Herakles Δ - Apotheosis

In the last part of my Herakles series, I decided to make a piece exploring apotheosis. For those that don't know, following his death, Herakles was elevated by Zeus from a demigod to a god. The process of becoming a god is rendered apotheosis* in both English and Ancient Greek.

The reason why I chose to zero in on this in the last part, even though our Theban friend's story was not at an end, is to discern whether this was a boon or a burden. Here was a creature who, for all his heroism, suffered greatly in life psychologically. He toiled and accomplished amazing things, but Herakles' scars were many and accumulating. The question then becomes - does apotheosis cure him of these concerns or is he, in a way, cursed to forever carry this burden with him?

As the venom eats at my chest,

The Hydra's venom carries me to my rest

I look beyond the flame of my pyre

To Zeus' behest

Am I damned or blessed?

For my immortality I go not sleep

And though many kneel before me,

The price of apotheosis is steep

My shoulders held heavens, east to west

But will this labor be one I can wrest?

"It's hard to tell sometime" I think, in jest,

Whom the gods adore and whom they detest

Am I damned or am I blessed?

For my apotheosis I go not sleep

And in darkness I find myself asking

Who does the keeper keep?

The future is eternal here

For the first time I feel fear

But the morrow, ruthless, it comes

And I greet it in fighting spirit and good cheer

Herakles Γ: What Wrath Hath Wrought

In the penultimate entrance in the Herakles series, we go to another lesser known story about our Theban friend. This one centers around his relationship to Troy.

Very basically, between his labors, Herakles travelled the ancient world when he came to Troy. King Laomedon, then regent, asked of Herakles to help rescue his daughter, Hesione. She was about to be eaten by a sea monster (descriptions vary but I typically hear of it being described as a dragon) and it was up to Herakles to save her. He struck a deal with Laomedon whereby he would save his daughter and in return he would receive magical horses. Why did Laomedon have magical horses?  Why was Troy being beset by a large sea dragon? These are stories for another day. *

Anyway, Herakles went on his merry way, as he often did, and rescued the beautiful Hesione from a very ugly fate. Laomedon however, not being the sharpest tool in the shed, decided that this gigantic demigod was the perfect target for some impromptu shiftiness. So after having his daughter back, the man reneged on his previous arrangement and told Herakles he cannot have his horses. Herakles, in anger but due back in the court of Eurystheus, vowed revenge upon the king and his people.

A few years later, Herakles made good on his vow. He returned to Troy accompanied by an army and laid siege to the city. In said siege he slayed Laomedon and all his male heirs but one - Podarces. Podarces, who you might know as King Priam, is a story for another day as well.+

What Wrath Hath Wrought

With one hand I lifted Hesione to salvation

With the other I brought the dragon to ruin

And yet you deny me,

And yet you deny me!

Your shining city will shine no more

I will tear down houses wall by wall

My fury shall be the fodder of fables

All will know that which my wrath hath wrought

The shrieks of a city on fire are deafening

Tears fall and dry in the flame

Not every man is king

But they will suffer for Laomedon's shame

Your shining city will shine no more

Bowed and bleeding on the floor

My fury shall be the fodder of fables

All will know that which my wrath hath wrought

And in the wake of my wrath,

As the blood leaves my eyes clean,

Your spread ashes will know what you didn't

What stealing from Herakles means

*The story of the magical horses is a part of the abduction of Ganymede.  The dragon arrived in Troy as a result of a previous deal Laomedon reneged on with Poseidon and Apollo.

+ Podarces' survival was bartered for by Hesione. She ransomed her little brother for a veil given to her for Aphrodite. Herakles' friend and general Telamon took Hesione as his wife following this siege. Their son, Teucer (Teucros) would go on to fight for the Greeks in the Trojan War.

Herakles Β - Herakles and the Vultures

Herakles is said to have thought vultures the kindliest of all animal. This seems a bizarre affinity for our Theban friend to have but his logic behind it is sterling. Many different phrasings and fragments have trickled down but they basically boil down to- vultures are the kindliest animals because they hurt no living thing to eat while rendering a service to all other creatures (carrying them into death.) There are a great many versions of the latter part of that (i.e what’s the service?) but I personally subscribe to the service being to carry them into death, into the afterlife. Herakles β tells his story through the vehicle of that final meaning

Herakles and the Vultures

Time has come to pay my debts

Nessus laughs in corrupt contempt

The venom burns ever through and yet

I gaze skywards,  to the vultures

I remember days of youth and yore

Where Hera fed mother every fruit of scorn

Her cries shook Olympus to its core

And even then they circled, the vultures

Megaera and our babes went that way

And somewhere past forever and a day

There was nothing Deinaira nor I could say

We too are to be embraced, by the vultures

The vulture is the kindliest of all creatures

Because it hurts not all that draws breath

And it ferries all (and it ferries all)

Unto the grasp of death

Herakles Α - The Suffering of Herakles

One of the things I find most absent in many modern retellings of Herakles*' story is the tragic nature of his path to apotheosis. From his infancy, Hera saw him as nothing more than a fruit of Zeus’ infidelity. Being unable to punish Zeus ( or arguably unwilling,) she took it out on our Theban friend. From the snakes in his cradle to the fugue state making him mistake Megara and his children for monsters and far beyond, the queen of the gods had it out for him for most of his life. This suffering served as a catalyst for Herakles and while he ascended to greatness in spite of it, it ought never be forgotten.

Α - The Suffering of Heracles

Tears roll down my face in fury

Spasms of painful divinity

I died many deaths so far

But there are many more in store for me

Always watched, always plagued

a hero's greatness is defined by his quarry

Take me, take mine, take from me

That which ails me will not be cured by glory

Oh father behold

What, in your absence, your wife has wrought

My love and my children, lifeless ashes

Is this befitting a god?

But mine is not to ask nor complain

Mine is not to think nor ascertain

Mine is not to point fingers and blame

No, mine is to bear, and stay silent in pain

Mine is not the hand but the sword

Mine is not the man but the implement of war

What they will remember- of my glory they'll sing,

But they will try to forget my suffering

*I personally always preferred the spelling of Herakles with the K. This spelling is both closest to the Greek "Ἡρακλῆς" (Iraklis) and is typically how you see it on translations of "Herakles Mainomenos" by Euripedes. Fun fact, the name of Herakles was, according to myth, changed from Alkaios (which means "the powerful one") to Herakles (literally "Hera's Glory/Fame") in order to placate the angry goddess. It didn't work