Introduction
The chosen myth about Heracles and his exploits is the cultural wealth of all humankind. Modern languages are filled with proverbs and phraseological units using the example of Heracles as a strong man. In addition, Heracles became a character in frescoes and sculptural structures. Artists were often inspired by Grecian mythology, and the myth of Heracles occupies an important place in this lineup. Not only were artists interested in this myth, but astronomers, naming the stars and constellations, mentioned this character.
Heracles and 12 Feats
The story of Heracles lies in the fact that he was able to accomplish 12 feats on his own without the help of a team of assistants, thereby becoming the personification of physical and spiritual strength. By order of Eurystheus, Heracles caught the Kerinean fallow deer and the Erymanthian boar, cleared the Augean stables, killed the Stymphalian birds, etc. Cleaning the Augean stables has become a household name to describe a filthy room that requires a lot of effort to clean.
Heracles in Religion and Literature
Some scholars, and researchers of ancient art, believe that the victory of Heracles over the queen of the Amazons became the personification of the destruction of matriarchy. Heracles planted patriarchy and subdued strong-willed women, who kept everyone at bay (Hawes 395). In addition, Heracles acted in the tragedies of Sophocles, The Trachinian, Euripides Hercules, and Arkestra. In the 5th century AD, the symbol of Heracles was used by the ‘church fathers’ to criticize paganism.
Aesthetics of Heracles
The image of Heracles acquired special significance in the art of the renaissance. It is due primarily to the aesthetics of his body; artists took his body as a sample of a male body (Thury and Devinney 195). In addition, it developed the phenomenon of the triumph of corporeality in the art of the then artists. The muscular body of Heracles personified the power and, in general, the human strength with which he could subjugate nature and other people.
Conclusion
Thus, the myth of Heracles and his 12 exploits became an integral part of European art. People elevated his muscular body to the divine rank, combining his personality with courage and boldness. He also managed to gain popularity in the popular culture of the 20th and 21st centuries, becoming the prototype for comic book characters or other famous works. The most important thing is that the legend of Heracles was able to fit competently into many European languages, enriching them with beautiful phraseological units and proverbs.
Works Cited
Hawes, Greta. “Heracles Rationalized and Allegorized.” The Oxford Handbook of Heracles, edited by Daniel Ogden, 2021, pp. 394–408. Crossref.
Thury, Eva, and Margaret Devinney. Introduction to Mythology: Contemporary Approaches to Classical and World Myths. 4th ed., Oxford University Press, 2016.