Heracles, also known as Hercules, is one of the most famous heroes of Greek mythology. Interestingly, ancient records reveal that an Egyptian king from the time before Homer also went by the same name of Heracles, but what do we know about him, and what might his connection to the Greek one be?
Heracles of Greek mythology
First of all, it’s worth looking into who Heracles actually was in Greek mythology. A demigod who was famed for his strength, his mother was Alcmene, while his father was Zeus, the king of the gods. The goddess Hera is known to be his greatest enemy. The irony in that is that his name actually means “Glory of Hera.”
Heracles participated in numerous adventures, including the quest for the Golden Fleece. However, the most famous series of events involving Heracles are his twelve labors. These seemingly impossible tasks involved killing a monstrous lion, defeating the Hydra, and capturing the Mares of Diomedes.
Without a doubt, Heracles was one of the most popular heroes within Greek mythology, and the same holds true to this day. This makes his potential connection to Ancient Egypt all the more interesting.
The Egyptian king Heracles
To any student of Egyptian history, the claim that an ancient king of Egypt also went by the name of “Heracles” might seem strange. After all, he’s not included on any standard list of Egyptian kings. However, we find a clear reference to him in the ancient source of Manetho’s king list.
Manetho was a historian who lived in the third century BC and wrote about the history of Ancient Egypt, its many kings, and dynasties. Unfortunately, the authentic source has not actually survived, but it has been referenced in later sources. For instance, in the version preserved by Eusebius of the late third to early fourth centuries AD, we find the following list:
“The Twenty-third Dynasty consisted of three kings of Tanis.
1. Petubastis, for 25 years.
2. Osorthon, for 9 years: the Egyptians called him Heracles.
3. Psammus, for 10 years.”
As can be seen, King Osorthon from the Twenty-Third Dynasty of Egypt was also known as Heracles, a fascinating discovery that potentially has some very intriguing ramifications for our understanding of early Greek mythology.
Who was the Egyptian Heracles?
Firstly, we need to understand who Osorthon actually was. This spelling used by Eusebius is actually a form of the Egyptian name “Osorkon.” There were several kings known as “Osorkon” throughout Egypt’s history within the first half of the first millennium BC, but which one was the one known as Heracles?
The traditional viewpoint has been that Manetho’s Osorthon was Osorkon III. The common dates for his rule place him in the early eighth century BC, and he ruled a few decades after a king named Pedubast I. That would fit Manetho’s Osorthon coming after a king named Petubastis.
However, there are certain issues with this. For one thing, it appears that Pedubast I and Osorkon III ruled Upper Egypt, or what is today southern Egypt (approximately). This is problematic, because Manetho refers to his kings as ruling Tanis, near Egypt’s northern coast.
Another viewpoint is more convincing and has been accepted by many modern scholars. This is that Manetho’s Osorthon is actually Osorkon IV. He came shortly, or perhaps even immediately, after Pedubast II according to many scholars. Therefore, this fits in well with Manetho listing Osorthon right after Petubastis.
Additionally, there is the crucial fact that Pedubast II and Osorkon IV were actually rulers of Tanis, just like Manetho described. Therefore, it is very likely that the Osorkon allegedly known as Heracles was Osorkon IV. He ruled in the north of Egypt, and scholars date his reign to the second half of the eighth century BC.
The fact that there was a historical figure who was known as Heracles and lived just prior to the earliest traces of the legend of Heracles in Greek mythology is quite interesting. Could this mean that Heracles is actually based, at least in part, on the historical Osorkon IV?
Was Osorkon IV the Heracles of Greek mythology?
Partially because relatively little is known about Osorkon IV and it is thus quite difficult to compare his life with the Greek legend of Heracles, we do not actually know if these two figures are one and the same. Nonetheless, the basic connection to Egypt is, surprisingly, something that we find in Greek records. Herodotus noted that Heracles’ parents, Alcmene and Amphitryon, were “both of Egypt by descent.”
As for Osorkon’s activities, he is known to have successfully prevented a devastating attack against his territory by the southern king of Egypt, Piye, right at the beginning of his career. Achieving this involved traveling to a temple to meet Piye. This could be associated with the legend of Heracles repelling a king’s invasion of his land, which likewise involved him going inside temples.
Another event in his life is recorded in Assyrian records. To appease Sargon of Assyria, Osorkon took and gifted twelve incredible, mighty horses. They impressed Sargon so much that he described them as “without equal in Assyria.” This could potentially be the origin of the story of Heracles capturing the mighty Mares, or Horses, of Diomedes and gifting them to King Eurystheus to appease him.
Lastly, numerous scholars believe that Osorkon fought against another king of Egypt named Bocchoris. This could be the origin of the story of Heracles fighting against the Egyptian king Busiris.
While none of these connections can definitively be confirmed, it is, nevertheless, possible that the Egyptian king Osorkon IV inspired the figure of Heracles in Greek mythology at least to an extent.
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