Quotes
-"In former times it was the initiates who were the great leaders of humanity, those who were taken up to the final stage of initiation in the sacred mysteries. It was these men who approached the gate of death, who had been immersed in the elements, had remained for three days outside their bodies and during these three days were in the super-sensible worlds.
Then they were brought back again into their bodies and became thereafter emissaries, ambassadors from the super-sensible worlds. It was always those initiates who had become initiates by means such as these who were the great leaders of mankind." -Rudolf Steiner, https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA139/English/AP1986/19120920p01.html "
-"The Indian initiate is the Bodhisattva, then come the Rishis, later in Greece we get ‘the sons of the sun’, such as Hercules and Achilles..." -Rudolf Steiner, https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA092/English/UNK2003/19041021p01.html
-"Heracles was the archetype of the life experience of the Hellenic man.
Every Hellene who strove for immortality was considered an offspring of
Heracles....all the Greeks considered themselves children of Heracles; and the Dorians who, through their migration ushered in the history of Hellas, were called the returning Heraclidae." - Friedrich Hiebel, The Gospel of Hellas, P 55.
Preface
One of the foundational Greek myths that has captured the imagination of people across the world is the 12 Trials of Herakles ("Herakles" or "Heracles" in Greek / "Hercules" in Latin-Roman). Like all of the Greek myths, the tale of this legendary ancient hero is clothed in mysterious symbols, relationships, events, mythical beasts, challenges, and journeys. There is no rational explanation to the strange situations and nuances of this myth in modern times, thus it is often dismissed as a fantasy folk-tale from the ancient world.
This is fair. However, the reality is that the Greek myths were intentionally designed using images and symbols to illustrate facts and realities of an inner, spiritual nature. The myths of the Greeks were conveyed by those who had passed through an education at centers of learning and development that have faded into the past. Over time, the myths have been recorded, told, and retold.
By the time of the Romans, the Greek myths had been embellished at times, but the essential nature of the tales remained intact. These centers of learning where the Greek myths originated and were passed along to the public are referred to as "Mystery Centers" in Anthroposophical texts. Examples of Mystery Centers in Greece included Delphi, Eleusis, Samothrace, and Ephesus.
When observed through Dr. Rudolf Steiner's works, or initiation wisdom, the tale of Heracles and other Greek myths can be deciphered and appreciated - at least in part - in their true light as a historical account of an individual on a great spiritual quest that can serve as a model for others. To be sure, this is summary is an incomplete little study, but perhaps it can provide some clues using Dr. Rudolf Steiner's works as a foundation.
Not all of the Labors were discussed in Dr. Steiner's works, but symbols used in the myths and religious texts and their true meaning were extensively discussed. Thus, where direct information is lacking, I tried to provide correlations and insights regarding the meaning of things. The terms "Heracles", "Herakles", and "Hercules" are derivations of the same name and are used interchangeably.
Introduction
"Happy are those who have experienced the Mysteries. They know the beginning and the end of life." -Pindar
The tale of Heracles occurs during the middle of the Greek Bronze Age in the area of Mycenae, Greece. It has inspired the lives of almost every Greek and some of the world's most influential historical leaders including Alexander the Great. A constellation bears his name, warships have been christened in his honor, and geographic monuments, such as the Pillars of Hercules, bear his namesake. Coins and countless artworks are extant that remind us of his mighty and mythic deeds. Very few people, however, have dared to liken themselves to the mighty Herakles and, perhaps, come close to this lofty goal. Fewer have unraveled the mystery of the historical Heracles.
Sometimes referred to simply as the "Labors", the 12 Trials of Heracles represent the challenges and obstacles overcome by a great hero; brave, tragic, and enduring. The myth of Heracles is conveyed by way of symbolic imagery including mythic beasts, journeys to foreign lands, riddles, and peculiar situations; all of which have a deeper significance. This is because the tale of Herakles was not the innovation of an ancient writer's imagination as envisaged today. It has a foundation in reality based on INNER experiences. To follow in the path of Heracles, is to seek the spirit and to pursue the deeper questions of life, death, and immortality.
Heracles was indeed a historical personality; this person did exist. But rather than be the stuff of mere fairy tales to entertain children, the Labors of Heracles describe the trials and challenges of a candidate on the path of spiritual initiation in the ancient Greek world. While, this individual may have traveled to foreign lands and had adventures connected with his destiny, the journeys and challenges described in the 12 Labors occurred primarily in a higher and expanded state of consciousness. They were spiritual journeys.
Herakles' victories and failures were dangerous and heroic soul-spiritual journeys of one who had to face himself, his karma, his shadow, the residual echoes of his prior deeds in his and prior lifetimes ("samskara" in the Indian religions), thoughts, and feelings that impacted himself, others, and the world. These prior sins and lower dispositions brought forward from the past often have a dark and heavy aspect. Exposing them requires help, effort, and endurance.
Confronting and shedding them is a difficult battle and can only be accomplished gradually with renewed forces of the will, education, and resiliency. Just like today, self-improvement - whether it be diet, exercise, positive thinking, or something else - is the journey of transforming ourselves into something greater than we were before. If the path is pursed in the right spirit, and continued effort, what follows is health, awareness, transformation, accountability, accomplishment, and freedom. Thus, the central themes of Heracles are heroic journeys, bravery, virtue, and courage. He had to confront and transform the darkness within himself into the Light.
The initiate of old such as Heracles, regardless of their location in the world and the moment of history and the culture in which they lived, are referred to as the "Sons of the Sun" in the Mysteries. In the ancient Grecian Mysteries, sometimes these heroes of old were referred to as "Sons of Zeus" or the "Sons of Apollo." Other cultures where these leaders existed, including Mesopotamia and Persia, referred to these leaders as the "Sons of Light."
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-"The twelve labors imposed on Hercules are seen in a higher light when one reflects that before the last and most difficult one he was initiated into the Eleusinian Mysteries. At the command of King Eurystheus of Mycenae, he was to fetch Cerberus, the hound of hell, from the nether world, and take him back there again. To be able to undertake a journey into the nether world, Hercules had to be an initiate.
The Mysteries led man through the death of the transitory and thus into the nether world; through initiation, they wished to save the eternal element in him from destruction. As a mystic, he could overcome death. Hercules overcame the dangers of the nether world as a mystic. This justifies the interpretation of his other deeds as stages of the inner development of the soul." -Rudolf Steiner, Christianity as Mystical Fact, GA 8, 4. Mystery Wisdom and Myth, https://rsarchive.org/Books/GA008/English/RPC1961/GA008_c05.html
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The myth begins when Hercules was born as an illegitimate son of Zeus; king of the Gods whose symbol is the eagle, lightning, and light. Thus, he is born as a "Son of Zeus." This implies that Heracles - before he was Heracles - has attained the lofty task of initiation in a prior lifetime. However, as is the way of rebirth, all souls are required to pursue the path of life anew.
Some say Heracles was born in Thebes, taken there to escape the wraith of Zeus's jealous wife, the Goddess Hera. In Thebes, Heracles grew into adulthood in anonymity protected by his mother and "married" a certain King Creon’s daughter Megara. Tales of Heracles as a hero-child can be found throughout the myths.
The spiteful Hera found Heracles and induced a fit of madness and as a result, he "killed" his children. The legend continues that Heracles fled in a fit of anguish to the Oracle of Delphi. Delphi is one of the homes to the Mysteries in the ancient world and where candidates for initiation were educated and trained. His madness was later cured by way of a toxic plant called "Hellebore."
Delphi, like Eleusis, was a Mystery Center dedicated to the sacred purpose of guiding students in their spiritual initiation. There committed students, or "chelas", learned how to bridge the gap between the physical and spiritual worlds in a mature way. Later, Delphi was home to a seer or prophetess known as the "oracle" or "pythia" who would provide guidance and insights to patrons who made the journey into the mountains especially during times of crisis (refer to https://judsonarchive.com/the-oracle-of-delphi ). I believe that the Temple in Delphi may have been used interchangeably with the Temple of Eleusis by those who edited and retold the myths of Heracles. It could also be that Delphi was founded as an extension of Eleusis.
The ancient and sacred city of Eleusis is located about 15 miles west of Athens and opposite the island of Salamis; the location of a great naval battle between the Greeks and the Persians in 480 BC. Eleusis was an independent city until the 7th century BC when Athens annexed her and recognized the Eleusinian Mysteries as a center for an Athenian spiritual-religious festival. The location hosted annual celebrations, festivals, and games.
Eleusis, like any other small town in ancient Greece, had homes, temples, monuments, festivals, events, and a theatre that hosted the mystery dramas - such as those written by Sophocles and Aeschylus - that were reenacted for the public. Until about the 3-4th centuries AD, this important center of spiritual activity served as a leading Mystery Center alongside Ephesus, Somathrace, and Delphi and was home to candidates, students, and seekers on the path of the initiation. Dr. Steiner informed us:
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"Before the Greeks placed a single hero on the stage in a work of art, the priests had sought, in the Eleusinian Mysteries, for example, to portray human fate in general before men’s eyes. A sacred way led from Athens to Eleusis. Cryptic signs placed along this road were intended to raise the soul to loftier levels. In the Temple at Eleusis priestly families carried out divine worship. The Festivals which were celebrated here gave presentations of the great world drama. The Temple was erected in honour of Demeter, the daughter of Kronos, who had borne Zeus, before his marriage with Hera, a daughter, Persephone.
...The Mysteries were to present the values of the eternal, the lasting, against the earthly and transitory." This is an abridged quote. Dr. Rudolf Steiner, https://rsarchive.org/Articles/GA034/English/Singles/AristotleMystDrama.html
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On Hellebore & Homeopathy
In the ancient world, this toxic 5-petal plant/herb was used to treat illnesses. It was cultivated and diluted into a potion. However, if taken the wrong dosage - just like any medication or substance today - it was poisonous and potentially fatal. It was the ancient and sacred art of potentization that enabled a toxic plant to be diluted and blended in such a way as to unlock healing forces. Hellebore is sometimes referred to as the "Winter Rose" and was alleged to cure the "madness" of others according to Greek myths. In the ancient world, and the myths, the term "madness" can mean many things including seizures, depression, an inner-spiritual condition, illusions, or perhaps even true mental illness.
"Dr. Ernst Lehrs, one of Steiner’s closest pupils, has given a short description of Homeopathy and the process of potentizing which may help the reader who is unfamiliar with these concepts:
The method in question is associated with the school of medicine known as Homeopathy, founded by the German doctor, Hahnemann. The word ‘Homeopathy’ means healing through like; the basic principle is to treat disease symptoms with highly diluted substances which produce similar symptoms if ingested in normal quantity. Experience has in fact shown that the physiological of a substance taken from external nature is reversed when the substance is highly diluted." -Trevor Ravenscroft, The Spear of Destiny, Chapter 24, The Ashes
The symbol of the 5-petalled Hellebore, however, also has a spiritual aspect. All illness is the result of a disruption of the flow of healthy energy forces in the human being. This energy body - or form - that every human being possesses follows a current that moves along five points in the shape of star.
One legend of Hellebores dates back to the birth of the Jesus. It goes that as the three wise men journeyed to Bethlehem following the Christmas star, they encountered a poor shepherdess named Madelon. Hearing their mission as they passed, she also wanted to travel to Bethlehem but had no money to buy a gift. Following the wise men's caravan, she searched in vain for worthy present. In desperation she finally collapsed and wept when an Angel came upon her. This angel brushed aside the snow revealing Hellebores beneath. Overjoyed, she picked the "Winter Rose" and gifted the bundle to Jesus.
In light of Anthroposophy, the Christmas Star, or Star of Bethlehem, is the five-pointed star that corresponds to the Energy or Etheric Body of the human being. The five points follow the flow of spiritual energy currents that are perpetually in motion and circulation but are invisible to those without vision. This vital aspect of human existence was saved and transformed forever at the Event of Golgotha by the deed of Christ-Jesus on the path of human spiritual evolution.
The initiate skillfully masters the flow of energy gradually over time and how to optimize and regulate it. The Etheric or Energy Body is also the source of spiritual memory, clairvoyance, and vision which enables a person to look back upon their past lives and be a living bridge between two worlds. A method was developed in the 20th century a method to capture a picture of this living energy field. It is called "Kirlian Photography." This energy field can be seen in minerals, plants, animals, adn people. The method in question sends a harmless electric charge through a person sometimes attached to a plate and a picture is taken in total darkness. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirlian_photography ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aura_(paranormal)#Aura_photography
Thus, the healing of the Etheric Body for Heracles may have been - at least in part - the result of the consumption of a special potion that was effectively potentized homeopathically; a method that can only truly be overseen by an initiate or someone with inner vision who can observe the effects and processes at work in the physical and spiritual form. This field of activity is also sometimes mistakenly referred to as Alchemy.
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At Delphi, or perhaps Eleusis, the journey of Hercules began when a certain "King Eurystheus of Mycenae" assigned Hercules 12 tasks to complete to atone for the "murder" of his wife Megara and their children during a fit of madness. The term "king" in the Mysteries denotes someone who has attained his or her spiritual initiation.
"Fleeing" to Delphi may imply that Heracles looked back upon a sin from a prior lifetime after achieving a higher transformation of his Etheric Body - perhaps centuries after the fact - and sought out the Mysteries and a higher path with a sense of hope and regret. When prior sins come to life through past-life vision on the path, the seer - and really just about anyone who has a conscience - feels pain, terror, regret and overwhelming mission to repair and redeem it. Perhaps a better term for Heracles going to Delphi, or Eleusis, is "seeking" as one cannot "flee" into the Mysteries; an intention that implies fear from the past, the truth, or one's true inner self.
King Eurystheus is sometimes referred to as a "sworn enemy" of Heracles which represents, perhaps, a prior disposition of Heracles where he rejected the realities of the spiritual worlds. This is a real disposition that many people carry deep within them when they turn away from the spirit to worldly endeavors which leads to error and redemptive karma. It can also lead to cynicism and arrogance. In his Esoteric Lessons lecture series, Rudolf Steiner referred to three grotesque spiritual forms that were created by each human being over many lifetimes that each candidate for initiation must confront at the threshold that occurs only in a higher state of clairvoyant consciousness. https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA270/English/eLib2018a/FstCs1_index.html
"Murder" in the ancient Mysteries can refer to a number of transgressions in symbolic terms, including a lie or some other spiritually destructive deed that must be atoned for before one can pass through the door of initiation. This reference to a prior sin may have been a trespass against Herakles' higher self which is always portrayed as the quest for the pure feminine in the ancient Mysteries (i.e. the Princess and the Frog, Odysseus seeking Penelope, etc.).
This reference could also point to a unique prior sin that may have been a spiritual misdeed as a carry-over from a prior lifetime that Heracles had to atone for. Genuine Mystery Centers in the ancient world who guided people on the path of initiation demanded that a candidate must seek out, apologize, and atone to transgressions before he or she could proceed forward. Most of the time, this requires many lifetimes as karma weaves the pattern of our destiny. Dr. Steiner informs us:
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"In occultism there is a saying which can now be made known: In the astral world, every lie is a murder. The full significance of this saying can be appreciated only by someone who has knowledge of the higher worlds. ...No proverb is more untrue than the one which says: “You don't have to pay for your thoughts. If we speak the truth about our neighbour, we are creating a thought which the seer can recognise by its colour and form, and it will be a thought which gives strength to our neighbour.
Any thought containing truth finds its way to the being whom it concerns and lends him strength and vigour. If I speak lies about him, I pour out a hostile force which destroys and may even kill him. In this way every lie is an act of murder.” -Rudolf Steiner, At the Gates of Spiritual Science, GA 95, 2. The Three Worlds, https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA095/English/RSPAP1986/19060823p01.html . This is an abridged quote.
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Archaeological evidence suggests that the Bronze Age kingdom of Mycenae, and other kingdoms in the region such as Knossos and Sparta, collapsed during an earthquake that shook the Greek world sometime between the 9th and 10th centuries BC. However, the precise date of the life of Hercules is unknown. I believe that this individual, who was one the spiritual founders of ancient Greece, lived sometime between 1300-1600 BC, when Troy was perceived as a growing threat to the Greek world. Historians and archaeologists believe that the final chapter of the Trojan War, which lasted at least 10 years, occurred sometime between 1100-1200BC.
Some parenthetical tales of Heracles - which may have been used for propaganda purposes after his life concluded - speak of an agreement he made with Troy to save it from a monster - an agreement the Trojans dishonored - which invoked the wraith of the hero. Just like today, it certainly was not above the Bronze Age kings of Greece to supplant an existing myth with elements that suited their political purposes and justify a war against Troy.
To approach the working principle of spiritual initiation, an aspiring student is compelled by personal experience, or at least an inclination, that recognizes that higher stages of consciousness are within reach of the human mind and are attainable. Most candidates upon entrance in the ancient Mysteries had experienced higher states of vision on the path of life prior to their entrance. In life, waking consciousness is very different from dream consciousness, and so are stages of inner, expanded awareness. The initiate, having purged his lower self - or at least was well on the way to doing so - attained a higher form of perception, memory, and consciousness. He or she therefore does not sleep in a confused and cloudy way as most people do today.
Attaining to a higher state of consciousness requires sacrifice, mental effort, moral discipline, self-renunciation, and informed education. Higher faculties are nurtured very gradually through meditation, direction, and divine oversight - whether we are aware of it or not. In the ancient world, one was often guided by a mentor who had attained their initiation and could guide them properly. This effort was accompanied by guides in the spiritual worlds who offered to help and assist the individual on the challenging quest.
In the Egyptian Mysteries, these guides were referred to as "Thesmaphores." They aided and guided the candidate from the spiritual worlds because, as a mission in the Mysteries that continues that beyond death and into future lifetimes, they had pursued the difficult struggle and were assisting others to do the same. In Latin, the esoteric term that describes this gradual ascension to the "higher self", and initiation, is "Gradalis." When translated to English, it is the quest for the "Holy Grail."
The sculptures and art of the ancient world that survive today of Heracles in ancient Greece were depictions of his inner-spiritual being; the eternal within us. The initiate is the most mature, developed, and transformed of individuals. The Greeks - who were in deeply touch with spiritual principles - portrayed the physical forms of the great heroes and the Gods as perfected - healthy, lean, powerful, athletic, and well-formed. The Greeks artisans who created these sculptures, which were copied throughout the ancient world, did so in light of the eternal in the human being; the spirit.
So it is, that to properly consider the Labors of Hercules, one must look to the Mysteries for insights that confront a candidate on the path of spiritual initiation and the higher development of the human soul. There, we learn that all of the aspects of Hercules' journeys have a spiritual component behind them. Some correlate to inner soul experiences, some to outer journeys that 0had a spiritual aspect, while others correlate to world and cosmic cadences.
For example, there are 12 Trials of Hercules. This sacred number correlates to the 12 Houses of the Zodiac. In the West, these constellations portray individuals from the Greek myths including Perseus and Andromeda, as well as mythic animals that have a spiritual aspect. The sacred number 12 correlates to the 12 aspects of the human being; a mystery principle that is portrayed as a Platonic solid as the 12-sided Dodecahedron. There are 12 months of the year, the 12 Apostles, the 12 Gods of Olympus, the 12 Days of Christmas, the 12 Tribes of Israel, etc. Observations such as these are as valid today as they were in ancient times. They reveal spiritual principles and cadences that characterize the world in which we live.
This brief study provides some insights on, but certainly not all, the inner meaning of the myth of Herakles' soul-spiritual journey on his path to becoming an initiate. This summary relies on the insights provided by Dr. Rudolf Steiner and Anthroposophy, the myths, and history. In light of a modern genuine initiate's insights through Dr. Steiner, Heracles was a mystic, initiate, and spiritual leader in the ancient Greek world.
While reliving the Trials of Herakles, we should remember that it is the journey of the human soul in the ancient world who fought through bitter, difficult, and personal trials of the soul and spirit on the path of life. The confrontation with the lower self, and one's prior deeds from past incarnations, is a difficult experience. The initiate attains so only with the refined, tested, and masterful powers of the will which leads to control of one's thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The initiate can perceive the hidden source of thoughts and the origins of events and situations in the world through a higher form of vision and wisdom achieved only through tremendous sacrifices, guidance, and effort.
Herakles' Labors hold true today as much they did then, although the disposition and circumstances of the world in which we live have changed. The term "hero", in the Greek myths, refers to someone who is on the path of initiation; a person dedicated to genuine service, the Gods, and the health and well-being of his/her fellow human beings. The initiates of old, like today, were both men and women. Thus gender, or cultural, politics has no place on the path of the Holy Grail - or spiritual initiation - the greatest quest of discovery for the human being. It is the quest of the human soul, spirit, and heart.
And best of all, the Mysteries are open to everyone.
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Partial list of esoteric keys that will may a reader to decipher the ancient Greek myths. It is important to read Dr. Steiner's individual lectures from start to finish, however, for proper context.
(1) "...the three higher forces of man: Wisdom (Gold), Beauty (Silver), and Strength (Bronze). As long as man lives in his lower nature, these three forces are in him disordered and chaotic." -Rudolf Steiner, https://rsarchive.org/Articles/GA035/English/Singles/SSBoGW_index.html
(2) "...a mortal descending to the infernal regions...meant the conquest of the perishable and the awakening of the Eternal in the soul."-Rudolf Steiner, https://rsarchive.org/Books/GA008/English/AP1947/GA008_c05.html This is an abridged quote.
(3) "A being half-animal, half-human, a centaur, is obliged to sacrifice itself to redeem man. The centaur is man himself, half-animal, half-spiritual. He must die in order that the purely spiritual man may be delivered." -Rudolf Steiner, https://rsarchive.org/Books/GA008/English/AP1947/GA008_c05.html *The centaur is mentioned in the Greek myths and a tale of Heracles. It is intellectual and yet frequently succumbs to the uncontrolled passions of the lower self. Thus, the centaur was never trusted in the myths, even though they could be approached and even helpful at times.
(4) Brass Jars/Jugs: There is a theme in the Heracles myth about putting things - typically forces or animals - in "brass jars" or "brass turns" that are stored in a temple upon completing a task. This may refer to Heracles observing and capturing living forces within himself that are preserved in the soul. Brass is a hard metal that is sustainable and strong. It is a debased metal made of copper and zinc to strengthen it. It was used for shields, helmets, etc. in the ancient world. Therefore, it implies strength and permanence. Perhaps, in the Heracles myth, forces and living aspects that have become conquered, and managed, are stored in this way so they can preserved, transformed, and strengthened for future purposes.
Other notes and keys follow in the descriptions below...