THE DEATH OF HERACLES

Ev Cochrane
AEON Vol. II, No. 5 58

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CONCLUSION
An underlying theme of this series of essays upon Heracles is that the Greek strongman can serve as a prototype for reconstructing the myth of the warrior-hero.
Nearly every fundamental motive belonging to the mythological dossier of the warriorhero is attested in the cult of Heracles. Nearly every significant episode in Heracles’ career, in turn, receives illumination by comparison with analogous episodes from the
careers of other prominent warrior-heroes, particularly Nergal, Indra, and ThorIn the present monograph we have focused our attention upon the peculiar circumstances attending the hero’s immolation upon Mt. Oeta. It has been demonstrated, I trust, that this tradition is inexplicable apart from the hero’s identification with the planet Mars. The ramifications of this finding range far beyond a critical analysis of Sophocles’ great play. Indeed, at the risk of sounding ridiculous, it is safe to say that the present thesis, if proved correct, will forever modify the way we view the recent history of the solar system, not to mention the archaic mythic heritage bequethed to us by our ancestors.

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