THE GREEK HERACLES WAS A BLACK MAN AND THE AFRICAN INFLUENCE ON GREEK AESTHETICS
By Samuel David Ewing It has occurred to me lately as I pondered about the next article for this section that the lineage, pedigree, or family tree of the Greek Heracles must be clarified once and for all. Diodorus Siculus and Herodotus recorded that it was the Egyptian Heracles who was the hero who performed the legendary 12 Labors, subdued the animals of the wild that had threatened the people, ushered in the building of cities, water systems, fortifications, and laws. Walter Burkert has estimated that this original Heracles was renowned as far back as 20,000 years ago. The Greek Heracles ended up receiving honors for the accomplishments of his predecessor, having the title of "Heracles", furthermore by the Bronze Age of Greece in which the Greek Heracles was said to have lived the taming of the wilderness had already been accomplished. The Greek Heracles was not likely to be wearing lion skin armor, wielding a club, with spear as weapons, and the danger of lions ru