Mythological References

This is a page for the real Greek myths that are either referenced or used loosely for plotlines in Young Hercules.

(more info to be added)

Young Hercules (Movie Pilot)

• Jason & the Argonauts/Golden Fleece
  • In the movie, Jason and several other cadets go hunting for the golden fleece in order to heal his father, King Aeson, from a mysterious illness.
    • In the myth, Aeson's half-brother, Pelias, received a prophecy from an oracle telling him to beware of a man wearing one sandal. This man would turn out to be his own nephew, Jason, who Pelias had plotted to kill to spare himself any of Aeson's descendants seeking revenge on him for usurping their father's throne. Jason had lost his sandal while carrying Hera across the river on his way to participate in a sacrifice to Poseidon. Fearing for his life, Pelias asked Jason what he would do if he was confronted by the man who would lead to his demise. Jason's answer was that he would send the man to retrieve the Golden Fleece, which was exactly what Pelias had him do. Jason, along with a group of several other heroes, sailed to the kingdom of Colchis to find the fleece.

1.01 - Treasure of Zeus

• Phoenix
  • In the episode, the Phoenix is imprisoned as a wooden statue above Hera's Cave. The fireball from the cave chars the wood, setting the Phoenix free to hunt down whoever is in possession of the chalice. When Hercules stabs the Phoenix with its own horn, it explodes mid-air in a ball of fire.
    • For more information about the myth, see Phoenix.

1.10 - Cyrano de Hercules

• Galatea
  • In the episode, Hephaestus wants some female companionship, so he builds himself a girl.
    • In the myth, Galatea was a statue created by the sculptor Pygmalion. When the man fell in love with his creation Aphrodite took pity on him and brought the statue to life.

1.22 - A Lady in Hades

• Prometheus
  • In the episode, Charon says, "Oh, the pain in my liver, I wouldn't wish it on Prometheus."
    • In the myth, in punishment for giving fire to humans, the Titan Prometheus was punished by Zeus by being chained to a mountainside and have his liver torn from him daily by a giant eagle or vulture. Prometheus is eventually freed from captivity by Hercules.

• Orpheus and Eurydice
  • In the episode, Hercules travels down to the underworld to find Eurydice.
    • In the myth, Orpheus travels down to the underworld to find his wife, Eurydice. He passes several trials, but manages to pass them often with his music, which soothes anyone who hears it. (add the rest of the myth here)

• Aeneas going to the Underworld to see his father
  • In the episode, Jason is reunited with his father.
    • In the myth, the sixth book of the Aeneid has Aeneas traveling to the Underworld. With the guidance of the Cumaean Sibyl, he descends into the underworld through an opening at Cumae; there he speaks with the spirit of his father and is offered a prophetic vision of the destiny of Rome.

1.29 - Sisters

• King Midas
  • In the episode, his golden touch and his donkey ears are mentioned by Cleo.
    • In the myth, King Midas of Phrygia is best known as the recipient of "The Golden Touch", but he was also cursed with donkey ears by the god Apollo after Midas preferred the music of Pan to that of the Olympian God. Midas wore a turban ever after, but his barber knew about the ears. The barber was dying to tell someone his secret, and when it got to be too much he dug a hole in the ground and whispered the secret into it. Some reeds grew up in the same spot, and when the reeds were made into a flute, they repeated "Midas has the ears of an donkey" when they were played, and soon everyone knew his secret.

1.38 - Me, Myself, and Eye

• The Gray Sisters
  • In the episode, the sisters drop their eye and Hercules finds it. Instead of returning it, he keeps it with the hopes of having a vision of his father.
    • In the myth, The Gray Sisters shared one eye and one tooth. Perseus took the eye and gave it back when they told him how to get to the nymphs who would lead him to Medusa.
    • THE GRAIAI (or Graeae) were three, ancient sea-daimones (spirits) who personified the white foam of the sea. They were grey from birth, and shared among themselves a single detatchable eye and tooth. Perseus stole these and compelled the sisters to reveal the hidden location of their sister Gorgones. Three of their names suggest rather dire monsters--Deino "the terrible." Enyo "the warlike" and Persis "the destoyer." Another name, Pemphredo, "she who guides the way," simply refers to their role in the Perseus story. - The Gray Hags

1.40 - Iolaus Goes Stag

• Actaeon
  • In the episode, When Iolaus is caught hunting the Golden Hind within Artemis's sacred falls, she punishes him by body-swapping him with a deer. He then has to fend off his friends and his uncle who shoot arrows at him.
    • In the myth, When Actaeon hunted one of Artemis' sacred deer, Artemis punished changing him into a deer. He was torn apart by his own hunting dogs, and died.

1.43 - The Beasts Beneath

• The Labyrinth
  • In the episode, Theseus says, "You may be a half-God, but I'm the best tracker there is, no track too faint, no trail too hard. Except for mazes, though, they still get to me."
    • In the myth, Theseus killed the Minotaur that lived in the Labyrinth of King Minos of Crete. He would never have found his way back out of it after killing the monster if the Cretan Princess Ariadne hadn't fallen in love with him and helped him.