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(detail), Silver Plate , 6th Century BC ( Cabinet Des Médailles , Paris ).]] Hercules is the Roman name for the Mythical Greek hero ''' Heracles ''', son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmena . He was made to perform twelve great tasks ('' The Twelve Labours Of Hercules '') to cleanse himself after he went temporarily insane, killing his wife and children. ETYMOLOGY Hercules' Latin name is not directly borrowed from Greek ''Herakles'' but is a modification of the Etruscan name ''Hercle'', which derives from the Greek name via Syncope . An oath invoking Hercules (''Hercle!'' or ''Mehercle!'') was a common interjection in Classical Latin . CHARACTER Iolaus . 1st c. CE mosaic from the Anzio Nymphaeum, Rome]] In Roman works of art and in Renaissance and post-Renaissance art that adapts Roman iconography, Hercules can be identified by his attributes, the . These qualities did not prevent him from being regarded as a playful figure who used games to relax from his labors and played a great deal with children.Aelian, ''Varia Historia,'' 12.15 While he was a champion and a great warrior, he was not above cheating and using any unfair trick to his advantage. However, he was renowned as having "made the world safe for mankind" by destroying many dangerous monsters. His self-sacrifice obtained him the ascent to the Olympian realms and he was welcomed by the gods. in 1864, ( Vatican Museums , Rome)]] ROMAN CULT In popular culture the Romans adopted the Etruscan Hercle, a hero-figure that had already been influenced by Greek culture — especially in the conventions of his representation — but who had experienced an autonomous development. Etruscan Hercle appears in the elaborate illustrative engraved designs on the backs of Etruscan bronze mirrors made during the fourth century BC, which were favoured Grave Goods . Their specific literary references have been lost, with the loss of all Etruscan literature, but the image of the mature, bearded Hercules suckling at Uni / Juno 's breast, engraved on a mirror back from Volterra , is distinctively Etruscan. Also a two way mirror. This Hercle/Hercules — the Hercle of the Ejaculation "Mehercle!" — remained a popular cult figure in the Roman legions. The literary Greek versions of his life and works were appropriated by literate Romans from the 2nd Century BC onwards, essentially unchanged, but Latin literature of Hercules added anecdotal detail of its own, some of it linking the hero with the geography of the Western Mediterranean. Details of the Greek Cult , which mixed Chthonic libations and uneaten holocausts with Olympian services, were adapted to specifically Roman requirements as well, as Hercules became the founding figure of Herculaneum and other places, and his cult became entwined with Imperial cult, as shown in surviving frescoes in the Herculanean ''collegium'' that was the Lacus Curtius . This altar has been dated to the 6th or 5th century BC. It stood near the Temple Of Hercules Victor . Hercules became popular with merchants, who customarily paid him a Tithe of their profits. " by Antonio Pollaiuolo ]] Mark Antony identified himself with Hercules, and even invented a son of Hercules, called Anton , from whom Antony claimed descent. In response, his enemy Octavian identified with Apollo . Some early emperors took up the attributes of Hercules (eg Trajan), and later Roman Emperor s, in particular Commodus and Maximian , went further and often identified or compared themselves with him and supported his cult; Maximian styled himself "Herculius". The cult of Hercules spread through the Roman world. In Roman Egypt, what is believed to be the remains of a Temple of Hercules are found in the Bahariya Oasis . MYTHS OF HERCULES The Romans adopted the Greek Version of Heracles' life and works essentially unchanged, but added anecdotal detail of their own, some of it linking Hercules with the geography of the Western Mediterranean. Hercules killed his parents, along with many beasts, warriors and haetes. In Roman Mythology , Acca Larentia was Hercules' mistress. She was married to Tarutius , a wealthy merchant. When he died, she gave his money to charity. In another version, she was the wife of Faustulus . ART Roman images of Hercules were based upon Hellenistic Greek images and might be contrasted with the images of Heracles that appear in Attic vase-painting ''(see that was "Hera's man", Heracles. HERCULES IN POPULAR CULTURE See Also: Hercules in popular culture as Hercules.]] Since the Renaissance, Hercules has rarely been distinguished from Heracles, the Roman figure overshadowing the Greek. Later interpretations of Hercules' legend cast him as a wise leader and a good friend (many of the movie and TV adaptations cast him in this light, especially the 1995-1999 syndicated TV series). The legend of Hercules endures, though often co-opted to suit the political fashion of the day. Hercules has also had an undeniable influence on modern pop culture characters such as He-Man . The legend of Hercules has been described in many Movie And Television Adaptations . SEE ALSO NOTES REFERENCES
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