Hercules and Jesus.

I dunno how reputable the History Channel is, but it’s recent show about the Hercules myth raised some interesting relationships to another very popular figure.

Jesus Christ

While Jesus is the pacifist and Hercules the aggressor, there are many core parallels between the two. And I’m talking about the original Hercules, not the Disney revamping that is really unrelated to the mythology.

First, we have Hercules being born of a deity and a mortal, just as Jesus (slightly different of course since Zeus did the nasty and God just waved his jazz hands and it all went together).

Second, you have the being jealous of the powerful deity, Hera (although in this, Hera is Zeus' own wife, but much like how Lucifer was once one God loved like all his children, it’s pretty similar). Hera wishes to see the demise of Hercules, but cannot kill him, for Hercules has a power unlike any other human or even demigod, much like Jesus had a power unlike any regular human or prophet of God.

As we go on, we see the destiny of Hercules is to become a god like his father, to finally ascend. This is also similar to Jesus, who is to become immortal and sit with God.

Now, the trials are a bit different. While Jesus basically demonstrates the true power of God to the Jewish people, Hercules is sent out to do many tasks that, in the end, help people, such as destroying vicious beasts of nature (and cleaning up horse shit). Both are similarly heroes of the people though, and both are even looked upon with caution as Jesus seems to be a heretic according to traditional law and Hercules carries the blood from killing his own family (which was beyond his control in the story), so both have a stigma placed on them they could not control. (Interestingly enough, and I don’t actually know if this is related, but whereas Jesus had twelve disciples, Hercules had twelve trials: twelve could just be a good number or something else, I’m not sure).

Both involve being cast to the underworld to basically cheat death, where Hercules must capture the Cerberus beast and Jesus is cast down to Hell after his execution. Both come out victorious, and both become immortal after (although Hercules goes through a bit more first).

Both of their deaths represent a cleansing: Hercules essentially burns away the corrupt human when he sets himself ablaze where Jesus is the “lamb” of humanity, whose blood cleanses the sins of all people. After each cleansing, both become immortal and sit in Heaven.

It’s also interesting to note that the 11th trial of Hercules is to acquire one of Hera’s golden apples from her garden, guarded by a serpent, similar to the Garden of Eden and it’s Tree of Knowledge (Hera was a very smart and wise Goddess, so her apples I think represented her wisdom, which is akin to the forbidden apples, but I could be going a bit too deep there).

So, Hercules and Jesus.

Conceptually similar stories. While I forget which one came first, I’m sure one had some influence on the other.

Haruhi demands you join Anime United!

Interesting. But there is the Trinity theory, that Jesus is God.

“When in doubt, assume the person is undead and kill him."

rageoverdose wrote: First, we have Hercules being born of a deity and a mortal, just as Jesus (slightly different of course since Zeus did the nasty and God just waved his jazz hands and it all went together).

Well if your a mormon you believe that god (an actual man from the planet kolov) impregnated mary and she consented...

Shadow Archon wrote: Interesting. But there is the Trinity theory, that Jesus is God.

That theory has always bugged me...First did jesus know he was god? If he did, then why did he talk to god as if god were someone else? Wouldn’t he be talking to himself..If he didn’t know he was god then he couldn’t be called god because of the lack of omniscience...

“I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours." Stephen F. Roberts

I’m not sure if elements of Christianity were taken from Heracles in particular... but Christianity has definately taken a lot from pagan religions that predate it.

I thought jesus WAS God and since catholics are the majority of christianity in the world I guess that makes it so at least to christians...

Shaun of the Living wrote: I’m not sure if elements of Christianity were taken from Heracles in particular... but Christianity has definately taken a lot from pagan religions that predate it.

the story of horus incarnation predates it. He had the same number of apostles and was nailed to a tree hmmm me thinks there is something fishy

bonesboy08 wrote: I thought jesus WAS God and since catholics are the majority of christianity in the world I guess that makes it so at least to christians...

Well christians belive jesus is the equivalent of god but they changed teh original bible.

Hercules definitely came before Jesus... by a good 1000 to 1500 years. Another interesting note, is that the concept of Hell used in Christianity didn’t come about until after Christianity was born. The Hebrews didn’t have a Hell, it was an assimilated idea from several pagan religions.

tl;tr

I think Jesus wins.

“You cannot dream yourself into a character. You must hammer and forge yourself one-James A. Froude”

jesus definately

Other than both being born from a deity, they really have no significant similarities.