Hercules

Heracles is the god of strength and bravery. He is the son of Zeus and Alcemene, foster son of Amphitryon. He is also the godly husband of Hebe, the Goddess of Youth. His more common and well known Roman name is Hercules.

Abilities and Personality
Heracles has extraordinary strength and courage, but is not particularly intelligent. He acts without thinking and is prone to fits of rage which usually end in death for his opponent. He wears a lion skin (made from the Nemean lion) often accompanied with a club. Heracles was an extremely passionate and emotional individual. He will also go to great lengths to help his friends. Heracles was very much hated by Hera, the wife of Zeus, because he was Zeus's son. Hera tried to kill him many times, from the time of his birth to the time of his "death" as a mortal. One of the weapons confirmed he used in his life is Riptide.

Accomplishments
One of the things he is most known for are the twelve labors he had to complete for King Eurystheus. These were a series of "labors" that were given to him to purify him after he was cursed with madness by Hera, causing him to murder his wife and son. His labors include:


 * 1) Slay the Nemean lion.
 * 2) Slay the Hydra.
 * 3) Capture the Ceryneian Hind.
 * 4) Capture the Erymanthian Boar
 * 5) Clean the Augean Stables in a day.
 * 6) Slay the Stymphalian Birds.
 * 7) Capture the Cretan Bull
 * 8) Steal the Man-Eating Mares of Diomedes.
 * 9) Obtain the Girdle of Hippolyta.
 * 10) Obtain the cattle that is owned by Geryon.
 * 11) Steal the apples of the Hesperides.
 * 12) Capture and bring back Cerberus.

During his labours, he found time become one of Jasons Argonauts during their search for the The Golden Fleece.

Adventures and Personal Life
After completing his labours, Heracles joined up with Jason and the Argonauts in his quest for The Golden Fleece. Heracles later helped the Gods fight the Giants (who were the children of Gaia that were fertilized from Uranus's blood) led by Alcyoneus and Porphyrion in a plot to restore the Titan rule, freed Prometheus, defeated Antaeus, lost to Dionysus in a drinking contest, and ended up mating with a half-woman, half-snake creature to reclaim his horses.

When Heracles takes Deianara as his wife, the centaur Nessus offers to help Deianeira across a fast flowing river while Heracles swims it. However, Nessus is true to the archetype of the mischievous centaur and tries to steal Deianara away while Heracles is still in the water. Angry, Heracles shoots him with his arrows dipped in the poisonous blood of the Lernaean Hydra. Thinking of revenge, Nessus gives Deianara his blood-soaked tunic before he dies, telling her it will "excite the love of her husband".

Several years later, rumor tells Deianeira that she has a rival for the love of Heracles. Deianeira, remembering Nessus' words, gives Heracles the bloodstained shirt. Lichas, the herald, delivers the shirt to Heracles. However, it is still covered in the Hydra's blood from Heracles' arrows, and this poisons him, tearing his skin and exposing his bones. Before he dies, Heracles throws Lichas into the sea, thinking he was the one who poisoned him (according to several versions, Lichas turns to stone, becoming a rock standing in the sea, named for him). Heracles then uproots several trees and builds a funeral pyre which Poeas (the father of Philoctetes) lights. As his body burns, only his immortal side is left. Through Zeus' apotheosis, Heracles rises to Olympus as he dies. No one but Heracles' friend Philoctetes (Poeas in some versions) would light his funeral pyre (in an alternate version, it is Iolaus who lights the pyre). For this action, Philoctetes (or Poeas) received Heracles' bow and arrows, which were later needed by the Greeks to defeat Troy in the Trojan War. The Trojan War, however, would continue until the Trojan Horse was used to defeat Troy. Philoctetes confronted Paris and shot a poisoned arrow at him. The Hydra poison would subsequently lead to the death of Paris.

As for Heracles when he is brought to Mt. Olympus, Hera ended up dropping her vendetta against him and Heracles ends up marrying Hebe.

Cause of Death
It is obvious that Dieanira's distrust towards her husband, Heracles, thinking that he was captivated by Iole, daughter of Eurytus which led her to use the poisoned shirt that caused Heracles' death.

The Titan's Curse
Heracles is mentioned, and Percy dreams from his point of view. Zoë Nightshade was the one who gave him the ideas for several of his labors, including how to steal the Apples of the Hesperides. Heracles, however, never even mentioned her. Percy used to think of Heracles as his favorite hero, because he had such "rotten luck" and it made Percy feel better about his own plight. Once he learns how Heracles treated his friend, however, he changes his mind. Percy's sword, Anaklusmos, was originally owned by Heracles which was given by Zoë Nightshade.

Abilities
As a demigod, he had these natural abilities.
 * ADHD.
 * As a child of the Big Three, his abilities are much more potent than other demigods.
 * His superhuman strength is legend.
 * As a child of Zeus he has the same sky abilities as his siblings Thalia Grace & Jason Grace, but to a much greater degree.
 * Can control lightning to a greater extent than his siblings Jason and Thalia.

Trivia

 * Interestingly, Heracles is absent from the series. In myths, he was made immortal upon his death with his mortal half descending to the underworld. In the series, whenever he is mentioned he is discussed as not being around. It is possible in actuality Zeus never made him a god or he simply hasn't made an actual appearance yet.
 * While a Demigod he could throw massive boulders & monsters like the hydra around with little effort, it remains unknown how powerful his strength is as a full fledged god.
 * It was often said in the myths that Heracles was, and possibly still is, Zeus's favorite child.
 * Zeus fathered Heracles to serve as Olympus's mortal champion in the first Gigantomachy. It was prophesized that without a mortal to fight beside and kill the giants the Olympians would have lost the war.
 * Heracles is the half-brother and great-grandson of Perseus.
 * In The Percy Jackson Series, Heracles is only called by his Roman name: "Hercules" by the Greek demigods. In The Lost Hero, Jason Grace, a Roman demigod, calls him by his Greek name: "Heracles".