Heracles is the god of strength and heros, and arguably the most significant god in Greek mythology. He is most widely known for his incredible courage, strength, and determination, and his completion of twelve labors. Heracles are often portrayed as a symbol of strength and perseverance. His myths and stories also had a tremendous impact on Greek art and literature, influencing the wider spread of heroism in stories and tales, as well as the triumph of good over evil. Heracles was born to Zeus, the god of sky and thunder, and a mortal woman, Alcmene, the granddaughter of Perseus. This made Heracles a demigod; however his affair heavily angered Zeus's wife Hera, causing her to declare war upon Heracles shortly after he was born. Accordingly, Hera sent out many different opponents to try to kill Heracles as he got older, the first being two …show more content…
Heracles had to defeat the Nemean Lion by using his astounding strength and resourcefulness. The beast had a golden, impenetrable fur that no weapon could pierce. He strangled the lion with his own bare hands, then used its own claws to de-skin it. Thus was born one of his most iconic symbols, Heracles, wearing the lion's skin as armor. Another memorable and famous one of Heracles's tasks was defeating and slaying a nine-headed hydra. His first plan was to just cut off the heads of the hydra, including the immortal head. However, he quickly discovered that when he cut off a head, two more would grow back. So instead, along with the help of his nephew Iolaus, Heracles would sever the head while Iolaus would then categorize the stump with fire, preventing more from growing back. "When only the immortal head remained, Heracles cut it off too and buried it under a heavy rock. Further, he dipped his arrows in the beast’s poisonous blood (or venom) to be able to inflict fatal wounds" (Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Hydra" - "The