This angers Hera, so she strikes Hercules with a fit of madness which causes him to kill his children (and in some versions his wife). Statue of Hercules - credits: Įventually, Hercules marries a woman named Megara and has many children. (She does something similar to Leo Valdez when he is a child, but says it’s to test his strength.) The Madness of Hercules and the Twelve Labors
She even sent serpents to kill him in his cradle, but he strangled them. Because Hercules was an illegitimate son of Zeus outside of his marriage with Hera, the goddess immediately hated him. Even as a child he was known for his immense strength. Hercules (Greek name “Herakles”) was born the son of Zeus and a mortal woman named Alcmene, making him a demigod like Percy Jackson and most of his friends.
