Are Heracles and Hercules the same person?

They are the same exact person. The original Greek myth was of Heracles, but when the Romans adopted the religion and the myths, they changed most of the names. Heracles became Hercules. Zeus became Jupiter. Athena became Minerva. Persephone became Prosperpina. Hades became Pluto. read more

Heracles was both hero and god, as Pindar says heroes theos; at the same festival sacrifice was made to him, first as a hero, with a chthonic libation, and then as a god, upon an altar: thus he embodies the closest Greek approach to a "demi-god". read more