2014

Note: This article has been published on the Graham Hancock website.

Background

A number of ancient historical sources speak of a heroic person of extraordinary abilities, Hercules, who had traveled across the world in the ancient times, destroying evil monsters and laying the foundations of civilization. He built massive fortified cities in distant lands, started royal dynasties, and established the institutions of astronomy and priesthood. As a result of his many incredible acts of strength, courage, piety, and benevolence he was deified after death and raised to the status of the gods. 

The statements of the Greek historians indicate that Hercules was a native of India, and was none other than Balarama, the elder brother of Krishna. This assertion is supported by many symbolic connections between these two heroes, as well as a major overlap between the labours of Hercules and the extraordinary childhood feats of the brother deities Krishna-Balaram. I had written about this in a previous article titled, "Hercules and Balarama: The Symbolic and Historical Connections". In a subsequent article titled: "The Legendary Exploits of Hercules-Balarama in Rome, Egypt, and Mesopotamia", I had explored his remarkable feats in distant lands, and shown how all of them conform to his identity as Balarama, the elder brother of Krishna.

Some of his most significant achievements were in Egypt, which was been largely ignored by modern historians. The ancient Greek and Roman sources relate that, when Hercules-Balarama arrived in Egypt, he had stopped a flood on the Nile which was threatening to go out of control. He, then, deposed of a tyrant king called Busiris, and established his own son Ramesses (also known as Aegyptus) on the throne of Egypt. It was from the name of his son Aegyptus that Egypt derived its name. Hercules's arrival in Egypt initiated a new phase in Egyptian history, which corresponds to the Naqada I Period (c. 4000 BC-3500 BC) of Predynastic Egypt.
Background 

Legends and folklores from around the world speak of a heroic person of immense strength, courage, justice and piety, called Hercules, who had roamed the world in the ancient times, and played a significant role in slaying evil monsters, founding important cities and in establishing the institutions of monarchy and priesthood.
Background

The statements of the Greek historians such as Arrian and Diodorus Siculus (who were quoting from the still earlier works of Megasthenes), indicate quite clearly that the legendary hero Hercules was a "native of India", and that he was none other than Balarama, the elder brother of Krishna. Oriental scholars, such as Captain Francis Wilford and Colonel James Tod, have provided further insights in support of this association, while my own research has revealed more commonalities between these heroic personalities.

Sometime around c.305 BC, the Greek geographer and explorer Megasthenes arrived at the court of the Indian emperor Chandragupta Maurya at Pataliputra (modern Patna). He was sent as an ambassador by Seleucus Nicator of the Seleucid dynasty, with whom Chandragupta Maurya had entered into a treaty and matrimonial alliance. During his stay in India, Megasthenes compiled the book Indica - a commentary on the geography, social traditions, and religious customs of India. Although, the original work of Megasthenes is no longer available, later Greek historians such as Arrian and Diodorus Siculus have referred to Indica in their works, from where we can gather snippets of some very important observations made by Megasthenes regarding the presence of Hercules in India.