Hercules was the Roman counterpart of Heracles, the Greek heavenly hero. He is the mortal Alcmene's son and Zeus' son. ¹⁾

Hercules is a Greek demigod. A demi-god is a person who is the offspring of a deity and a human. ²⁾

Hercules was assigned a series of difficult tasks known as the “Twelve Labors.” If he completed all of these Labors, he would be cleansed of his sins and granted immortality. Slaying the Stymphalian birds, capturing the Cretan Bull, and seizing the Mares of Diomedes were among the 12 labor duties.³⁾

Mark Antony, as well as Emperor Commodus, regarded him as a personal patron deity. Hercules was worshiped in a variety of ways, notably as a deity concerned with children and childbirth, due in part to tales about his precocious childhood and in part because he fathered innumerable offspring.⁴⁾

The “knot of Hercules” was wrapped around the waist of Roman brides. The spouse was expected to struggle to untie the knot. ⁵⁾

Steve Reeves was a professional bodybuilder who went to acting and played Hercules in the 1958 film 'Hercules.' In his bodybuilding career, Reeves won Mr. America, Mr. World, and Mr. Universe. ⁶⁾

In medieval mythology, Hercules was seen as a powerful role model since he exemplified both courage and wisdom. The monsters he fought, on the other hand, were considered as moral impediments. ⁷⁾

Hercules is frequently shown in ancient Greek Archaic and Classical art with a knotted stick, a quiver full of arrows, and wearing a lion's skin with a lion's head helmet. ⁸⁾