But he swiftly strangled them in a demonstration of his incredible brute power. When Zeus’s wife Hera found out that Heracles was her husband’s love child, she sent two snakes to his cradle to destroy him. Heracles Was an Incredible Child Young Heracles with a snake, Museo Capitolini, image courtesy of Roma Non Per TuttiĮven as a young child, Hercules showed great bravery and unbelievable strength in the face of adversity. As a result, Alcmene had twin sons, Iphicles, whose father was Amphitryon, and Heracles, whose father was Zeus. He tricked her by disguising himself as her husband Amphitryon (while he was away in battle) and seducing her in a night so long it lasted three days. How did this come about? Well, Zeus concocted a plan to create an all-powerful, demi-god child with Alcmene, all without her knowledge. Alcmene was Heracles’s real mother, but his real father – the third, divine parent – was in fact Zeus, king of the gods. His two mortal parents were the king and queen Amphitryon and Alcmene, who both raised Heracles. Technically, Heracles had three parents growing up, two who were mortal, and one who was divine.
Heracles Had Three Parents Heracles (Hercules) statue, 1950s replica, image courtesy of Christopher Jones Antiques
