Did Ancient Heroes Like Hercules Have Real Discipline or Just Great PR?

It’s funny how we look at figures like Hercules and assume they had superhuman discipline training relentlessly, overcoming impossible tasks, and all that. But do you think their “no excuses” attitude came from actual divine pressure (like, say, fearing Zeus’ wrath) or just centuries of storytellers polishing their reputations?

I’ve been wondering if there’s a lesson here for modern discipline. Are we missing some kind of external accountability, or are we just comparing ourselves to myths that were never realistic to begin with? Would love to hear your take.