The labours of Hercules

Who has not heard of Hercules? What child has not marvelled at his bravery and great deeds? What adult has not admired his character and nobility of spirit? Hercules, that great hero, who in the end became a demi-god in the imagination of the ancient Greeks, embodied the longing of the Greek spirit for physical strength, for manliness, for victory over nature and the wild beasts, for cleverness, for modesty, for humanity, for self-sacrifice, for piety. In the person of Hercules the Greek nation expressed the pride of the race, while with the story of his deeds they tried to calm their fears.
In the life of Hercules reality is so mixed up with the imaginary that none of the labours of Hercules should astonish the reader. From a hero of the Dorians he became a hero of all Greece, admired by all the Greek as a superman and a demi-god. Writers and artists immortalised him in their works. Generation after generation, Greek children grew up with the stories of his deeds and dreamed of being like him. And not a few of them succeeded, if we reflect on the glorious history of Greece.