Homeric Hymn to Heracles
the Lion-Hearted
Heracles, Zeus' son, I will celebrate, who, greatest and best
of those on earth, was born in Thebes' beautiful places,
Alcmene having slept with the black-clouded son of Cronus:
At one time, by lands and seas impossible to count,
He wandered, sent away by Lord Eurystheus,
Many things he did that were reckless, many things he suffered:
Now, however, in the beautiful abode of snowy Olympus
He dwells, enjoying himself with beautiful-ankled Hebe.
Farewell, lord, Zeus's son: grant both excellence and happiness
o Primary Written Source
o 8th Century BCE
o Greek Hymn – used for worship, religious
o Overall: shows link between Gods and mankind – Heracles represents both
o Heracles is the son of Zeus and Alcmene
o Divine ancestry is given importance in his depiction as a hero ~ mentioned as ‘Zeus’ son’ at
both beginning and end of hymn
o ‘greatest and best’ – superlatives, emphasis on his reputation and superhuman qualities
o ‘sent away by Lord Eurystheus’ – 12 Labours
o ‘reckless’: refers to him killing his family – shows that Greeks didn’t believe that their heroes
had to be perfect - human
o ‘suffering’: Greeks believed that their heroes had to suffer - human
o ‘Now’ - present
o ‘beautiful abode of snowy Olympus’ – Greeks believe Heracles has been deified
o ‘beautiful ankled-Hebe’ – Hebe = goddess of Youth ~ shows his link with the divine, also
reward for his suffering
o ‘grant both excellence and happiness’: shows Greeks admiration of Heracles
o He was once mortal but has ascended to status of a God
o They ask him for the ‘happiness and excellence’ that he now has
o Worship him as a GOD
the Lion-Hearted
Heracles, Zeus' son, I will celebrate, who, greatest and best
of those on earth, was born in Thebes' beautiful places,
Alcmene having slept with the black-clouded son of Cronus:
At one time, by lands and seas impossible to count,
He wandered, sent away by Lord Eurystheus,
Many things he did that were reckless, many things he suffered:
Now, however, in the beautiful abode of snowy Olympus
He dwells, enjoying himself with beautiful-ankled Hebe.
Farewell, lord, Zeus's son: grant both excellence and happiness
o Primary Written Source
o 8th Century BCE
o Greek Hymn – used for worship, religious
o Overall: shows link between Gods and mankind – Heracles represents both
o Heracles is the son of Zeus and Alcmene
o Divine ancestry is given importance in his depiction as a hero ~ mentioned as ‘Zeus’ son’ at
both beginning and end of hymn
o ‘greatest and best’ – superlatives, emphasis on his reputation and superhuman qualities
o ‘sent away by Lord Eurystheus’ – 12 Labours
o ‘reckless’: refers to him killing his family – shows that Greeks didn’t believe that their heroes
had to be perfect - human
o ‘suffering’: Greeks believed that their heroes had to suffer - human
o ‘Now’ - present
o ‘beautiful abode of snowy Olympus’ – Greeks believe Heracles has been deified
o ‘beautiful ankled-Hebe’ – Hebe = goddess of Youth ~ shows his link with the divine, also
reward for his suffering
o ‘grant both excellence and happiness’: shows Greeks admiration of Heracles
o He was once mortal but has ascended to status of a God
o They ask him for the ‘happiness and excellence’ that he now has
o Worship him as a GOD
