# What exactly did Hercules mistake Megara and his children for as he slew them? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 30, 2020, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-hercules-mistake-megara-and-his-children-for-as-he-slew-them/921894 "2020-09-30T15:10:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-hercules-mistake-megara-and-his-children-for-as-he-slew-them/921894/1 "2020-09-30T15:10:49Z")
I read somewhere that in his fit of delusional madness Hercules mistook his wife Megara and children for monsters /enemies. But What exactly did Hercules mistake Megara and his children for as he slew them? Are there any details in any plays or stories ? ---
**Author:** ![half-elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@half-elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/half-elf)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-hercules-mistake-megara-and-his-children-for-as-he-slew-them/921894/2 "2020-09-30T15:29:06Z")
First post on the new boards! (I think). Anyway, Heracles was deliberately misled (I think by Hera) to perceive his kids as the kids of Evristheas and that is the reason he wanted to kill them. I do not know why he hated Evristheas. Some versions of the myth have him killing his wife, some do not. and some have her escaping or Heracles coming to his senses before killing her. ---
**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-hercules-mistake-megara-and-his-children-for-as-he-slew-them/921894/3 "2020-09-30T16:44:51Z")
Evristheas, Heracles’s mortal enemy. That was the missing piece of the puzzle. Thanks half-elf. ---
**Author:** ![half-elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@half-elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/half-elf)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-hercules-mistake-megara-and-his-children-for-as-he-slew-them/921894/4 "2020-09-30T16:58:23Z")
Heh, don’t thank me, thank Wikipedia! ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2020, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-hercules-mistake-megara-and-his-children-for-as-he-slew-them/921894/5 "2020-10-01T13:20:08Z")
Wait. Heracles or Hercules? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2020, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-hercules-mistake-megara-and-his-children-for-as-he-slew-them/921894/6 "2020-10-01T13:22:32Z")
Modhat: As this appears to have been answered, I moved it over to The Cafe for any further discussion. ---
**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2020, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-hercules-mistake-megara-and-his-children-for-as-he-slew-them/921894/7 "2020-10-01T14:03:38Z")
> **[Heracles | Myth, Significance, Labors, Meaning, & Facts](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Heracles)** > > Heracles, Greek Herakles, Roman Hercules, one of the most famous Greco-Roman legendary heroes. Traditionally, Heracles was the son of Zeus and Alcmene (see Amphitryon), granddaughter of Perseus. Zeus swore that the next son born of the Perseid house... ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2020, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-did-hercules-mistake-megara-and-his-children-for-as-he-slew-them/921894/8 "2020-10-01T15:36:37Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Wait. Heracles or Hercules? Heracles would be the more proper way to say it - it means something like ‘devoted to Hera’ or ‘in praise of Hera,’ I forget what exactly. It was supposed to have mollified the goddess a bit, and of course did not work at all. I think Hercules is the Romanization. Romantification?