▁no ▁longer ▁born , ▁but ▁new ▁hero es ▁can ▁always ▁be ▁raised ▁up ▁from ▁the ▁army ▁of ▁the ▁dead ." ▁Another ▁important ▁difference ▁between ▁the ▁hero ▁cult ▁and ▁the ▁cult ▁of ▁gods ▁is ▁that ▁the ▁hero ▁becomes ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁local ▁group ▁identity . ▁ ▁The ▁monument al ▁events ▁of ▁Her acles ▁are ▁regarded ▁as ▁the ▁dawn ▁of ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁hero es . ▁To ▁the ▁Hero ic ▁Age ▁are ▁also ▁as cribed ▁three ▁great ▁events : ▁the ▁Arg onaut ic ▁expedition , ▁the ▁The ban ▁Cy cle , ▁and ▁the ▁Tro jan ▁War . ▁ ▁Her acles ▁and ▁the ▁Her acle idae ▁ ▁Some ▁sch ol ars ▁believe ▁that ▁behind ▁Her acles ' ▁complicated ▁myth ology ▁there ▁was ▁probably ▁a ▁real ▁man , ▁perhaps ▁a ▁ch ie ft ain - v ass al ▁of ▁the ▁kingdom ▁of ▁Arg os . ▁Some ▁sch ol ars ▁suggest ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁Her acles ▁is ▁an ▁alleg ory ▁for ▁the ▁sun ' s ▁year ly ▁passage ▁through ▁the ▁twelve ▁const ell ations ▁of ▁the ▁z od iac . ▁O thers ▁point ▁to ▁earlier ▁myth s ▁from ▁other ▁cult ures , ▁showing ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁Her acles ▁as ▁a ▁local ▁adaptation ▁of ▁hero ▁myth s ▁already ▁well ▁established . ▁Trad itionally , ▁Her acles ▁was ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Ze us ▁and ▁Alc men e , ▁grand d augh ter ▁of ▁Per se us . ▁His ▁fant astic ▁solit ary ▁explo its , ▁with ▁their ▁many ▁folk - t ale ▁them es , ▁provided ▁much ▁material ▁for ▁popular