Hercules

The mighty Hercules (Herakles in Greek) was the son of chief god Zeus and the human princess Alkmene. He was known for his superhuman strength. This became apparent early on, when Zeus’ wife Hera -angry because of yet another of her husband’s acts of adultery- sends two snakes to the crib of baby Hercules. The little demi-god however strangles both snakes without much effort. But Hera’s wrath doesn’t end here: when Hercules is happily married and father of three, she fills him with madness, making him kill his own children. To seek atonement for this, Hercules completes twelve heroic deeds, which became known as the “Labours of Hercules”.