In Latin Hercules, god of Roman mythology corresponding to Héraclès of the Greeks.

Part of the legend of Héraclès was supposed to proceed in Italy, and thus Hercules was dependant of close with the Roman history. Indeed, after having achieved one of his twelve work - to capture the ox herd of Géryon -, Hercules passes, on the way of the return, by Italy, where some, like Cacus, shepherd gigantic of Latium, seek to seize its herd. He delivers Evandre - founder before Romulus of a village on the Palatine Hill, called Pallantée - of a tribute which he owed to the local king; in exchange, Evandre purifies it murder of Cacus and raises a furnace bridge with the hero. Héraclès kills then king Eryx and wife her daughter; it founds several worships in Italy - it is at least as well as the Romans explained their birth at the time history.

The worship of Hercules was introduced in Rome in 399 av. J. - C. Initially deprived, it became official into 312 before J. - C. Hercules was often venerated in Rome like Victor (“victorious”), as with the Boarium Forum where the god had a round temple, or Invictus (“invincible”).

Hercules is often represented by the Roman artists in the shape of a man to the powerful muscles. Most famous of the ancient statues of Hercules was discovered to the XVI ^E century in Rome, with the thermal baths of Caracalla; it is the Hercules Farnèse of the Athenian sculptor Glycon (today with the archaeological museum of Naples).