Hercules is best known for his twelve labors. That said, few people actually know why Hercules had to perform these labors. He is the man of everyone's dreams, men and women. He had the physique, the complexion, the heritage and the romance. Due to Hercules' origins, he is automatically considered a hero. This is due to the globally accepted equation: God + Mortal = Hero (Rouse, 1957, p. 55). Greek mythology tells us that Hercules' birth was actually the result of rape. Zeus had gone down to Alcmene, the mortal wife of King Amphitryon, disguised as her husband, and made love to her. After Zeus left, Amphityron returned and also slept with his wife. As a result, Alcmene had twins, Iphicles and Hercules. Since Zeus knew what kind of son Alcmene would soon have, he said that the next boy born would be the future king of Olympus. Hera, Zeus' wife, was never happy when Zeus had a child with another woman, let alone a mortal woman, and especially with such a promising future. As a result, he delayed Hercules' birth so that his first cousin, once removed, would be the one to receive Zeus' prophecy. Hera, however, did not stop there. Once Hercules was born, he sent two snakes to kill him. But things didn't go as Hera had planned. Even as a child, Hercules had enough strength to strangle snakes and push them aside. Afterwards, Hera left Hercules undisturbed for a few years. Once he became a grown man, however, with a life full of potential, a loving wife, and healthy children, Hera decided to turn her wrath upon him again. She sent him fits of madness forcing him to kill his wife and children. When Hercules came to, he was unable to live with the guilt of his sins. He went to the oracle of Delphi… in the middle of the paper… joy and tension are the mythical core of the demigod” (Simmons, 2008, p. 635). The saying: “don't judge a book by its cover” proves to be true once again. To see a person/god/hero for who they truly are, we must look deeply. Yes, Hercules was heroic, but what led to his heroism is overseen by most. If someone commits murder, intentional or not, but the rest of their life is filled with determination and heroic moves, is they really a hero? Works Cited Grant, M. (1962). Myths of the Greeks and Romans (1st ed.). Cleveland: World Pub. Co. Herzberg, M. J. (1984). Myths and their meaning. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.Rouse, W. H. (1957). The Heroes: Heracles. Gods, heroes and men of ancient Greece. New York: New American Library. (Published original work) Simons, P. Hercules in Italian Renaissance art: male labor and homoerotic libido. History of art, 31, 632-664.