Hercules was a popular figure from Greek mythology known for his incredible strength. He performed many heroic feats, including wrestling with death. However, his life was difficult due to the goddess Hera seeking to destroy him. Hercules had to complete twelve difficult labors, including killing the Hydra which grew two heads for every one cut off. The myth of Hercules and his columns came to represent strength and perseverance in overcoming challenges. The columns appeared on Spain's coat of arms and coins to symbolize their ability to explore beyond what was previously thought possible.
1. MYTH OF HERCULES
COLUMNS
By; Lidia Sevillano, Celia Siguero, Alison Restrepo,
Camila Estévez, Marcos Esteban y Alejandro
Becerra.
2. Who is Hercules?
Hercules is the Roman name for
the Greek hero Herakles, the most popular figure
from ancient Greek mythology. Hercules was the
son of Jupiter, king of the gods, and the mortal
woman Alcmene. Jupiter, who was always chasing
one woman or another, took on the form of
Alcmene's husband, Amphitryon, and visited
Alcmene one night in her bed, and so Hercules was
born a demi-god with incredible strength and
stamina. He performed amazing feats, including
wrestling death and traveling twice to the
underworld, and his stories were told
throughout Greece and later in Rome, yet his life
was far from easy from the moment of his birth, and
his relationships with others were often disastrous.
This was because Hera, the wife of Jupiter, knew
that Hercules was her husband's illegitimate son and
sought to destroy him.
3. HERCULES
TWELVE
LABOURS
Hercules had a hard life. He had to cope with difficult labors originally numbered only
ten but later grew to twelve.
Two examples:
Labour four To kill the monster known as the Hydra who had nine venemous heads
and, when one was cut off, two more would grow in its place.
Labour ten To bring back the cattle of Geryon, king of Cadiz. Hercules had many
side-adventures on this labor, including inadvertently building the Pillars of
Hercules at Gibraltar and threatening to shoot the sun with his arrows for making
him too hot.
5. Interpretations
•The first interpretation says that Hercules represents the fight
against nature (beasts, changing the course of rivers…)
•The second interpretation explains the fight of everyday life (doing
exams, challenges of life…)
•So, the common thing of all interpretations is that the myth of
Hercules columns represents fight and effort for making things.
•Samson, who appears in the Old Testament of the Bible, would be
a similar figure. He was an exceptionally strong hero of the
Israelites of the ancient Near East.
•In common spoken Spanish to act as an Hercules means to be very
strong and powerful.
6. Impact of the myth in Spain
• When we have a look at our shield we find two columns : They are Hercules’ columns. The
famous mythologic heroe did reach this corner of the Mediterranean Sea. According to the myth,
as mentioned before, our heroe in his tenth labour had to steal the cattle of Gerion, this deed
took him to present Andalucía . There, a shepherd and a gigantic dog with two heads kept
Gerion’s oxen. Gerión was the King of the wealthy city of Tartesos. He was a monster with
three heads and six arms. Hércules managed to carry out the task and kill the monster with an
arrow. To remember his victory, he left two columns exactly where the two continents, Europe
and Africa and two seas, the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea are separated. This area
is now called the Straits of Gibraltar. These two columns appear in our shield with the saying :
Plus Ultra “más allá”, which means beyond. Carlos was the one who took this decision to
reflect the fact that the Spanish were able to go beyond these two columns and discover a new
world.
7. Simbology of Hercules.
The monarch Carlos I of Spain incorporated as an exterior
element the symbol of the columns in his coat of arms.
The columns of Hercules appeared in:
•Imperial shield.
•Shield of Jose I.
•Real (coin) of 8.
•Shield of Spain.
