Heracles
Greek · demigod · heroic age · demigod
The defining test case for the registry — pre/post-apotheosis lifecycle, mortal-and-divine wives, ~50 named children across four geographies, dynastic descent into historical record, multiple syncretic identifications, the most loaded iconography in the Greek corpus.
Parentage
Children
- Alexiares
- Anicetus
- Hyllus
- Lamus
- Telephus
- Alopius
- Amestrius
- Antiades
- Antileon
- Antimachus
- Antiphus
- Archedicus
- Archemachus
- Astyanax
- Astybies
- Atromus
- Bucolus
- Buleus
- Capylus
- Celeustanor
- Cleolaus
- Creon
- Dynastes
- Entelides
- Erasippus
- Erythras
- Eumedes
- Eurycapys
- Euryopes
- Eurypylus
- Halocrates
- Hippeus
- Hippodromus
- Hippozygus
- Homolippus
- Iobes
- Laomedon
- Laomenes
- Leucippus
- Leucones
- Lycurgus
- Lyncaeus
- Mentor
- Nephus
- Nicodromus
- Oestrobles
- Olympus
- Onesippus
- Patroclus
- Phalias
- Polylaus
- Teles
- Teleutagoras
- Threpsippas
- Tigasis
- Macaria
- Tlepolemus
Domains
- labor
- gateway protection
- athletic contest
- threshold
- monster slaying
- apotheosis deification
Powers
- physical strength extreme
- endurance superhuman
- wrestling skill
- archery skill
- Slay beasts with bare hands and overwhelming might
- Ascend from the funeral pyre to immortality and Olympus
- Ascend to godhood / become immortal
- Exert superhuman strength
Epithets
- ἀλεξίκακος
- καλλίνικος
- θηροκτόνος
- Καλλίνικος
- Ἀλεξίκακος
- Μελάμπυγος
- Βουφάγος
- Σωτήρ
Relations
- companion: Iphicles
- killer of: Hippolyta
- killer of: Calais
- killer of: Zetes
- killer of: Neleus
- killer of: Linus
- enemy: Eurystheus
- enemy: Hera
- ally: Athena
- companion: Iolaus
- former spouse: Megara
- spouse: Deianira
- lover: Omphale
- lover: Auge
- spouse: Hebe
- interpretatio: Melqart
- interpretatio: Santa
- syncretism: Verethragna
- equated with: Vahagn
- equated with: Nergal
- interpretatio: Strongman Forefather (Scythian Heracles)
- lover: Astyoche