Alcmene

Heracles (/ˈhɛrəkliːz/ Ancient Greek: Ἡρακλῆς, lit. 'glory/fame of Hera'), born Alcaeus (Ἀλκαῖος, Alkaios) or Alcides (Ἀλκείδης, Alkeidēs), was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon. He was a descendant of Perseus, another son of Zeus.

He was the greatest of the Greek heroes, the ancestor of royal clans known as Heracleidae (Ἡρακλεῖδαι), and a champion of the Olympian order against chthonic monsters. In Rome and the modern West, he is known as Hercules, with whom the later Roman emperors, in particular Commodus and Maximian, often identified themselves. Details of his cult were adapted to Rome as well.

Amphitryon (/æmˈfɪtriən/; Ancient Greek: Ἀμφιτρύων, gen.: Ἀμφιτρύωνος; usually interpreted as "harassing either side", Latin: Amphitruo), in Greek mythology, was a son of Alcaeus, king of Tiryns in Argolis. His mother was named either Astydameia, the daughter of Pelops and Hippodamia, or Laonome, daughter of Guneus, or else Hipponome, daughter of Menoeceus. Amphitryon was the brother of Anaxo (wife of Electryon), and Perimede, wife of Licymnius. He was a husband of Alcmene, Electryon's daughter, and stepfather of the Greek hero Heracles.

Hercules (/ˈhɜːrkjʊˌliːz/, US: /-kjə-/) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.

The Romans adapted the Greek hero's iconography and myths for their literature and art under the name Hercules. In later Western art and literature and in popular culture, Hercules is more commonly used than Heracles as the name of the hero. Hercules is a multifaceted figure with contradictory characteristics, which enabled later artists and writers to pick and choose how to represent him. This article provides an introduction to representations of Hercules in the later tradition.

In Greek mythology, the name Laonome (Ancient Greek: Λαονόμη 'law of the people' derived from laos "people" and nomos, "law") may refer to:

• Laonome, daughter of Guneus, possible spouse of Alcaeus and mother of Amphitryon, Anaxo and Perimede. She was a woman of Pheneus where Heracles migrated first and lived with her after he was expelled by Eurystheus. This happened before the hero went to Thebes and later on settled there.
• Laonome, daughter of Amphitryon and Alcmene (thus granddaughter of the precedent), sister of Iphicles and half-sister of Heracles. She married an Argonaut, either Euphemus or Polyphemus.
• Laonome, mother by Hodoedocus of Kalliaros, eponym of the city Kalliaros in Locris.

In Greek mythology, Anaxo (Ancient Greek: Ἀναξώ) was the daughter of Alcaeus (son of Perseus and Andromeda) and Astydameia (daughter of Pelops and Hippodamia). Her mother was also named as Laonome, daughter of Guneus, otherwise she was Hipponome, daughter of Menoeceus.

Anaxo was the sister of Amphitryon and Perimede, wife of Licymnius. She married Electryon, king of Mycenae, and her own uncle. Her children were Alcmene, Stratobates, Gorgophonus, Phylonomus, Celaeneus, Amphimachus, Lysinomus, Cheirimachus, Anactor, and Archelaus.

In Greek mythology, Licymnius (/lɪˈsɪmniəs/; Ancient Greek: Λικύμνιος) was a good friend of Heracles and an illegitimate son of Electryon, King of Tiryns and Mycenae in the Argolid (which makes him half-brother of Alcmene, mother of Heracles). His mother is given as Mideia, a Phrygian woman. One source mentions Alco (Ἀλκώ) as his sister. Licymnios appears in the Iliad (II, 661-663) as an old uncle of Heracles (without other details than that of being a "spawn of Ares - which can be understood figuratively as "warrior")

In Greek mythology, Demonassa or Demonassae (Ancient Greek: Δημώνασσα) was a name attributed to five women.

• Demonassa, mother of Eurydamas and Eurytion, king of Phthia, by Irus. Otherwise, Eurydamas parentage was given as Ctimenus from Dolopian Ctimene.
• Demonassa, wife of King Poeas of Meliboea, by whom she bore Philoctetes. Otherwise, the mother of the hero was called Methone.
• Demonassa, mother of Aegialeus by Adrastus.
• Demonassa, daughter of Amphiaraus, king of Argos and Eriphyle, and thus, sister to Alcmaeon, Amphilochus, Eurydice, Alcmena and Alexida. She married Thersander and had a son, Tisamenus.

Hercules is a 1997 American animated musical fantasy comedy film loosely based on the legendary hero Heracles (known in the film by his Roman name, Hercules), a son of Zeus in Greek mythology. Produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, the film was directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, both of whom co-wrote the screenplay with Donald McEnery, Bob Shaw, and Irene Mecchi. Featuring the voices of Tate Donovan, Danny DeVito, James Woods, and Susan Egan, the film follows the titular Hercules, a demigod with super-strength raised among mortals, who must learn to become a true hero in order to earn back his godhood and place in Mount Olympus, while his evil uncle Hades plots his downfall.

Development of Hercules began in 1992 following a pitch adaptation of the Heracles mythological stories by animator Joe Haidar. Meanwhile, Clements and Musker re-developed their idea for Treasure Planet (2002) following the critical and commercial success of Aladdin (1992). Their project was removed from development in 1993, and Musker and Clements joined Hercules later that same year. Following an unused treatment by Haidar, Clements and Musker studied multiple interpretations of Greek mythology before abandoning Zeus's adulterous affair with Alcmene. The project underwent multiple story treatments and a first script draft was inspired by the screwball comedy films of the classic Hollywood era and popular culture of the 1990s. During production, McEnery, Shaw, and Mecchi were brought on board to revise Musker and Clements' script. British cartoonist Gerald Scarfe was recruited as production designer and produced over seven hundred visualization designs of the characters. Research trips to Greece and Turkey provided inspiration for the background designs. Animation for the film was done in California and Paris. Computer animation was used in several scenes, predominantly in the Hydra battle sequence. The production budget was $85 million.