Prometheus Rescued by Heracles

Freeing Prometheus (Christian Griepenkerl, 1878) – public domain

The Real Heracles

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.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hylas_and_the_Nymphs_(painting)#/media/File:Waterhouse_Hylas_and_the_Nymphs_Manchester_Art_Gallery_1896.15.jpg

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

Prometheus Rescued by Heracles

Freeing Prometheus (Christian Griepenkerl, 1878) - public domain

The story of Prometheus being chained to a mountain to have his liver eaten by an eagle everyday because he is punished by Zeus for giving man fire, until he is rescued by Heracles, is symbolic of a flood that occurred in Egypt that wrecked the Egyptian lands of Prometheus and the help Heracles gave to stop the flooding waters from destroying his land.  Here is what was written by Diodorus Siculus in his Library of History:

While Osiris and his army were thus employed, the Nile, they say, at the time of the rising of Sirius, which is the season when the river is usually at flood, breaking out of its banks inundated a large section of Egypt and covered especially that part where Prometheus was governor; and since practically everything in the district was destroyed, Prometheus was so grieved that he was on the point of quitting life willfully.  Because its water sweeps down so swiftly and with such violence the river was given the name Aetus; but Heracles being ever intent upon great enterprises and eager for the reputation of a manly spirit, speedily stopped the flood at its breach and turned the river back into its former course.  Consequently certain of the Greek poets worked the incident into a myth, to with effect that Heracles had killed the eagle which was devouring the liver of Prometheus. (page 60-61, volume 1).

As often is the case, many of the myths have symbolism associated with them to allow a true part of the past to be remembered.  As an interpreter and researcher of mythology, I try to uncover the truth in the myths and have shown through my Mythological Unification Theory the story of this ancient family and their trials and triumphs.  Each one of the family members was associated with a part of the Earth, a star system, an element, or some sacred animal or object.  For example, when the sky rained or thundered, it was associated with the will of Zeus since he was associated with the sky in the cosmology invented by this ancient family from Crete and Tyre.


by Rita Jean Moran (www.thelibrarykids.com www.hiddenhumanstory.com)


Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hercules