Tag: Hercules
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The Eighth Victory of Hercules Over the Mares of Diomedes
Hercules is sent against another tyrant, Diomedes, who owns man-eating horses in barbarous Thrace, as king of the warlike Bistonians, descended from Mars. Since the myth teaches us that these horses to be fetched are mares, we can identify them as the female psychological side of the male, that is to say, the region of…
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The Twelfth and Final Labor
Cerberus We have finally arrived at the last leg of the journey in the Dodekathalon. Hercules is given a final test, as he “cheated” on two of the earlier ones, and this one is meant, not to test his mettle, but to ruin and destroy him. There is a chance, if he truly goes to…
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The Apples of the Hesperides – Hercules’ Eleventh Labor
With the ancients, we affirm that no man consciously would will Evil. Which is why it is the duty of every man of Order to subdue himself, that when he creates, he may create according to the whole Eye of Light, perceiving the Logos not through a glass darkly, but almost face-to-face.
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Call Down the Sun – Hercules X
Now things are getting more interesting, in even a conventional sense. Hercules sets out upon his tenth labor. Up until now, we have issued many cautions about ascribing to the hero anything in a merely or even a primarily external sense. But when the hero calls down the power of the sun by launching an…
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Hercules’ Ninth – The Girdle of Hippolyta
Thucydides the Athenian notes that of pre-history, he is obliged to accept what the poets say, although certainly this is unsatisfactory, and the poets are not to be trusted. Since Thucydides was an Athenian, he presumably shared in the general blase attitude which they took towards the rites and rituals. The Spartans would postpone invasions…
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Hercules’ Seventh Triumph
As I have argued, Hercules has decisively “come into his own”: he has achieved the unstated goal of the classical polis, which was to become an Aristotelian unequal. He is not yet equal to gods, but he no longer lives under mortal law, because he has suffered its stroke, and lived (which is the only…
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Hercules’ Sixth Task: The Stymphalian Birds
Stymphalian Birds Hercules now advances to the sphere of war. Openly, now, following the altruistic stooping to help the needy and the “folk”, Hercules comes bearing arms against the wicked. It is almost as if Hercules has doubly earned the right to tilt in combat, through having served as a squire to the filthy stables.…
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The Labors of Hercules, Part 5
The Augean Stables Hercules does not go immediately into action or battle, following his insult from the gods: Hera’s madness that causes him to murder his own offspring is the “fall” or primordial condition of sinful man who is an enemy to himself and his own kith/kin, let alone everyone else – man as a…
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Labors of Hercules, Part 4
The Erymanthian Boar Hercules had been given the (originally) ten labors as a penance for letting Hera drive him to wrath, in which he slew his six sons. So don’t let anyone tell you that penance is a “Catholic” thing. All of the labors center around a primordial world of monsters that will be rededicated…
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The Labors of Hercules, Part 3
The Third Test, The Ceryneian Hind For the third labor, Hercules was given a retrieval task instead of a slaying to accomplish. Since Hercules could not be overcome with guile & brute force, it was hoped that he could be made to trespass against a god, & have divine fury invoked upon him. Specifically, Eurystheus…