Editing Labours of Hercules (section)

==Background==
[[File:P. Oxy. XXII 2331.jpg|thumb|The [[Heracles Papyrus]], a fragment of a 3rd-century Greek manuscript of a poem about the Labours of Heracles ([[Oxyrhynchus Papyrus]] 2331)]]
[[File:Jacopo Tintoretto - The Origin of the Milky Way - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|''[[The Origin of the Milky Way]]'' by [[Jacopo Tintoretto]], 1575]]

[[Heracles]] was the son born by the mortal woman [[Alcmene]] after her affair with [[Zeus]], the king of the gods, who had disguised himself as her husband [[Amphitryon]].<ref>Hard, [https://books.google.com/books?id=r1Y3xZWVlnIC&pg=PA247 p. 247]; [[Diodorus Siculus]], [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Diodorus_Siculus/4B*.html#9.1 4.9.1&ndash;3]; [[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0548.tlg001.perseus-eng1:2.4.8 2.4.8].</ref> Alcmene, fearing the jealousy of Zeus's wife [[Hera]], [[Infant exposure|exposed]] her infant son, who was taken by either Zeus or his daughter [[Athena]] (the protectress of heroes) to Hera, who did not recognize Heracles and nursed him out of pity. Heracles sucked so strongly that he caused Hera pain, and when she pushed him away, her milk sprayed across the heavens, forming the [[Milky Way]]. But with divine milk, Heracles had acquired supernatural strength. Either Zeus or Athena brought the infant back to his mother, and he was subsequently raised by his parents. The child was originally given the name Alcides by his parents; it was only later that he became known as Heracles in an unsuccessful attempt to mollify Hera, with Heracles meaning Hera's "pride" or "glory". He and his mortal twin, [[Iphicles]], were just eight months old when Hera sent two giant snakes into the children's chamber. Iphicles cried from fear, but his twin brother grabbed a snake in each hand and strangled them. He was found by his nurse playing with them on his cot as if they were toys. Astonished, Amphitryon sent for the seer [[Tiresias]], who prophesied an unusual future for the boy, saying he would vanquish numerous monsters.

Heracles married Megara, eldest daughter of King [[Creon (king of Thebes)|Creon of Thebes]]. However, in a fit of madness induced by Hera, Heracles killed Megara and their children.<ref>Kerényi, p. 186.</ref> According to [[Euripides]]'s play ''[[Herakles (Euripides)|Herakles]]'', however, it was not until after Heracles had completed his labours and on his return from the Underworld that he murdered Megara and his children.<ref name="p. 253"/>

After recovering his sanity, Heracles deeply regretted his actions; he was purified by King [[Thespius]], then traveled to [[Delphi]] to inquire how he could atone for his actions. [[Pythia]], the Oracle of Delphi, advised him to go to [[Tiryns]] and serve his cousin, King [[Eurystheus]] of Mycenae, for twelve years,<ref name="Hsu2021">{{cite book |last1=Hsu |first1=Katherine Lu |editor1-last=Ogden |editor1-first=Daniel |title=The Oxford Handbook of Heracles |year=2021 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-065098-8 |page=15 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zy0zEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA15 |chapter=The Madness and the Labors}}</ref> performing whatever labours Eurystheus might set him; in return, he would be rewarded with immortality. Heracles despaired at this, loathing to serve a man whom he knew to be far inferior to himself, yet fearing to oppose his father, Zeus. Eventually, Heracles placed himself at Eurystheus's disposal.