▁legend . ▁According ▁to ▁Bur k ert ▁( 2 0 0 2 ), ▁" He ▁is ▁port rayed ▁as ▁a ▁sacrific er , ▁mentioned ▁as ▁a ▁founder ▁of ▁alt ars , ▁and ▁imag ined ▁as ▁a ▁v ora cious ▁e ater ▁himself ; ▁it ▁is ▁in ▁this ▁role ▁that ▁he ▁appears ▁in ▁comedy . ▁ ▁While ▁his ▁trag ic ▁end ▁provided ▁much ▁material ▁for ▁tra ged y — Her acles ▁is ▁regarded ▁by ▁Th alia ▁Pap ad op oul ou ▁as ▁" a ▁play ▁of ▁great ▁significance ▁in ▁exam ination ▁of ▁other ▁Eur ip ide an ▁dram as ." ▁In ▁art ▁and ▁literature ▁Her acles ▁was ▁represented ▁as ▁an ▁enorm ously ▁strong ▁man ▁of ▁moder ate ▁height ; ▁his ▁characteristic ▁weapon ▁was ▁the ▁bow ▁but ▁frequently ▁also ▁the ▁club . ▁V ase ▁paint ings ▁demonstrate ▁the ▁un par alle led ▁popular ity ▁of ▁Her acles , ▁his ▁fight ▁with ▁the ▁l ion ▁being ▁dep icted ▁many ▁hundreds ▁of ▁times . ▁ ▁Her acles ▁also ▁entered ▁E tr us can ▁and ▁Roman ▁myth ology ▁and ▁cult , ▁and ▁the ▁ex clam ation ▁" me her c ule " ▁became ▁as ▁familiar ▁to ▁the ▁Rom ans ▁as ▁" Her ak le is " ▁was ▁to ▁the ▁Gree ks . ▁In ▁Italy ▁he ▁was ▁wor sh ipped ▁as ▁a ▁god ▁of ▁mer ch ants ▁and ▁trad ers , ▁although ▁others ▁also ▁pray ed ▁to ▁him ▁for ▁his ▁characteristic ▁g ifts ▁of ▁good ▁luck ▁or ▁rescue ▁from ▁danger . ▁ ▁Her acles ▁att ained ▁the ▁highest ▁social