Once again, Hollywood is telling their version of the story of Hercules. But with a little bit of research one can quickly determine that the real Hercules would be considered a Pederast and Murderer by today’s standards.
After Heracles killed Theiodamas in battle, he took on Hylas as arms bearer and taught him to be a warrior. The poet Theocritus (about 300 BC) wrote about the love between Heracles and Hylas: “We are not the first mortals to see beauty in what is beautiful. No, even Amphitryon‘s bronze-hearted son, who defeated the savage Nemean lion, loved a boy—charming Hylas, whose hair hung down in curls. And like a father with a dear son he taught him all the things which had made him a mighty man, and famous.”[1]
His tale of boy love are many. One famous boy was named Hylas whom he abducted and apparently raped. The boy was said to have been kidnapped by nymphs and decided to stay with them after falling in love with them. I say they helped him escape from being raped by Hercules.
Hercules’ labors were a result of the murder of his six sons and wife. Per Wikipedia:
Driven mad by Hera, Hercules slew his six sons and wife. After recovering his sanity, Hercules deeply regretted his actions; he was purified by King Thespius, then traveled to Delphi to inquire how he could atone for his actions. There the oracle Pythoness advised him to reside at Tyrins and serve King Eurystheus for twelve years, performing whatever labour might beset him; in return, he would be rewarded with immortality. Hercules despaired at this, loathing to serve a man whom he knew to be far inferior to himself, yet afraid to oppose his father Zeus. Eventually he placed himself at Eurystheus’s disposal.Eurystheus ordered Hercules to perform ten labours. Hercules accomplished these tasks, but Eurystheus refused to recognize two: the cleansing of the Augeas, because Hercules was going to accept pay for the labour; and the killing of the Lernaean Hydra, as Hercules’ nephew and charioteer Iolaus had helped him. Eurystheus set two more tasks (fetching the Golden Apples of Hesperides and capturing Cerberus), which Hercules performed successfully, bringing the total number of tasks to twelve.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labours_of_Hercules
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labours_of_Hercules
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hylas
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