Editing Hercules (section)

==Renaissance mythography==
[[File:Henry IV en Herculeus terrassant l Hydre de Lerne cad La ligue Catholique Atelier Toussaint Dubreuil circa 1600.jpg|thumb|right|King [[Henry IV of France]] depicted as Hercules vanquishing the [[Lernaean Hydra]] (i.e. the [[Catholic League (French)|Catholic League]]), by [[Toussaint Dubreuil]], {{circa|1600}}]]

The [[Renaissance]] and the invention of the [[printing press]] brought a renewed interest in and publication of Greek literature. Renaissance mythography drew more extensively on the Greek tradition of Heracles, typically under the Romanized name Hercules, or the alternate name [[Heracles|Alcides]]. In a chapter of his book ''Mythologiae'' (1567), the influential mythographer [[Natale Conti]] collected and summarized an extensive range of myths concerning the birth, adventures, and death of the hero under his Roman name Hercules. Conti begins his lengthy chapter on Hercules with an overview description that continues the moralizing impulse of the Middle Ages:
<blockquote>

Hercules, who subdued and destroyed monsters, bandits, and criminals, was justly famous and renowned for his great courage. His great and glorious reputation was worldwide, and so firmly entrenched that he'll always be remembered. In fact the ancients honored him with his own temples, altars, ceremonies, and priests. But it was his wisdom and great soul that earned those honors; noble blood, physical strength, and political power just aren't good enough.<ref>[[Natale Conti]], ''Mythologiae'' Book 7, Chapter 1, as translated by John Mulryan and Steven Brown (Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, 2006), vol. 2, p. 566.</ref>
</blockquote>

In 1600, the citizens of [[Avignon]] bestowed on [[Henry of Navarre]] (the future King [[Henry IV of France]]) the title of the ''Hercule Gaulois'' ("Gallic Hercules"), justifying the extravagant flattery with a genealogy that traced the origin of the House of Navarre to a nephew of Hercules' son Hispalus.<ref>The official account, ''Labyrinthe royal...'' quoted in [[Jean Seznec]], ''The Survival of the Pagan Gods'', (B.F. Sessions, tr., 1995) p. 26</ref>