The Historical Herakles

[Travis Clementsmith]

There was a time, in the not too distant past, when I would have called the figure, Herakles, a myth. I considered Herakles a literary construction meant to symbolize ideas and ideals often given a divine prominence or in a classic “Hero” role meant to exemplify the best in humans in a broad sense. But, after a debate about the historicity of Jesus, it was pointed out my methodology was my downfall in determining the probable historicity of Jesus. That I focus too much on the “gaps” between evidence, that the style of prose made it unfair to assign Jesus to a purely mythical nature, and that if I used the correct criterion, the historicity ought to be quite clear.

Well, if this is all that is required, then it ought to be applied equally to all such figures. I decided to test it out regarding Herakles. Of course, Herakles lived at a time where the transmission, preservation and style of prose were even more primitive than the time of Jesus. So, we should be even more lenient when we take this into account, not less. Even with such a handicap, using the criterions we ought, I think the case for Herakles is just as, if not more, convincing than the case for Jesus.

Herakles is alleged to have been born September 7, 1251 BCE, under a solar eclipse at Thebes. He was born to Alkmene, though there was some question as to which his father was. Alkmene’s lawful husband was Amphitryon, but rumors claim Herakles was of divine descent from God. Herakles was said to have a twin brother, Iphicles. Could this have been the result of an infidelity on Alkmene’s to which paternity was not certain? Could Herakles have been an adopted baby taken in at the same time Alkmene was giving birth? Perhaps this question will never be answered.

Many possible legends and myths have been ascribed to Herakles. It may be impossible to tell what is completely fanciful and what may have been true events “mythologized” for storytelling purposes. It appears, however, that Herakles was extremely gifted, not only physically, but mentally as well. In addition to being an excellent warrior, Herakles was also revered as a healer, and it is this combination of brawn and brains that may have lifted the early Greeks from relative obscurity into a higher culture.

In the time of Herakles, people often saw themselves as at the mercy of natural forces, which became personified and deified entities. “Mother Earth” was something that kept one in her clutches, always having to be appeased lest she decide to crush you on some whim. The Greek personification of Mother Earth would move from Gaia to Rhea and then to Hera. Herakles means “glory of Hera” possibly signifies the triumph of man over the elements.

While bravery in battle was certainly a concern, the chief threat to a population was disease. Swamp draining may have been recognized as an effective means for eliminating potential sources of disease, and the story of the Hydra may be an attempt to allegorize this function. He was also associated with medicinal springs and they have actually found Roman medical instruments in the Black Sea region inscribed with his name. In the ancient city of Geronthrai (known today as Geraki), located 16 miles southeast of Sparta in the foothills of Mt. Parna, there is a fourth century BCE inscription commemorating the dedication of a spring to Herakles.

Herakles almost certainly lived during the age of the Trojan War. His son, Tlepollemus, is also mentioned as a prominent leader of this time. But Herakles had many children, and most accounts of Herakles tell of “the madness of Herakles”, when he actually killed his own children. This tale should satisfy the criterion of embarrassment. Perhaps it was Herakles experimenting with various plants and fauna for curative purposes that accidentally infected him with a temporary maddening disease?

Herakles is mentioned prominently down through the ages satisfying the criterion of multiple attestations:

Herakles is mentioned by Homer (circa 850 BCE) in Illiad and Odyssey

Herakles is mentioned by Hesiod (circa 700 BCE) in Theogony and The Shield of Herakles.

Herakles is mentioned by Peisandros of Rhodes (c. 600 BCE) setting the "12 Labors"

Herakles is mentioned by Herodotus (c. 484-425 BCE) in Histories

Herakles is mentioned by Euripides (c. 421-416 BCE) in Herakles

Herakles is mentioned by Apollodorus (c. 180-120 BCE)

Herakles is mentioned by Seneca (4-65 BCE) “Heracles on Oeta"

Even the famed early Christian historians regarded Herakles as an historic person:

Eusebius, Preparation of the Gospel (10.12), reported that Clement could offer historical dates for Hercules as a king in Argos: "from the reign of Hercules in Argos to the deification of Hercules himself and of Asclepius there are comprised thirty-eight years, according to Apollodorus the chronicler: and from that point to the deification of Castor and Pollux fifty-three years: and somewhere about this time was the capture of Troy."

Readers with a literalist bent, following Clement's reasoning, have asserted from this remark that, since Heracles ruled over Tiryns in Argos at the same time that Eurystheus ruled over Mycenae, and since at about this time Linus was Heracles' teacher, one can conclude, based on Jerome's date—in his universal history, his Chronicon—given to Linus' notoriety in teaching Heracles in 1264 BCE, that Heracles' death and detification occurred 38 years later, in approximately 1226 BCE

Herakles was obviously a very innovative and important man of his time, gaining him a fame that would be enhanced down through the ages. Although we are mostly familiar with his warrior and athletic attributes, his skills as a healer may have been what really set him apart from your Perseus or Achilles. In fact, if we were to compare the accomplishments between Herakles and Jesus, one would be hard pressed to make a case that Herakles wasn’t the more impressive historical person. Not only was he able to lead his people in a savage time, he was able to secure more healthy ways of living for the people who actually lived in this world, besting plagues and curing disease through methods ordinary people could imply, not just special faith healing.

All hail Herakles! Ancient savior of mankind!



Emblem of the Society for the Decrease of Swamp Diseases



Herakles carrying the pillars of heaven as a cross

[arthra]

Well Travis it looks like you've spent a "heruclean" effort to amass all this info. ..maybe a major labor!

I was impressed though with one of the labors reported of Hercules.. to clean out the stables of King Augeas in a single day! Phew ...what a job that must have been...

It took me hours to clean the manure from only one horse!

- Art

[Travis Clementsmith]

My first "job" was cleaning horse stables in Oklahoma! Fortunately, I've never had to tackle a lion!

-TC