The son of the immortal Zeus, born by the unholy union of Zeus and a mortal woman, Alcmene, Hercules is one special character. He is supposedly the gift of the gods to end the tyranny of Amphitryon...
at least, that is what the movie I saw said. But when I did a little search, I found that Amphitryon wasn't at all a tyrant. He was a good man, a loyal and well respected Theban General who raised Hercules as his own blood.
Then I began to ask the question, why exactly was Hercules born? Why would Zeus, "the king of the gods" decide to have an affair with a mortal woman knowing fully well the extent of Hera's rage and Jealousy.
Apparently, Hercules was not the first, and he definitely wasn't the last bastard seed of Zeus. Zeus was a really promiscuous god who had an insatiable desire for love and lust with both mortal and immortal beings. His affairs resulted in the birth of many demigods like Helen of Troy, Perseus, etc.
Zeus would disguise himself in various forms in other to gain access to his desired woman. It is said that he took the form of Amphityron in other to plant his seed into Alcmene.
So, Hercules was Just another mistake that Zeus made. Another bastard child in a pool of bastard children. Hera was mad with rage when she found out about Hercules and cursed him with a rage that drove him mad.
In his madness he killed his wife Megara and their children. When he came to himself, his guilt drove him to the 12 impossible challenges of Hercules. He was tasked with fighting and killing mythical creatures like the Neamean lion, the Erymanthian Boar, etc... These challenges are sometimes called the 12 labors of Hercules.
Was there anything special about Hercules other than the fact that he had exceptional strength? Well, yes! Hercules was known to show perseverance and sheer determination in the face of hardness and adversity. He was not one to back down from something because it was difficult.
It got me wondering, what part of Hercules was most remarkable? His Ironclad body or his mind? He didn't just fight with brute strength, he showed remarkable wits and courage, traits that characterize a superior mind and intellect.
I came to the conclusion that as a person, you must have a remarkable mind and an outstanding body. None is more important than the other. A remarkable mind tells you to take care of your body because if the body fails, the mind will have no outlet to express the excellent thoughts.
As a young man, it is easy to think that I have time on my side and I can do whatever i like with my body because i am still young... that would only be the result of a weak mind.
A strong mind knows that the body is only mortal and needs to be taken care of, needs to be trained and exercised. That is what I see with Hercules. It didn't matter that he was the result of Adultery, it didn't matter in his mind. What mattered was being able to make the most of what he had... and that is why Hercules remains a Legend even among the gods on Mount Olympus.
