Hercules: The Legendary Journeys opening

Herakles was born of Zeus to be the strongest man alive, to be the King of Tiryns. However, Eurysetheus -- his cowardly cousin -- became the King of Tiryns. After Herakles slew his children, he was commanded by the gods to perform twelve labors as penance . . .

Here, Hermes -- Herakles' smarter and braver cousin; stands with Herakles, whose destiny and story is entwined with his.

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Yeah, we all know what Herakles did. But what about the man behind the myth? What do we know about Herakles? All myths have a kernel of truth, so who is the man behind the legend?

Herakles, and all the stories about him, including the popular Hercules; seems to be based on the stories of three people, _and_ the stories of Jesus as filtered through the ages from Japheth to his sons Javan (Ion), Rhodan (Rhodes), and Dodan (Doric - pronounced "Dork"). Herakles is a Gestalt of three people. The popular contenders:

1. Sargon of Akkad.

2. Samson of the Tribe of Dan.

3. An actual captain of Tiryns who lived during the Greek Dark Ages.

The first, Sargon of Akkad, is a historical personality who had been called Gilgamesh, Nimrod, and a host of other names. He was a mighty hunter of wild beasts (and so have lent his legend to Orion). He founded the cities of Nippor, Nineveh, and Babylon; and have conquered the lands of Akkadia, Assyria, Shinar, and Canaan. He was also responsible for driving away the statutes of Noah and instituting the worship of the Babylonian deities. Sargon (I) of Akkad is responsible for the stories of Herakles' bullying of Nereus, and possibly some of his labors.

Sargon of Akkad is also responsible for marrying his own mother (Semiramis, the daughter-wife of Cush, son of Ham. She is his own mother and sister). Sargon of Akkad also invented, believe it or not, the Nation State. Egypt didn't fully consolidate under the Pharaoh until the 2nd Dynasty.

2. Samson of the Tribe of Dan. Samson's story is recounted in the bible, and is probably responsible for the Nemean Lion labor as anything else. Samson, a judge, was certainly violent enough; but was surprisingly cunning. He slew a lion with his bare hands -- something that Hercules did. He also vexed the Philistines (whose origins are in dispute) to no end until they found out how to trick him.

3. The unnamed, actual captain that Herakles was based on lived during the Archaic period. It was during his time that the third expedition to Colchis may have taken place. (there was three -- the first was a circumnavigation of the continent of Europe, and the third may be what Apollonius wrote about.)

4. Stories of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ's personality is wrapped up in the story of Prometheus and how he brought Man fire. But his birth, birth by a God -- and his mission was wrapped up in the story of Herakles. Since the Actual Jesus Christ is the Devil of this World -- his story is naturally a part of Prometheus and Herakles.

Since then, using the stories of these four men; the tale of Herakles had grown and had been embellished. So far, Herakles is:
-- the co-inventor of Martial Arts, with him and Theseus developing Pankration -- the ancestor of all Martial Arts in the East and the West.

-- He bullies Nereus (Noah) as a symbol of Zeusian religion overcoming the worship of Jehovah.

-- He wore women's clothing and was taught womanly crafts by the Queen of the Lesbians (i.e. dwellers of Lesbos). Who acted as his Dominatrix for a time.

-- he has relations with the fifty daughters of King DANeus.

-- He helped instigate the war between the DANaan Greeks and the Trojans by stealing the Palladium.

-- He had a homosexual relationship with Hylas.

-- He invented the Olympic Games (the actual date of invention of the all important pan-Hellenic games was 776 B.C.)

-- And was responsible for separating the continents of Africa from Europe.

In short, Herakles is an invention from sources both Native (the Ionians, the Dorics, and the people of Rhodes) and Foreign (Canaanite and Israelite Colonists of Hellas, the last being called DANaans, Corinthians, and Athenians).

Next: The Nemean Lion -- with a furry twist . . .