Herakles: The Evolution of a Symbol

Before I begin, I would like to apologize.  This may be a long winded post.

One could argue that Ancient Greek culture was dominated by the symbolic figures that we refer to as the Greek gods (or Pantheon, to use a Roman term).  It is hard to argue, however, that there is a more prominent, well known, or ever-changing figure in Greek mythology than Herakles (Hercules for those who prefer the Roman name).  As a symbol, Herakles almost always, universally, stands for strength; we even have the qualifier "Herculean" in front of terms such as "feats" or "strength" in reference to the difficulty of a challenge.  However, as a symbol, Herakles stands for much more than strength alone and his character has evolved over a period of several hundred years before finally coming to a relative equilibrium of strength and glory.  If we look at this evolution through the lens of symbolic and interpretive anthropology, we can catch a glimpse of the evolution of the cultures that utilize Herakles as a symbol.

To follow that, let's get a little bit of background on the origins of Herakles.  Unfortunately it is quite difficult to understand his true origins, as most Greek mythology originated before the written record of mythology was important and stories were passed on through oral traditions.  The earliest we see Herakles is in the 8th century B.C.E. as the prototype for the male form in bronze sculptures and pottery.  Through the 6th century B.C.E. Herakles becomes more distinguished in artwork yet maintains a common theme; he is always depicted fighting a monster from his myth cycle.  If we think of monsters as being born of the earth (and by extension are part of nature) we see his importance as a symbol as being that of the conqueror of nature (more broadly, he is seen as depicting the triumph of man over nature).  This comes during a time in which nature was still a force to be afraid of, when science had not explained as much of the physical, surrounding environments as it has today.  Mythology at this time was used to explain the way the world worked, similar to some religions, and in fact Greek mythology in the past was its own religion.  Therefore, Herakles was seen not only as the symbol of power and control over nature but even as the patron saint or patron god related to the idea of power.  In appropriate situations, one could pray for help from Herakles.

In the 5th century B.C.E. Herakles changes from being the strong, one-man army towards the Herakles who founded the Olympic games and the Herakles who founded cities on his travels.  This change shows a change in the culture that uses Herakles; there was no longer a need for the symbol of a strong figure in battle.  By this time, Greek philosophy, art, and literature had spread over vast distances, and were obviously the most important part of Greek culture at this point in time.  Instead there was now a need for the more philosophical, athletic, protector symbol.  Herakles began to be depicted as the role model for athletes and for those who sought social order and justice.  Herakles even becomes the symbolic patron (or in some cases, the physical patron (1)) for many cities.  This change remains fairly consistent until the rise of the Roman Empire.

Romans used a myriad of different interpretations for Herakles, many of which were similar to the different meanings we have already talked about; Herakles (or Hercules, as he is now called) was still seen as a mighty warrior and used as a symbol for individual strength, but he was also seen as the great athlete, and as the protector of the city.  But now he could also add the spiritual symbol to his repertoire.  Romans treated Herakles in a much more spiritual way than the Greeks before them.  At the end of his myth cycle, Herakles lights himself on fire and is granted entrance into Olympus, where he became a god (granted immortality).  The Romans saw this as a symbol of life after death, and by praying to or utilizing Hercules in religious ceremonies, they hoped to perpetuate their own beliefs in the possibility of life after death.  This shows the emphasis that the Roman culture began to place on the idea of cheating or beating death.  The Romans even began to equate his twelve labors as triumph of Herakles over death, thus lending credence to the idea that there was some sort of life or power after death.  Herakles' labors became commonplace on both sarcophagi and in funerary paintings, and portrayed beliefs similar to those held by many modern-day religions in regards to Heaven or reincarnation.

The next evolution of Herakles comes through the mold of Christianity.  Christians wanted to subjugate the Romans and the Roman culture, and the best way to do this was through religion.  Luckily, the perfect pagan symbol was present in the Roman culture...any guesses?  Due to the suffering that he experienced during his life, the myriad of instances in which he was a protector of the victimized or the weak, and the fact that he was granted a resurrection and subsequent empowerment as a diety/holy figure, Herakles was the perfect parallel for Christ.  So, now, Herakles became a symbol of Christ and Christianity, at least until the pagan symbol was no longer needed and Christ could be the only symbolic/physical figure.

After this, Herakles has sort of gone through the scale of meanings presented here, changing from one to another based on the context in which he is used.  Through the lens of symbolic anthropology, we can see that Herakles as a symbol changed depending on what was considered important in the culture.  Cultures that used Herakles as a symbol of strength were the same cultures that placed an emphasis on the idea of strength (the Spartans for instance).  Cultures that placed an emphasis on philosophy or justice would then depict Herakles as philosophical or as the founder/protector of cities.