Therimachus – eldest son of Heracles and Megara
Thermodon – river feeding into the Black Sea
Thyestes – Tirynian rebel, brother of Atreus
Tiryns – city in north-eastern Peloponnese
Troy – chief city of Ilium
Tydeus – commander of the Tirynian guard
U
Underworld – realm of the dead, ruled by Hades
Z
Zeus – the King of the Gods
Author's Note
Heracles was the greatest hero of antiquity. His prowess more than matches that of other heroes, and the tales of his feats were as popular and important to the ancient Greeks as the cycle of myths associated with the Trojan War. However, whereas the heroics of the Trojan War were immortalized in Homer’s epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey, no such works exist for the labours of Heracles. The most complete retelling of this tale comes from the Bibliotheca, written by Pseudo-Apollodorus in the first or second century BC.
The Bibliotheca is a detailed compendium of Greek myths, starting with the creation of the world and finishing after the Trojan War. It is not an epic poem, though, and Pseudo-Apollodorus is certainly no Homer. His accounts of Heracles’s labours simply list the events, with little sense of character, drama or emotion. Other ancient writers, such as Euripides and Ovid, make up for this, though none tell the whole story as Pseudo-Apollodorus does. My retelling is based on the Bibliotheca, while also drawing from several other sources. As usual, I have added my own twists to the tale.
In the original myths, Megara was not a captive of the Amazons; I placed her in their custody to increase the stakes for Heracles. I have also tried to counter the modern view of Amazons as tough, attractive women in skimpy outfits. To the patriarchal ancient Greeks, they were nothing of the sort. Rather, they were a warning against the imbalance that occurs in nature when women assume the roles of men (and were usually portrayed negatively). They were, of course, a mythological race, but if they had existed in reality, I expect they would have ‘cultivated the manly arts’ – as Pseudo-Apollodorus puts it – simply to survive in a male-dominated world.
My version of Heracles’s encounter with Geryon differs little from Pseudo-Apollodorus’s, except in the amount of detail (in the Bibliotheca, the giant’s appearance and death occur in a single line). As with several of the other labours, Pseudo-Apollodorus also lists the various encounters Heracles has on the way to and from facing Geryon. Though interesting stories in their own right, they have little relevance to Heracles’s goals; including them in Hero of Olympus would have slowed the tale considerably.
Although Phorcys told Heracles where to find the Garden of the Hesperides, it was Prometheus the Titan who suggested he ask Atlas to fetch the golden apples. This was after Heracles had saved Prometheus from the eagle that pecked out his liver every day, as a punishment from Zeus for giving mankind the gift of fire. According to Pseudo-Apollodorus, Heracles took the advice and went straight to Atlas. In another version of the myth, he shot the serpent guarding the tree and helped himself to the apples. In my story, I decided he should visit Ladon first and attempt to persuade her to part with the fruit, though nowhere in the original myths is it suggested that the serpent questioned those asking for the golden apples, or that the apples rotted if stolen.
Atlas led the Titans in a rebellion against the Olympian gods, and for his crime was made to carry the weight of the heavens on his shoulders. In ancient Greek belief, the stars were embedded in rotating crystal spheres – like the layers of a transparent onion – and in one famous Roman sculpture, Heracles is depicted as carrying these celestial spheres on his shoulders. This was later misrepresented as the earth, and the image of Atlas with the world on his shoulders has been prevalent ever since. In view of the difficulty in portraying his punishment literally, I chose to have him support the heavens on a column that reached up through the peak of Mount Atlas.
Heracles did not drink a witch’s brew to enter the Underworld; he was initiated into the Eleusinian Mysteries (associated with the abduction of Persephone by Hades, and her mother’s search for her) and went in through the front door. Neither did he have to surrender his supernatural strength for Kharon to ferry him across the Styx. He did, however, have to persuade Hades to allow him to take Cerberus, though there is no suggestion that Persephone helped him with this.
After various adventures in the Underworld, he overpowered Cerberus and carried him back to Tiryns. Unlike my version, Eurystheus survived the encounter (hiding in a large pithos) and Cerberus was sent back to Hades. There was no rebellion in Tiryns, and Eurystheus remained as king, even outliving Heracles. His hatred for Heracles remained, however, and after pursuing his cousin’s children – known as the Heraclides – to Athens and laying siege to the city, he was killed in the ensuing battle.
Thyestes and Atreus had sought exile in Tiryns and were welcomed by Eurystheus, who left them in temporary charge of the city while he pursued the Heraclides. When he did not return, Thyestes and Atreus fought over who should be king of Tiryns. Atreus won, and banned his brother from the land, thus beginning a long-standing feud that continued for generations until after the Trojan War.
As for the love affair between Iolaus and Megara, that is my own invention, though in one myth Heracles gave Megara to Iolaus because she reminded him too much of the sons he had murdered.
After the conclusion of his labours, Heracles continued to lead an adventurous existence, taking part in many other challenges, overcoming fierce new enemies, and taking numerous lovers. He later married Deianira, who was kidnapped by Nessus, the centaur he fought against in Wrath of the Gods. Heracles fatally wounded Nessus, but before he died, the centaur gave Deianira his bloody tunic – in some versions, a jar of ointment – which he promised would ensure her husband’s affections. When she later discovered that Heracles had taken a new lover, Deianira persuaded him to put on the tunic (or a cloak smeared with the ointment), hoping it would win back his heart. Having been soaked in Nessus’s blood, itself containing the Hydra’s venom from the arrow that slew him, it caused Heracles to suffer unbearable pain. Preferring death, he built a funeral pyre for himself and asked a shepherd boy, Philoctetes, to light it (though some say it was Iolaus). As a reward, he gave Philoctetes his bow and arrows, which he later used to his eternal glory in the Trojan War.
Observing Heracles’s death from Olympus, Zeus persuaded Hera that his son had suffered enough and should be allowed to join the gods on their mountain home. Thus Heracles finally found rest, the first and only mortal to become an Olympian god.
Praise for Glyn Iliffe
‘The world of this novel appears as many scholars see that of Homer: a rich melange of different eras … It has suspense, treachery and bone-crunching action… It will leave fans of the genre eagerly awaiting the rest of the series.’
Harry Sidebottom, author of the bestselling Warrior of Rome series
‘Not since the late David Gemmell has anyone managed to make the legends and heroic myths of the Greeks at Troy so grittily real, so marinated in sweat and blood and dark deeds.’
Rob Low, author of Beasts Beyond the Wall, The Oathsworn and The Kingdom series
‘From one adventure to another the pace never lets up. Like Homer’s original, Glyn Iliffe’s series is destined to become a classic!’
Steven A. McKay, author of Wolf’s Head
‘Iliffe has given the world of Greek myth full rein in his story, which makes it a whole different beast, and a fascinating one at that … The result? Magnificent.’
S.J.A. Turney, author of the Tales of the Empire series
‘Iliffe is a talented storyteller.’
Times Literary Supplement
‘A ripping swords-and-sandals treatment of The Iliad.’
The Telegraph
‘A thrilling adventure full of bloody battles, vibrant characters and the heart-stopping romance that makes ancient Greece so universally appealing. Dazzling drama on a
grand scale.’
Lancashire Evening Post
‘A must read for those who enjoy good old epic battles, chilling death scenes and the extravagance of ancient Greece.’
Lifestyle Magazine
‘The reader does not need to be a classicist by any means to enjoy this epic and stirring tale. It makes a great novel and would be an even better film.’
Historical Novels Review
‘Another gripping and thrilling tale from the new demi-god of the genre, one which fans will relish getting stuck into.’
Catholic Herald
‘Iliffe knows like no other how to capture the visceral clumsiness of ancient combat and seamanship in all its stomach-wrenching intensity, injecting the action with more than enough adrenaline … Drawing vivid scenery and immediate action together in a uniquely economical and well-paced style of writing, Iliffe’s talents are subtly sublime, guiding the reader through Homeric myth with a steady and seasoned hand.’
Edinburgh Book Review
‘Iliffe displays his thorough knowledge of classical literature, vividly bringing to life the glories of Troy and the bloodiness of Bronze Age warfare. A slow start yields quickly to a satisfying tale of politics, romance, and war under the shadow of the Olympian gods in this comprehensive retelling of the genesis of the Trojan War.’
Publishers Weekly
‘A cracking overall arc and an author who believes in working the story up so that the reader gets not only the glory but the true horror of this type of battlefield … add to the mix a great sense of pace which when backed with Iliffe’s own writing style made this a book to stand out. I’ll eagerly await future instalments.’
Falcata Times
‘The narrative account and description in the telling of the story is strong. I felt drawn in at the first page. The characters came alive in my mind, and their stories were vivid and powerful.’
Impressions in Ink
‘With a series like this, when the plots and characters are so well known and loved, it has to be a hard task to write them while retaining a sense of tension, suspense and excitement. But have no fear, the book is a joy to read from beginning to end.’
The Review Group
‘I found it utterly fascinating, the historic detail was excellent … I can absolutely recommend it.’
Book Talk Bournemouth
‘If you are a fan of Bernard Cornwell, Simon Scarrow and Conn Iggulden you will enjoy this. If you don’t already know the story, it doesn’t matter; and if you do, there are some surprising plot twists to keep readers on their toes.’
Myshelf
‘The author brings the reader into the constant drama surrounding Odysseus, Eperitus and the rest of the Ithacans; bringing to life the horrors faced, the circumstances that threaten to unravel everything they hold dear. I kept thinking, man, how much more can they take?’
Hoover Book Review
About the author
Glyn Iliffe studied English and classics at the University of Reading, where he developed his passion for Greek mythology. Well travelled, Glyn has visited nearly forty countries, trekked in the Himalayas, hitchhiked across North America, and had his collarbone broken by a bull in Pamplona.
He is married with two daughters and lives in Leicestershire. Son of Zeus was the first novel in his Heracles trilogy, followed by Wrath of the Gods. Glyn is also the author of the popular Adventures of Odysseus series.
For more information visit www.glyniliffe.com
Also by Glyn Iliffe
The greatest battles need the greatest warriors
Mythical warrior Odysseus battles ancient armies, vengeful demi-gods and man-eating monsters in The Adventures of Odysseus…
First published in the United Kingdom in 2019 by Canelo
Canelo Digital Publishing Limited
57 Shepherds Lane
Beaconsfield, Bucks HP9 2DU
United Kingdom
Copyright © Glyn Iliffe, 2019
The moral right of Glyn Iliffe to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 9781788630290
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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