Herc is without a doubt the most
famous of the Greek heroes, so much so that other heroes’ stories have written
him into their tales to gain more popularity. Jason brings Herc along for the
quest of the golden fleece, at least part of the way. Theseus writes himself
into the story of Hercules and Hippolyta. Herc is the man, but why? What sets
him apart?
Hercules, like many heroes, has a
life marked by tragedy. We can bring up any of the Greek heroes and show the
tragedy in their lives with no difficulty. Odysseus was away from home for 20
years, Perseus had to stop his mom from getting raped, Achilles lost his BFF
Patroclus, and so on and so on.
Tragedy alone is no big thing to the
Greeks. They thrive on it. But Herc is different in himself. Whereas most Greek
heroes invite tragedy because of their hubris, Herc is set upon by Hera from
the outset. And instead of lashing back in anger and pride, he accepts that he
must make amends for what he’s done—even though he isn’t responsible! If there
was ever a case of temporary insanity, it was when Hera made him kill Megara
and his children. Yet he feels responsible all the same.
He endures Eurystheus setting not
just the labors themselves, but the conditions for successfully completing
them. He must be humble. He must show wisdom over the use of prowess. It’s true
that the Greeks value intelligence and cunning—just look at Odysseus—but
humility and seeking redemption for a crime he’s not responsible for is not Greek.
Yet it is Hercules. He is unique
among Greek heroes, reaching godhood because of his unique traits. These are
what make him worthy; this is what Zeus saw in him. There were many heroes to
come after Hercules, but none of them ever reached the same status because none
of them followed the same ideals that Hercules espoused.