Heracles Rationalized and Allegorized

This chapter analyzes ancient attempts to render Heracles as a historical figure (“rationalization”) and to find in his stories philosophical principles (“allegorization”). It argues that rationalistic and allegorical interpretations cannot be as clearly delineated from one another in practice as they frequently are in theory, and that neither was hermetically removed from the “conventional” tradition of ancient storytelling. All three betray the interaction between fragmentation of episodes and a cohesive portrait of the figure. The well-worn habits of narrating Heracles as a far-traveling, long-toiling individual noted for his out-sized personality and for defeating a range of monsters reappear: in the hands of the rationalizers he imposes order on a primitive world, fighting opponents who are fabulous only in reputation; allegorists make these opponents figures of moral distractions which must be conquered in the soul.