Wwhat century is herc/xena in?

batrochides posted September 21, 1999 11:39 PM

My dear Enya (very nice handle), the legendary Herakles/Hercules traditionally lived from about 1260-1210 B.C.E. The events show on X:WP have been dated, either traditionally or by recorded history, extending from about the time stated above to that of Boudicca's rebellion, A.D. 61.

There would not have been a "France" until after the time of the Frankish invasions in the early 5th century A.D.; at the time of Hercules I imagine that the ancestors of the Gauls were in occupation of at least part of that land, and the Iberians probably were settled in the southern regions.

Gaul/Gallia is the classical name for the French region. There were no nations as we would understand them to be at the time of Hercules; in Greece there would have been small polis-city states each under a king, again, by tradition, the more important of theseincluded Athens, Argos, Mycene, Corinth, Pylas, Thebes, Sparta.

Civilizations were extent in Egypt, Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, Anatolia (the Hittites), and China (the Shang period). I hope that this helps, Enya, and please accept my best wishes.

Basteposted September 22, 1999 06:20 PM

Batrochides:

Thank you for that essay. I think that we have to suspend our disbelief with both Hercules and Xena shows as they jump around the timeline (more in Xena). Since the writers of H:TLJ have taken extreme liberties with the original heroic myth, I choose now to look at H:TLJ as a fantasy and use the greek mythology ( and norse and indian and egyptian, etc.) as interesting trappings.

My dear Shambalayogi, Bastet, and Lil: I thank you from my heart for your very kind comments of appreciation. BTW, in listing important civilizations contemporary with the legendary Hercules, I had forgotten the early Hindu culture, which is especially embarrassing since this would have been about the time of the famous Bharata War (Mahabharata). A health unto you all.