Thebes. After three sons were born, Hera saw an opportunity for revenge. She made Hercules temporarily insane and he killed Megara and the children. For this terrible crime Hercules was to pay an equally terrible price. He became a slave to Eurystheus, King of Mycenae, who consulted with Hera to devise a list of twelve impossible tasks. Only if he successfully completed these tasks would he be cleansed of his crime.
The first of the Twelve Labors of Hercules was the slaying of the Nemean lion who roamed the valley of Nemea killing people and cattle. The only weapon Hercules had to overcome the brute was his strength. It took 30 days to strangle the animal. He removed its skin and returned to Eurystheus who trembled at the sight. Hercules took the lion to the sky and nailed the body in place with stars. He wore the lion's skin as a trophy.
Hydra was a many-headed sea snake who lived in the marshes of Lerna. It was the second task. When he found that cutting off one head meant two would grow in its place, Hercules burnt the heads off instead. The final head was immortal and was buried beneath a rock. As Hercules battled the snake, a tiny crab pinched his toes. (Thank you Hera!) He crushed the animal beneath his foot. Hera pitied the noble creature and placed it in the sky along the ecliptic.
The eleventh of Hercules' tasks was the theft of the golden apples of the Hesperides. Ladon, the dragon, was the guard of the tree that held the magical fruit. With no means of defeating the beast, Hercules asked the Titan Atlas for his assistance. Since Atlas was an immortal and the father of the Hesperides, he could approach the dragon with no difficulties. Atlas, who holds the heavenly vault on his shoulders, gave up his burden to Hercules and quickly returned with the apples. He did not, however, have any intention of returning to the punishment given to him by Zeus following the downfall of the Titans. Hercules assured Atlas that he had every intention of continuing to hold up the heavens but that he needed to put a pad on his shoulders to make it more comfortable. While Atlas took the heavens back, Hercules picked up the golden apples and left.
The constellations surrounding Hercules include Boötes as the Titan Atlas with the inclusion of the Corona Borealis as the globe on the giant's shoulders, Leo as the Nemean lion, Cancer the crab, Hydra the sea serpent and Draco as the defeated dragon, Ladon, who protected the golden apple tree of the Hesperides. See the Greek legends of Andromeda, Cancer, Centaurus, Draco, Hydra, Leo, Sagitta and Perseus.
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