Hercules is a figure from Greek mythology who was famous for his strength and for his many adventures. Hercules was the son of Zeus, the king of the gods, and Alcmene, a mortal woman. However, Hera, Zeus's wife, was jealous of Alcmene and Hercules and tried to kill him on several occasions. When he was an infant, she sent two snakes to attack him in his crib, but he strangled them with his bare hands. As a young man, Hercules completed twelve labors that were imposed on him by Hera as punishment for killing her husband's (Zeus) children.
One popular story about Hercules involves his mother Alcmene. According to one version of the story, Hera delayed Alcmena's labor so that Eurystheus would be born first and become king instead of Hercules. In another version, Hera again interfered during Alcmena's labor by convincing Ilithyia, the goddess of childbirth, not to come when summoned. As a result, Alcmena went into labor alone and gave birth unassisted to Hercules.