Hercules (English spelling)

Japanese: ヘラクレス（英語表記）Hēraklēs

A hero in Greek mythology. He was the son of Zeus, who had sex with Alcmene while her husband Amphitryon was away, disguised as her. Zeus had destined him to become king of Mycenae, but Hera prevented him from doing so, and he was forced to serve Eurystheus, who had taken his place. Hera then tried to kill the baby Hercules by sending two snakes to his cradle, but Hercules calmly grabbed them with both hands and strangled him to death. He first achieved many feats in his hometown of Thebes, and was given the daughter of King Creon as his wife, but he became possessed by a madness sent by Hera and killed all of her children. To cleanse himself of this sin, he had to perform 12 labors ordered by Eurystheus. After completing 12 feats, including the slaying of the lion of Nemea and the water snake Hydra of the Lernean marsh, he returned to Thebes and married Megara to his faithful servant, his nephew Iolaus, and tried to marry King Eurytus' daughter Iole, but was refused. This led him to kill Iole's brother Iphitus, and to atone for his sin, he sold himself as a slave to Omphale, queen of Lydia. After many adventures, he went to Calydon, where he fought and defeated the river god Achelous, who was courting Deianira, the daughter of King Oeneus, and married her. He then attacked and destroyed Eurytus, and became fond of Iole, whom he had taken prisoner. When Deianira heard of this, she sent her to Hercules, smearing her underwear with the blood of the centaur Nessus, who had been shot to death by Hercules while trying to rape her, as an elixir to restore his love. However, the blood was actually highly poisonous, so Heracles, wearing only his undergarments, suffered terribly. He built a pile of firewood on the top of Mount Aetus and was burned to death on it. However, only the mortal part of him that he inherited from his mother was burned in the fire. His divinity, which he inherited from Zeus, was released and rose to the heavens. He was reconciled with Hera, who had tormented him in life, and was given her daughter Hebe as a wife, and he joined the ranks of the Olympian gods.

Hercules
Herod

Greek tragedy by Euripides, written around 418 BCE. While Hercules was away in the underworld to capture and bring back Cerberus, the dog of hell, at the end of his 12 labors, his father Amphitryon, his wife Megara, and their three children were nearly killed by Lycus, who had killed Megara's father King Creon and taken the throne in Thebes, and they clung to the altar of Zeus. When Hercules returned, he killed Lycus and saved his family, but was possessed by the madness sent by the goddess Hera and accidentally killed his own wife and children. Eventually, he regained his senses and attempted suicide in despair, but was comforted by his best friend Theseus and stopped, going to Athens to be purified.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

ギリシア神話の英雄。ゼウスがアルクメネと，彼女の夫アンフィトリュオンの留守中にその姿をかりて交わってもうけた子。ゼウスからミケーネの王位につく運命を与えられるはずであったが，ヘラに妨害され，彼に代ってその運命を得たエウリュステウスに家臣として仕えなければならなくされた。そのうえヘラは，赤子のヘラクレスの揺り籠に2匹のへびを送って彼を亡き者にしようとしたが，ヘラクレスは平然とそれを両手でつかみ，絞め殺したという。まず生れ故郷のテーベで数々の手柄を立て，クレオン王の娘メガラを妻に与えられたが，ヘラに送られた狂気に取りつかれて，彼女の産んだ子供たちを皆殺しにしてしまい，その罪を清めるため，エウリュステウスの命じる 12の難業を果さなければならないことになった。ネメアのライオン退治，レルネの沼の水へびヒュドラ退治など，12の功業を終えたあとテーベに帰り，メガラを自分の忠実な従者である甥のイオラオスと結婚させ，自分はエウリュトス王の娘イオレを妻にしようとしたが拒否され，このことが原因でイオレの兄弟イフィトスを殺害し，その罪を償うため，自分をリュディアの女王オムファレに奴隷として売った。なお多くの冒険を重ねた末カリュドンに行き，オイネウス王の娘デイアネイラに求婚していた河神アケロオスと戦って勝ち，デイアネイラと結婚したが，その後エウリュトスを攻め滅ぼし，捕虜にしたイオレを寵愛するようになった。このことを知ったデイアネイラは，かつて彼女を犯そうとしてヘラクレスに射殺されたケンタウロスのネッソスから愛を取戻す秘薬としてもらった血を肌着に塗りつけてヘラクレスのところに送った。ところがこの血は実は猛毒だったため，肌着を身に着けたヘラクレスは猛烈に苦しみ，オイテ山の頂上に薪の山を築き，その上で焼死をとげた。しかしこの火で焼かれたのは，ただ彼が母から受継いだ可死の部分で，ゼウスに由来する彼の神性は解放されて天にのぼり，生前彼を苦しめ続けたヘラとも和解して，その娘ヘベを妻に与えられ，オリュンポスの神々の仲間入りをしたといわれる。

ヘラクレス
Hēraklēs

ギリシアのエウリピデスの悲劇。前 418年頃の作品。ヘラクレスが 12の難業の最後に地獄の犬ケルベロスを捕えて連れてくるために冥府に下った留守の間に，父アンフィトリュオンと妻メガラと3人の子供たちがテーベで，メガラの父クレオン王を殺して王位についたリュコスによって殺されそうになり，ゼウスの祭壇にすがりつく。そこへ帰ったヘラクレスはリュコスを殺して家族を助けるが，ヘラ女神の送った狂気にとりつかれて，自分の妻子をもあやまって殺してしまう。やがて正気に返った彼は絶望のあまり自殺をはかるが，親友テセウスに慰められて思いとどまり，アテネへ行って清めを受けるという筋。

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