Strength and wisdom

Strength without wisdom is folly. Compare Hercules hero of the Greeks to Theseus hero of the Athenians.

Theseus was strong and wise in word and deed, Hercules was strong in deed except for the wisdom he used in tricking Atlas to take off the earth from his back to Atlas, a clever bit of guile or extreme naivety on Atlas's part.

Both tragic figures to the end however it seems that Hercules death or suicide is remembered as a transitioning from mortal to immortal via fiery baptism Theseus' death went unnoticed as King Lycomedes welcomed him favorably, but took him up onto a mountainside and cast him into the sea.

Theseus to my understanding was the first king who rather citizens than subjects hence abdicated a throne . Being wise he recognized he was king in name only & sensing the he would never regain real control of the kingdom so created the democratic Athens. Hercules had the situation been reversed with Theseus would have kept the crown and murdered the subjects &/or enforcing tyranny to get compliance to his majestically desires. Theseus on the other hand may have been wise enough to let his wife not be jealous and hence would have given her no reason to feel threatened and further more as an Athenian he would have also been wise enough to know to distrust gifts from any Greeks knowing it shortens lifespan. Last but not least Theseus would not have left his wife alone in a ferry with a Centuar knowing their lustfulness in the first place if he was truly wise. To know others is wisedom to know thyself is enlightment.