Alcmena
Also known as: Alcmene · Family: Argos · Role: mother of Heracles · First appears: Sophocles, The Trachinian Maidens — Scene 1
Alcmena, also known as Alcmene, was the daughter of Electryon, descended through Pelops, and the mother of Heracles. She was married to Amphitryon and to Zeus, who was said to have rushed to her embrace; Heracles was called “Zeus' and Alcmena's glorious offspring came,” and Hyllus was her son’s son. She was also the elder-kin of Macaria and Hyllus, and the cousin of Eurystheus, who was a relation to her son.
In Scene 6 of The Heraclidæ, after Eurystheus was brought captive before her, Alcmena declared Heracles’ children free to return to their father’s city and inherit his land: “O children, now indeed you shall be free from toils.” In Scene 7, she ordered Eurystheus slain and his corpse given to the dogs, so that he could not again banish her from her native land.
Relationship record
Life events
- Alcmena declares Hercules’ children free to return to their father’s city and inherit his land.(Euripides, The Heraclidæ — Scene 6)
- Eurystheus is brought captive before Alcmena for punishment.(Euripides, The Heraclidæ — Scene 6)
- With: Eurystheus
- “We are come, bringing to you Eurystheus here, an unhoped-for sight”
- Alcmena orders Eurystheus slain and his corpse given to the dogs.(Euripides, The Heraclidæ — Scene 7)
- With: Eurystheus
- “Take him away, O servants; then having slain him, ye must give him to the dogs; for hope not thou, that living, thou shalt again banish me from my native land.”
Sophocles, The Trachinian Maidens — Scene 1
- child: Heracles “Zeus' and Alcmena's glorious offspring came,”
Sophocles, The Trachinian Maidens — Scene 6
- married with Zeus (Alcmena is described as wedded to the Highest, identified elsewhere in the scene as Zeus.) “And poor Alcmena, wedded all in vain Unto the Highest,”
Euripides, Alcestis — Scene 5
- parent: Electryon “O my much-daring heart and my soul, now show what manner of son the Tirynthian Alcmena, daughter of Electryon, bare thee to Jove.”
Euripides, The Heraclidæ — Scene 2
- elder kin: Pelops “Hercules was son of Jupiter and Alcmena, and she was the child of the daughter of Pelops”
Euripides, The Heraclidæ — Scene 4
- younger kin: Macaria “And honor the old man, and the old woman in the house, Alcmena, the mother of my father”
Euripides, The Heraclidæ — Scene 5
- younger kin: Hyllus (Hyllus is identified in the scene as the person whose arrival is announced to Alcmena; he is therefore her grandson.) “IOL. He announces that your son's son is come.”
Euripides, The Heraclidæ — Scene 6
- enemies with Eurystheus “and it did not satisfy you that he alone should endure these things, but you drove me also, and my children, out of all Greece, sitting as suppliants of the Gods”
Euripides, The Heraclidæ — Scene 7
- cousins with Eurystheus “I knew that I was your cousin by birth, and a relation to your son Hercules”
- enemies with Eurystheus “It is a serious and excusable thing, O lady, for you to have hatred against this man, I well know it.”
Euripides, Hercules Distracted — Scene 5
- married with Amphitryon “O ye, the partners of one nuptial bed, Happy Amphitryon, sprung from mortal race, And Jove, who rushed to the embrace Of bright Alcmena;”
- with Zeus (Zeus has a sexual relationship with Alcmena.) “And Jove, who rushed to the embrace Of bright Alcmena;”
Euripides, Hercules Distracted — Scene 8
- child: Heracles “Who, having slain the father of Alcmena, / Defiled with murder, wedded her who bore me.”
Euripides, The Trojan Captives — Scene 6
- child: Heracles “With the famed archer, with Alcmena’s son Thou cam’st exulting with vindictive joy;”
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Extracted from the original text of Greek Tragedy. Made with Rho MD.