Birth of Heracles by Jean Jacques Francois Le Barbier

In Greek mythology, Alcmene or Alcmena (Greek: Aλκμήνη) was the mother of Heracles. 82 Alkmene (alk-mee-nee) is a Main belt asteroid. ... Alcides redirects here. ... The bust of Zeus found at Otricoli (Sala Rotonda, Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican) Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the Ancient Greeks concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. ...

Background

Alcmene was born to Electryon, king of Mycenae and a son of Perseus.^[1] Her mother was either Anaxo, daughter of Alcaeus and Astydamia,^[1] or Lysidice, daughter of Pelops and Hippodameia.^[2] Hesiod describes Alcmene as the tallest, most beautiful woman with wisdom surpassed by no person born of mortal parents. It is said that her face and dark eyes were as charming as Aphrodite's, and that she honoured her husband like no woman before her.^[3] In Greek mythology, Electryon was the father of Alcmene, son of Perseus and Andromeda, and king of Mycenae. ... A clay tablet with writing in Linear B from Mycenae. ... Perseus with the head of Medusa, by Antonio Canova, completed 1801 (Vatican Museums) Perseus, Perseos, or Perseas (Greek: Περσεύς, Περσέως, Περσέας), the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty there, was the first of the mythic heroes of Greek mythology whose exploits in defeating various archaic monsters provided the founding myths... In Greek mythology, Anaxo, daughter of Alcaeus and either Astydamia, daughter of Pelops or Laonome, daughter of Guneus, or Hipponome, daughter of Menoeceus. ... In Greek mythology, Alcaeus, or Alkaios was one of the Perseidae, a son of Perseus and Andromeda. ... In Greek mythology, Astydameia was the Queen of Iolcus and wife of Acastus. ... In Greek mythology, Pelops (Greek Πέλοψ, from pelios: dark; and ops: face, eye) was venerated at Olympia, where his cult developed into the founding myth of the Olympic Games, the most important expression of unity, not only for the Peloponnesus, land of Pelops, but for all Hellenes. ... Hippodamia, also Hippodamea, was a daughter of King Oenomaus and mother of Thyestes, Atreus, and Pittheus, Alacathous by Pelops. ... Roman bronze bust, the so-called Pseudo-Seneca, now identified by some as possibly Hesiod Hesiod (Hesiodos, ) was an early Greek poet and rhapsode, who presumably lived around 700 BC. Hesiod and Homer, with whom Hesiod is often paired, have been considered the earliest Greek poets whose work has survived... The Birth of Venus, (detail) by Sandro Botticelli, 1485 For other uses, see Aphrodite (disambiguation). ...

Exile to Thebes

According to Apollodorus, Alcmene went with Amphitryon to Thebes, where he was purified by Creon for accidentally killing Electryon. Alcmene refused to marry Amphitryon until he had avenged the death of her brothers.^[4] However, during Amphitryon's expedition against the Taphians and Teleboans,^[5] Zeus visited Alcmene disguised as Amphitryon. Extending one night into three, Zeus slept with Alcmene (thereby conceiving Heracles) and recounted Amphitryon's victories against the Teleboans. When Amphitryon finally returned to Thebes, Alcmene told him that he had come the night before and slept with her; he learned from Tiresias what Zeus had done.^[6] Apollodorus was a common name in ancient Greece. ... Amphitryon, or Amphitrion, in Greek mythology, was a son of Alcaeus, king of Tiryns in Argolis. ... Two important places in antiquity were called Thebes: Thebes, Greece – Thebes of the Seven Gates; one-time capital of Boeotia. ... There are two kings in Greek mythology named Creon, or Kreeon (ruler), and one historical person. ... In Homeric Greece the islands of Taphos lay in the Ionian Sea off the coast of Acarnania in northwestern Greece, home of sea-going and piratical inhabitants, the Taphians. ... For other uses, see Zeus (disambiguation). ... Alcides redirects here. ... Everes redirects here. ...

Birth of Heracles

In Homer's Iliad, when Alcmene was about to give birth to Heracles, Zeus announced to all the gods that on that day a child, descended from Zeus himself, would be born who would rule all those around him. Hera, after requesting Zeus to swear an oath to that effect, descended from Olympus to Argos and made the wife of Sthenelus (a son of Perseus) give birth to Eurystheus after only seven months, while at the same time preventing Alcmene from delivering Heracles. This resulted in the fulfillment of Zeus's oath by Eurystheus rather than Heracles.^[7] This article is about the Greek poet Homer and the works attributed to him. ... title page of the Rihel edition of ca. ... For other uses, see Hera (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Greek mountain. ... This article is about the city in Greece. ... Sthenelus was the son of Perseus and Andromeda and a King of Mycenae. ... Eurystheus hiding in a jar as Herakles brings him the Erymanthian boar. ...

According to Ovid's Metamorphoses, while in labour, Alcmene was having difficulty giving birth to such a large child. After seven days and nights in agony, Alcmene stretched out her arms and called upon Lucina, the goddess of childbirth (the Roman equivalent of Eileithyia). However, while Lucina did go to Alcmene, she was instructed by Juno (Hera) to stop the delivery. With her hands clasped and legs crossed, Lucina muttered charms, thereby preventing Alcmene from giving birth. Alcmene struggled in pain, cursed the heavens, and became close to death. Galanthis, a maid of Alcmene who was nearby, observed Lucina's actions and quickly deduced Juno's plans. She announced that Alcmene had safely delivered her child, and this surprised Lucina so much that she immediately jumped up and unclenched her hands. As soon as Lucina leapt up, Alcmene was released from her spell and gave birth to Heracles. As punishment for deceiving Lucina, Galanthis was transformed into a weasel; she continued to live with Alcmene.^[8] For other uses, see Ovid (disambiguation). ... Disambiguation: This article is about the poem Metamorphoses written by the poet Ovid. ... In Roman mythology, Lucina was the goddess of childbirth. ... A head of Minerva found in the ruins of the Roman baths in Bath Roman mythology, the mythological beliefs of the people of Ancient Rome, can be considered as having two parts. ... Ilithyia was the Greek goddess of childbirth and midwives, daughter of Zeus and Hera. ... Vatican statue of Juno Sospita This article is about a figure in mythology. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Weasel (disambiguation). ...

In Pausanias' recounting, Hera sent witches (as they were called by the Thebans) to hinder Alcmene's delivery of Heracles. The witches were successful in preventing the birth until Historis, daughter of Tiresias, thought of a trick to deceive the witches. Like Galanthis, Historis announced that Alcmene had delivered her child; having been deceived, the witches went away, allowing Alcmene to give birth.^[9] Pausanias (Greek: ) was a Greek traveller and geographer of the 2nd century A.D., who lived in the times of Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. ...

Death

After the death of Amphitryon, Alcmene married Rhadamanthys, son of Zeus, and lived with him in exile at Ocaleae in Boeotia.^[10] It is said that after Heracles was apotheosised, Hyllus, having pursued and killed jesus, cut off Eurystheus' head and gave it to Alcmene, who gouged out the eyes with weaving pins.^[11] In Metamorphoses, an aging Alcmene recounted the story of the birth of Heracles to Iole.^[8] In Greek myths, Rhadamanthus (Ῥαδαμάνθυς; also transliterated as Rhadamanthys or Rhadamanthos) was a wise king, the son of Zeus and Europa. ... Boeotia or Beotia (//, (Greek Βοιωτια; see also list of traditional Greek place names) was the central area of ancient Greece. ... Look up Apotheosis in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Disambiguation: This article is about the poem Metamorphoses written by the poet Ovid. ... In Greek mythology, Iole (Ίόλη) was the daughter of Eurytus. ...

There are two accounts of Alcmene's death. According to the Megarians, Alcmene was walking from Argos to Thebes when she died at Megara. The Heracleidae fell into disagreement about where to take Alcmene's body, with some wishing to take her corpse back to Argos, and others wishing to take it to Thebes to be buried with Amphitryon and Heracles' children by Megara. However, the god in Delphi gave the Heracleidae an oracle that it was better to bury Alcmene in Megara.^[12] In the second account given by the Thebans, when Alcmene died, she was turned from human form to a stone.^[13] Bold text For other uses, see Megara (disambiguation). ... Heracleidae, the general name for the numerous descendants of Heracles (Hercules), and specially applied in a narrower sense to the descendants of Hyllus, the eldest of his four sons by Deianira, the conquerors of Peloponnesus. ... In Greek mythology, Megara (in Greek: ???) was the oldest daughter of Creon, king of Thebes. ... For other uses, see Delphi (disambiguation). ...

Pausanias indicated that an altar to Alcmene had been build in the Cynosarges in Athens, alongside altars to Heracles, Hebe, and Iolaus.^[14] Pausanias also said that Alcmene's tomb is located near the Olympieum at Megara.^[12] Cynosarges was a public gymnasium in Ancient Athens. ... Hebe is a word with multiple meanings: In Greek mythology, Hebe was the goddess of youth. ... In Greek mythology, Iolaus (Greek: ΄Ιόλαος) was a son of Iphicles and thus a nephew of Heracles. ...

References

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