MovieChat Forums > Hercules (2014) Discussion > Does the name bother anyone else?

Does the name bother anyone else?


In the description it says "Having endured his legendary twelve labors, Hercules, the Greek demigod" and right there they're wrong. In Greek mythology, he was called Heracles, and when the Romans took over, their adaption of him was called Hercules but he actually did all his adventures when he was Greek so the movie should be called Heracles.
Does this bother anyone else or is it just me?

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That is sad, also showbiz. Passing up a cool name in favor of a better known name to save on advertising. Also the tag line could have been shortened to Man Before Legend. Might go see A Hard Days Night or Happy Christmas instead. Cheers.

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I think what is really sad is a few folks who attempt to make themselves sound educated by making a big deal over something that is basically a non issue.

oooo I know him as Herakles, let me go on a message board and bitch about it show everyone how smart I am.

If you also bothered to study linguistics in addition to Greek Literature and History, you would find out that words change over time and get new meanings. Words and languages are fluid.

Case in point with Hercules. The character has come to be associated with that name in America to the point that people probably have never heard of the alternative spelling.

I don't hear people bitching about Loki or Odin or any other god. These are generally anglicized version of the original name. So please do us a favor and shut the hell up.

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Agree. One is in Greek the other in Latin of the same name. No one complains of the many other Greek names in their Latin/Anglo versions. Case in point: the Latin version Sophia is from the Greek name Sofia, or the Latin/Anglo version Alexander is from the Greek name Alexandros, or the Latin/Anglo version of Christopher is from the Greek name Christoforos, or the Latin/Anglo form Jason is from the Greek Iaswn, or the Latin/Anglo version of Katherine is from the Greek Aikaterina. Its a none issue.

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Well said!
You are my new hero.

No one really cares that he is called "Hercules" instead of "Herakles".
I bet this includes the OP and like-thinkers.
All that happened was, they found some minutia to obsess over in a useless effort to look cultured and intelligent.
All it comes off as is "silly" however.

-=-
IMDB Troll Doctrine:
http://www.newmoondesigns.net/troll-doctrine

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"Does the name bother anyone else?"


I'm sure it does, but not me and for an entirely selfish reason: I want to enjoy life. Being easily bothered or offended is a great hindrance to that, so I choose to not care even the tiniest bit about things that have little or no real significance--like the title of some Hollywood movie. They could have named it Herkyooleez for all I care.

I'm starting to think some people aren't "happy" until they can find something to complain about or an excuse to feel offended. Perhaps rampant political correctness is training us all to be hyper-sensitive about things like this.

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[deleted]

Feminaziz bother me

Werd 2 ur mudda, bruddafcker

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Yes, it's always annoyed me.

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It is annoying, but that's the way things go in pop culture. The Wicked Witch of the West is now green instead of pale, the Egyptian god Anapa is now called by his Greek name (Anubis), and Heracles is now more commonly known as the Roman Hercules.

It's sad, but pop culture is different from academic culture. I try not to let it bug me too much. :)

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It is not "sad" per se. It is just the way it is. Stories change over time, as do the names and the details. This has been happening long before there was film or modern pop culture. Cinderella had fur slippers, Little Red Riding hood had her virginity taken and then was devoured. Stuff changes.

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"the Egyptian god Anapa is now called by his Greek name (Anubis), "


When Anubis, I mean Anapa, complains about this, so will I. Till then, if he doesn't care, neither do I.

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We don't know that his Egyptian name was "Anapa." The ancient Egyptians did not leave any written vowels. Every ancient Egyptian word you have ever seen--the vowels are basically either guesses or arbitrarily assigned (which is just one reason why Daniel being able to talk to the natives in Stargate is ludicrous).

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Most people are familiar with the name "Hercules" than they are of "Heracles", so, from a marketing standpoint, it makes more sense for the movie and the main character to be called "Hercules".

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[deleted]

It might bother some people but it didn't bother me in the slightest.

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