Among the ancient Greeks the reputed descendants of the demi-god hero, Herakles, or Hercules, were very numerous. "Distinguished families are everywhere to be traced who bear his patronymic and glory in the belief that they are his descendants. Among Achæans, Kadmeians, and Dorians, Hêraklês is venerated: the latter especially treat him as their principal hero—the Patron Hero-God of the race: the Hêrakleids form among all Dorians a privileged gens, in which at Sparta the special lineage of the two kings was included." _G. Grote, History of Greece, part 1, chapter 4 (volume 1)._ "The most important, and the most fertile in consequences, of all the migrations of Grecian races, and which continued even to the latest periods to exert its influence upon the Greek character, was the expedition of the Dorians into Peloponnesus. … The traditionary name of this expedition is 'the Return of the Descendants of Hercules' [or 'the Return of the Heraclidæ']. Hercules, the son of Zeus, is (even in the Iliad), both by birth and destiny, the hereditary prince of Tiryns and Mycenæ, and ruler of the surrounding nations. But through some evil chance Eurystheus obtained the precedency and the son of Zeus was compelled to serve him. Nevertheless he is represented as having bequeathed to his descendants his claims to the dominion of Peloponnesus, which they afterwards made good in conjunction with the Dorians; Hercules having also performed such actions in behalf of this race that his descendants were always entitled to the possession of one-third of the territory. The heroic life of Hercules was therefore the mythical title, through which the Dorians were made to appear, not as unjustly invading, but merely as reconquering, a country which had belonged to their princes in former times." _C. O. Müller, History and Antiquity of the Doric Race, book 1, chapter 3._ See, also, DORIANS AND IONIANS. HERACLEIDÆ OF LYDIA. The second dynasty of the kings of Lydia—so-called by the Greeks as reputed descendants of the sun-god. The dynasty is represented as ending with Candaules. _M. Duncker, History of Antiquity, book 4, chapter 17._ HERACLEONAS, Roman Emperor (Eastern), A. D. 641. HERACLIUS I., Roman Emperor (Eastern), A. D. 610-641. ----------HERAT: Start-------- HERAT: B. C. 330. Founding of the city by Alexander the Great. See MACEDONIA: B. C. 330-323. HERAT: A. D. 1221. Destruction by the Mongols. See KHORASSAN: A. D. 1220-1221. ----------HERAT: End-------- HERCTÉ, Mount, Hamilcar on. See PUNIC WAR, THE FIRST. HERCULANEUM. See POMPEII. HERCULIANS AND JOVIANS. See PRÆTORIAN GUARDS: A. D. 312. HERCYNIAN FOREST, The.