This may indicate that the story of Hercules continued to evolve through the classical era. The closest Greco-Roman character to fit this type was Hercules. The Greeks had heroes, but generally stopped short of considering them to be demi-gods. Existing somewhere between the gods and ordinary men, they had superhuman attributes and often longer than average lifespans. In many cultures, demi-gods were a common feature of mythology. Some of these stories continued to evolve until the protagonists were no longer human at all, but were gods themselves. Some historians believe the process went further. Men took on supernatural attributes, animals became monsters, and adventures became epic quests. In time, the stories became more complex and fantastic. Minos, like many legendary characters, was said to be the son of Zeus. Like Minos, many of these figures were also incorporated into mythology by writing in gods as parents. The legendary king of Crete and the stories associated with him seem to have some basis in the history of Bronze Age Crete and Greece. One well-known example of this was the story of King Minos.

As the stories were repeated, they were embellished to be made more astounding and dramatic. If Hercules was ever real, how did an ordinary man’s story develop into that of a powerful hero and eventual god?Īccording to some historians, many ancient legends began with historical events and figures. How the Myth of Hercules May Have Developed So what evidence do we have that Hercules was once real? The clues are in his legends. Historians believe this is the case, and many among them point to the legends of Hercules as evidence that heroes, and even gods, could have originated from real men from the distant past. If the mortal Heracles mentioned in the Odyssey became a god in both Greece and Rome, it’s likely that his story had undergone similar changes before the advent of writing. Hercules was always a larger-than-life hero, but over time his story was made more elaborate and he, as a character, was brought closer to the status of the gods than other heroes. One example of this phenomenon is in the legends of the Greek hero Heracles, who by time of the Roman Republic was a god known as Hercules.

Monsters who were described in simple terms by Homer were, by the Roman era, much more large and frightening. Many of the stories often became more elaborate and fantastic. New stories were invented, names and places were changed, and the gods became more numerous and specialized. Many Greek and Roman myths show evidence of having been changed through the ages.

Is hercules really the on of zeus