The Labors of Hercules The Labors of Hercules The goddess Hera, determined to make trouble for Hercules, made him lose his mind. In a confused and angry state, he killed his own wife and children. When he awakened from his "temporary insanity," Hercules was shocked and upset by what he'd done. He prayed to the god Apollo for guidance, and the god's oracle told him he would have to serve Eurystheus, the king of Tiryns and Mycenae, for twelve years, in punishment for the murders. As part of his sentence, Hercules had to perform twelve Labors, feats so difficult that they seemed impossible. Fortunately, Hercules had the help of Hermes and Athena, sympathetic deities who showed up when he really needed help. By the end of these Labors, Hercules was, without a doubt, Greece's greatest hero. His struggles made Hercules the perfect embodiment of an idea the Greeks called pathos, the experience of virtuous struggle and suffering which would lead to fame and, in Hercules' case, immortality. To read more about Eurystheus and the reasons for Hercules' Labors, see Further Resources .

The Labors of Hercules Home The Labors of Hercules The most famous feats of Hercules, are collectively known as "The Labors of Hercules". Here is a little background on the story: At a time of his life, Hercules became insane and as a result he killed his children. When his sanity returned,he received instructions from Pythia ,the priestess of the oracle in Delphi,to go to Tiryns and perform any ten labors devised from him by king Eurystheus . As we will later see, the ten labors were increased to twelve, since Eurystheus at some time challenged the fact whether Hercules had truly completed two of the labors assigned to him. By successfully completing these labors, Hercules would not only pay for his crime, but also achieve immortality and take his rightful place among the gods. Reluctantly, Hercules agreed to submit to the will of the hated Eurystheus, to whom Hera had given the throne that Zeus had intended for Hercules. Labors of Hercules Nr. 1: The Nemean Lion greek vase In the first of the labors of Hercules, Eurystheus commanded the hero to bring him the hide of the Nemean Lion.

The lion that had been terrorizing the valley of Nemea, was one of the monstrous children of Echidna and either Orthus or Typhoeus, or had fallen to earth from Selene (Moon). At first, Hercules tried to shoot it with his arrows, but seeing that the lion's pelt could not be pierced, he attacked it with his clubs. The lion ran away and hid in a cave with two entrances. Hercules blocked the one entrance, then wrestled with the lion and strangled it.He then skinned it and wrapped himself in its skin, after first offering a sacrifice to Zeus the Savior.He then returned to Mycanae with the lion thrown over his shoulder. Seeing Hercules dressed in the lion's pelt, Eurystheus was so frightened that he ordered him to leave all his future trophies outside the city's gates. He then had a large, bronze jar forged and buried in the earth. Thereafter, whenever Hercules approached, the cowardly Eurystheus hid in this jar and had a messenger relay his next orders to the hero. Labors of Hercules Nr.

2: The Lerna Hydra Hercules's second task was to kill the Lerna Hydra (water snake), daughter of Typhoeus and Echidna, and sister of Orthus and Cerberus. The Hydra, who lived in the marshes of Lerna, devoured people and animals. She was a horrifying monster with huge dog-like body and many serpentine heads (some say as few as seven, others claim 10,000), one of which was immortal. She had foul, poisonous breath that killed anyone who inhaled it. Hercules's aide on this labor was his nephew and charioteer Iolaus, the son of his brother Iphicles and Automedusa. They arrived together at the Amynone Spring, which was the monster's hideaway. Hercules forced the beast out by shooting flaming arrows into the lair. Much to his surprise, Hercules saw that for every head he shot off, two more sprung in its place. A giant crab also helped the Hydra by biting on Hercules's leg. Hercules killed the crab. He then sought Iolaus's help, instructing him to sear each new wound with burning branches.

This checked the flow of blood and prevented the growing of new heads. After he killed the Hydra, Hercules dipped his arrows in its poisonous blood. Thereafter, anyone wounded with these arrows would die. He then buried the monster's head in the road between Lerna and Elaeus and placed a rock over it. Although Hercules completed this labor, Eurystheus refused to give him credit for it, because he claimed Hercules had received assistance (from Iolaus) to accomplish the feat. Labors of Hercules Nr. 3: The Cerynitian Hind The third of the labors of Hercules was to capture alive the Cerynitian hind, which the nymph Taygette had dedicated to the goddess Artemis and which lived in the Sanctuary of Artemis on mount Cerynea. A wonderful deer with golden antlers and brass hoofs, this hind roamed the hills of Cerynea between Arcadia and Achaea, in central Peloponnesus. Because the hind was sacred, Hercules hoped to capture it unharmed. After pursuing it for almost a year, the hero finally managed to capture the animal on the banks of the river Ladon, after having chased it as far as the land of the Hyperboreans.

While returning to Tiryns with the deer on his shoulders, Hercules met Artemis and Apollo. Artemis chastised Hercules, but let him pass with her deer when he insisted that Eurystheus should be blamed for this insult. Labors of Hercules Nr. 4: The Erymanthian Boar For his fourth labor, Hercules was ordered to capture the boar that lived on the Mount Erymanthus, and was ravaging the land of Psophis (near present day Kalavrita). Hercules first chased the boar out of its hiding place in the forest, pushed it into a snow covered ravine, and then captured it in chains. On his way back to Eurystheus, Hercules clashed with the centaurs who attacked the hero by throwing rocks and tree trunks at him, after going mad from the smell of the wine Hercules had been offered by his friend centaur Pholus. Hercules killed many of his attackers and drove the rest to a new home on Mount Malea, where their king Cheiron lived, who was also an old friend and teacher of Hercules. By accident, however, Cheiron was mortally wounded by one of Hercules's poisonous arrows.

His pain was so intense, that Cheiron, being immortal, resigned his immortality to Prometheus. Labors of Hercules Nr. 5: The Augeian Stables Perhaps to humiliate him, Eurystheus assigned Hercules as his sixth labor, to clean the stables of Augeias, king of Elis (located on the western coast of Peloponnesus) and a son of the sun god Helius. Augeias, who had taken part in the expedition of the Argonauts, had countless herds. When Hercules asked for one-tenth of the king's animals as his fee for cleaning the stables, the king agreed because he was convinced that the task was impossible. But Hercules, proved to be more clever than the king had imagined: He tore down a wall and diverted the waters of the rivers Alpheius and Peneius into the stables. The stables were cleaned in a matter of hours, but Augeias refused to keep his promise, insisting that Hercules had a duty to perform this labor for Eurystheus. To make matters worse, Eurystheus refused to give him credit for accomplishing the labor, contending that he had done it as a job for hire.

As some other storytellers insist, Eurystheus withheld credit and Augeias refused payment, because they contended that the river gods Alpheius and Peneius, rather than Hercules himself, accomplished the feat. Labors of Hercules Nr. 6: The Stymphalian Birds The fifth of the labors of Hercules was to rid Lake Stymphalus in Arcadia of its vast flocks of man-eating birds. These Stymphalian birds had claws, beaks and wings of bronze and they were fed on both humans and beasts. With the assistance of Athena, who lent him a pair of bronze castanets forged by Hephaestus, Hercules drove the birds far away from Arcadia: The noise of the clattering castanets frightened the birds, who flew as one into the air. Hercules shot with his arrows a great many of them, while the others quickly fled the scene. They were said to find shelter in a faraway island which belonged to Ares, the god of war. There, they were later to be encountered by Jason and the Argonauts. Labors of Hercules Nr.

7: The Cretan Bull The eighth of the labors of Hercules sent him to Crete to capture the Cretan bull,which was said to be the father of the Minotaur by Pasiphae, wife of the Cretan king Minos. By one account, the Cretan bull was the beast that had carried Europa from Phoenicia to Crete for Zeus. In other myths, the bull was sent by Poseidon to Minos,to be sacrificed following the king's promise that he would sacrifice to the god anything that rose from the sea. But Minos, struck by the animal's beauty, sacrificed in its place another bull, thus provoking the god's rage. The sea god then in revenge drove the animal wild, ravaging the crops and orchards of Crete. Hercules captured the beast after a lengthy struggle. He brought it all the way back across the sea to Tiryns, to present it to Eurystheus. He then set the beast free. It then roamed around Laconia and Arcadia, crossed the Corinth Isthmus and ended up in Marathon, to be later captured and killed by Theseus. Labors of Hercules Nr.

8: The Mares Of Diomedes Eurystheus next sent Hercules to Thrace, to capture the four man-eating mares of king Diomedes. The son of Ares, god of war, Diomedes fed his savage mares on the flesh of his innocent guests. On his way to Thrace, Hercules enjoyed the hospitality of Admetus, king of Thessaly in northeastern Greece. Admetus was cursed by one of the gods to die at a young age. He could only be saved, if one of his parents or his wife, accepted to take his position. When he was seriously ill, his beautiful wife, Alcestis, offered herself to take his place. When Hercules reached their palace, Alcestis was dying. Touched by her sacrifice, Hercules decided to rescue her. He entered her room and when he saw Thanatos (Death) by her bed side, he wrestled with him and beat him. After rescuing Alcestis, Hercules continued on to Thrace. There, he stole the king's horses and drove them to the sea.

When Diomedes and his subjects pursued him, Hercules managed to kill the subjects, wrestle with Diomedes and feed him to his own mares. Hercules then harnessed the untamed mares to Diomedes's chariot and drove them all the way back to Tiryns. Eurystheus released the horses into the wild. They finally ascended into the Mount Olympus, where they became the prey of wild animals. According to another version of the myth, the mares were in reality the extremely ugly daughters of Diomedes, who forced strangers to lay with them and then he killed them. Labors of Hercules Nr. 9: The Belt of Hippolyte Admete, the daughter of Eurystheus, asked her father to have Hercules bring her the exquisite belt of Hippolyte, queen of the Amazons. The belt was a gift of Ares, the god of war. The hero thus was off to the land of the Amazons, the famous tribe of female warriors who lived near the Thermodon river, which flowed through northeastern Asia Minor and emptied into the Black Sea. The Amazon were daughters of Ares and the Naiad Harmonia.

They spent two months of the year with the Gargareis of Ida in order to perpetuate their tribe. Some say that to keep their men devoted to household chores, the Amazons broke the arms and legs of male infants, making them unsuitable for war. Others say that Amazons killed all male infants. Their left breast was either uncovered, or cut off, so as not to obstruct the use of the bow, or hurling of a spear. Hippolyte, after meeting with Hercules, at first agreed to offer her belt to him. But Hera, who continued to track the hero, changed into an Amazon and spread the rumor among the Amazons that Hercules wanted to abduct their queen. The Amazons thus rushed to attack their enemy. In the battle that followed, Hercules killed Hippolyte and obtained the belt. He and his companions then defeated the Amazons and returned to Tiryns with the prize. Labors of Hercules Nr. 10: The Cattle of Geryon For his next labor, Eurystheus sent Hercules to a faraway place in present-day Spain, with the order to fetch the cattle of Geryon.

Geryon was a monstrous giant with three upper bodies and was the son of Chrysaor and the oceanid Calliroe . He owned a herd of beautiful red cattle, kept under the watchful eye of Eurytion , a son of god Ares , and the two-headed dog Orthus , another monstrous child of Typhon and Echidna . When Hercules reached the Strait of Gibraltar , he erected pillars on both sides (one in Europe, one in Africa) to mark the great distance he had traveled. Those pillars, still standing today, are called the Rock of Gibraltar (or Mount Calpe ) and Morocco's Jebel Musa (or Mount Abyla ). Although both Orthus and Eurytion attacked him as he approached the cattle, Hercules killed both of them with a single blow of his mighty club. As he drove the cattle towards his ship - which by the way was an enormous golden cup lent to him by the sun god Helius - Geryon tried to stop him. Hercules, however, managed to kill him by shooting a single of his poisonous arrows through all his three bodies. After leaving Spain, Hercules had a long and hard journey back to Tiryns.

In Liguria (near present-day Marseilles in France), Hercules managed to kill two thieves who tried to steal the cattle. In retaliation, the Ligurians attacked him with such a numerous army, that Hercules ran out of arrows and was wounded. But, his immortal father Zeus helped him by sending a shower of stones against the attackers, thus allowing Hercules to force them to retreat. Continuing his trip back home, Hercules arrived at the site that was to become later Rome . While Hercules was sleeping, a three-headed giant named Cacus - a son of Hephaestus and Medusa - stole some of Geryon's cattle. Not intimidated by the flames spewing from the giant's mouth, Hercules managed the next morning to enter the monster's cave and kill him with his bare hands. Hercules thanked the gods for his victory, by sacrificing some of his cattle on an altar that the Romans would later call the Ara Maxima ("Greatest Altar"). In Roman times, this Altar stood in the middle of the great city. Hercules's misfortunes had no end: When he reached the straits of Messene , Geryon's finest bull escaped from the rest of the herd and swam from Italy to Sicily .

Hercules pursued the animal and finally found it mingled among the herds of Eryx, a powerful boxer and wrestler, who was the son of sea god Poseidon and the goddess Aphrodite . Annoyed by Hercules, Eryx challenged the hero to a wrestling match, betting his island kingdom against the herd of cattle. Mightly Hercules killed his opponent by smashing him to the ground. Eventually, the greek hero landed at Ambracia where he gathered the Geryon's cattle, actually what remained of it, and guided it to the Hellespont . Arriving at Scythia , he was united with the monster Echidna, with whom he had three sons: Agathyrsus , Gelonus and Scythes , from whom the Scythians descended. From an entire herd of cattle, Hercules managed to bring Eurystheus only one ox, which the Mycenaean king sacrificed to Hera. Labors of Hercules Nr. 11: The Apples of Hesperides With the turning over of the cattle to Eurystheus, the labors of Hercules completed amounted to ten, equal to the number of labors originally postulated by the oracle of Delphi .

But, since he was denied credit for the second (The Lerna Hydra) and fifth labors (Augeian stables), Hercules had to perfom two more labors. For his eleventh labor, Eurystheus sent Hercules to the westernmost part of the then known world, to the Garden of Hesperides. There, he was mandated to obtain three Golden Apples from the tree that Gaia had given her granddaughter Hera , on her wedding day with Zeus . The golden-fruited tree was tended by nymphs known as Hesperides and guarded by a vicious hundred headed dragon named Ladon , the mostrous child of Typhon and Echidna . Over the garden towered the titan Atlas , who bore the heavy burden of holding up the sky. First of all, Hercules had to find the location of the Garden. When he arrived at the Eridanus river , the nymphs there instructed him to ask the sea god Nereus , who was an oracle. Since the god was reluctant to reveal the information to Hercules, the hero tied him up until he succumbed. Apart from giving Hercules directions to find the Garden, he also advised him to talk Atlas into obtaining the fruit for him.

So, when Hercules finally reached the Garden, he offered Atlas to relieve him of his huge burden in return for the small favor of bringing him the apples. After Hercules shot and killed Ladon, Atlas was convinced to take up on the hero's offer. However, when Atlas returned with the apples, he seemed unwilling to relieve Hercules of his position of holding the sky. Instead, he offered to take the apples to Eurystheus himslef. Being shrewd not only strong, Hercules complained that his shoulder ached from the huge load and pleaded Atlas to take his position for a little while, until he could put a cushion over his head to mitigate the load. The gullible titan agreed. As soon as Hercules was relieved from holding the heavens, he walked off with the precious apples. On his way back home, Hercules again had to endure a lot of adventures. In Libya, he met a giant named Antaeus , son of Gaia and Poseidon , who liked to wrestle his guests to exhaustion and then kill them. As they fought, Hercules realized that the giant's strength and vigor were renewed each time he fell to the ground, thanks to his mother Earth.

The hero then, held the giant high up in the air and crushed him to death in his arms. Arriving to the Caucasus mountains, Hercules met with the titan Prometheus , who had been chained to a cliff for 30,000 years. Taking pity on him, Hercules shot and killed the eagle who had been feasting with the titan's liver every day all these years. He then arranged for the wounded centaur Cheiron (as we saw in the fourth of the labors of Hercules above) who begged to be freed from the pain caused by Hercules's poisonous arrow, to take Prometheus's place in the underworld, and then freed the titan from his chains. When Hercules finally presented the Golden Apples to Eurystheus, the king immediately handed the fruit back to him, since the sacred fruit belonged to Hera and thus they could not remain out of the Garden. Hercules turned them over to Athena , who returned them to their original place in the Garden. Labors of Hercules Nr.

12: Capturing Cerberus The last of the twelve labors of Hercules, was the most dangerous and horrifying of all: Hercules was ordered from Eurystheus to bring from the Underworld Cerberus , the hideous three-headed guard dog of Hades , son of Typhon and Echidna . Before setting off to complete his task, the hero was initiated into the Eleusinian mysteries . Accompanied by Athena and Hermes , he descended into the dark kingdom of the souls through a crevice known as Taenarum . After freeing Theseus and killing Hades's herdsman Menoetes in a wrestling match, Hercules presented himself before the ruler of the Underworld and explained his mission. Hades allowed Hercules to take Cerberus with him, provided that he would capture him with his bare hands and that he would return him back, after showing him to Eurystheus. Hercules remained true to his promise. After a fierce fight, he managed to capture the monstrous dog and, accompanied by Hermes, he ascended to earth from a gap near Troezen. Then, after presenting Cerberus to Eurystheus in order to receive due credit, he returned him to Hades.

The Twelve Labors of Hercules Arts and Entertainment > Mythology The Twelve Labors of Hercules Hercules performed twelve labors given to him by King Eurystheus of Tiryns. For twelve years, he traveled all over to complete these incredible tasks. NOTE: Because different ancient poets gave their own accounts of Hercules's labors, some details may vary. One: Kill the Nemean Lion This monster of a lion had a hide was so tough that no arrow could pierce it. Hercules stunned the beast with his olive-wood club and then strangled it with his bare hands. It is said that he skinned the lion, using the lion's sharp claws, and ever after wore its hide. Two: Kill the Lernean Hydra The evil, snakelike Hydra had nine heads. If one got hurt, two would grow in its place. But Hercules quickly sliced off the heads, while his charioteer, Iolaus, sealed the wounds with a torch. Hercules made his arrows poisonous by dipping them in the Hydra's blood. Three: Capture the Cerynian Hind The goddess Artemis loved and protected this stubborn little deer, which had gold horns.

Hercules found it a challenge to capture the delicate hind without hurting it (and making Artemis angry). After following the hind for an entire year, he safely carried it away. Four: Capture the Erymanthian Boar The people of Mount Erymanthus lived in fear of this deadly animal. Hercules chased the wild boar up the mountain and into a snowdrift. He then took it in a net and brought it to King Eurystheus, who was so frightened of the beast that he hid in a huge bronze jar. Five: Clean the Augean Stables Thousands of cows lived in these stables belonging to King Augeas . They had not been cleaned in 30 years, but Hercules was told to clean them completely in a single day. To do so he made two rivers bend so that they flowed into the stables, sweeping out the filth. Six: Kill the Stymphalian Birds These murderous birds lived around Lake Stymphalos. Their claws and beaks were sharp as metal and their feathers flew like darts. Hercules scared them out of their nests with a rattle and then killed them with the poison arrows he had made from the Hydra 's blood.

Seven: Capture the Cretan Bull This savage bull, kept by King Minos of Crete, was said to be insane and breathe fire. Hercules wrestled the mad beast to the ground and brought it back to King Eurystheus. Unfortunately, the king set it free, and it roamed Greece, causing terror wherever it went. Eight: Capture the Horses of Diomedes King Diomedes , leader of the Bistones, fed his bloodthirsty horses on human flesh. Hercules and his men fought and killed King Diomedes and fed the king to his horses. This made the horses tame, so that Hercules was able to lead them to King Eurystheus. Nine: Take the Girdle of the Amazon Queen Hippolyte Hercules went to the land of the Amazons , where the queen welcomed him and agreed to give him her girdle for Eurystheus's daughter. But Hera spread the rumor that Hercules came as an enemy. In the end he had to conquer the Amazons and steal the golden belt. Ten: Capture the Cattle of Geryon Geryon , a winged monster with three human bodies, had a herd of beautiful red cattle.

He guarded his prized herd with the help of a giant and a vicious two-headed dog. Hercules killed Geryon, the giant, and the dog and brought the cattle to King Eurystheus. Eleven: Take the Golden Apples of the Hesperides The Hesperides were nymphs. In their garden grew golden apples protected by Ladon , a dragon with a hundred heads. Hercules struck a bargain with Atlas , who held up the earth. Hercules shouldered the earth while Atlas, the nymphs' father, fetched the apples. Twelve: Capture Cerberus Hercules was ordered to capture Cerberus , the three-headed guard dog of the underworld, without using weapons. Hercules wrestled down the dog's wild heads, and it agreed to go with him to King Eurystheus. Cerberus was soon returned unharmed to the underworld. Why Hercules Had to Perform the 12 Labors Why Hercules Had to Perform the 12 Labors Why Hercules Had to Perform the 12 Labors Madness and Atonement Through the 12 Labors of Hercules Eurystheus hiding in a jar as Heracles brings him the Erymanthian boar.

Public Domain. Courtesy of Wikipedia . Why Did Hercules Have to Perform the 12 Labors? Madness and Atonement For most of his life, Hercules (Greek: Herakles/Heracles) was in thrall to his cousin-once-removed, Eurystheus, the King of Tiryns, but it was not until Hercules committed unspeakable acts that Eurystheus really got to have some fun at his cousin's expense -- with the help of Hera . For Tiryns, see Peloponnese map section Cb, in the Argolis Hera, who had been angry with Hercules since even before he was born and had repeatedly tried to destroy him, now drove the hero mad and delusional. In this state, Hercules imagined he saw Lycus, the tyrant of Thebes who killed Creon and plans to kill Hercules' family, accompanied by his family. Here is a section on the slaughter, from a 1917 English translation of Seneca's tragedy (Translated by Miller, Frank Justus. continue reading below our video Test Your General Science Knowledge Loeb Classical Library Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd.

1917): "[He catches sight of his children.] [987] But look! here lurk the children of the king, my enemy, the abominable spawn of Lycus; to your detested father this hand forthwith shall send you. Let my bowstring discharge swift arrows – so it is meet that the shafts of Hercules should fly." ... "THE VOICE OF MEGARA [1014] Husband, spare me now, I beg. See, I am Megara. This is thy son, with thine own looks and bearing. See, how he stretches out his hands. THE VOICE OF HERCULES: [1017] I have caught my stepdame [Juno/Hera]. Come, pay me thy debt, and free o’ermastered Jove from a degrading yoke. But before the mother let this little monster perish." Seneca Hercules Furens In reality, the figures the Greek hero saw were his own children and his well-loved wife Megara. Hercules slew them all (or most of them) and incinerated 2 of the children of his brother Iphicles, as well.

In some accounts, Megara survived. In these, when he came to his senses, Hercules transferred his wife Megara to Iolaus. [To learn more about Hercules' murderous rage, you should read the Hercules Furens tragedies of Seneca and Euripides.] Here is an extended passage from the same translation of Hercules Furens, on the motivation of Juno: "[19] But I lament ancient wrongs; one land, the baneful and savage land of Thebes, scattered thick with shameless mistresses, how oft has it made me stepdame! Yet, though Alcmena be exalted and in triumph hold my place; though her son, likewise, obtain his promised star (for whose begetting the world lost a day, and Phoebus with tardy light shone forth from the Eastern sea, bidden to keep his bright car sunk beneath Ocean's waves), not in such fashion shall my hatred have its end; my angry soul shall keep up a long-living wrath, and my raging smart, banishing peace, shall wage unending wars. [30] What wars?

Whatever fearsome creature the hostile earth produces, whatever the sea or the air has borne, terrific, dreadful, noxious, savage, wild, has been broken and subdued. He rises anew and has thrives on trouble; he enjoys my wrath; to his own credit he turns my hate; imposing too cruel tasks, I have but proved his sire, but give room for glory. Where the Sun, as he brings back, and where, as he dismisses day, colours both Ethiop races with neighbouring torch, his unconquered valour is adored, and in all the world he is storied as a god. Now I have no monsters left, and 'tis less labour for Hercules to fulfil my orders than for me to order; with joy he welcomes my commands. What cruel biddings of his tyrant could harm this impetuous youth? Why, he bears as weapons what he once fought and overcame; he goes armed by lion and by hydra. [46] Nor is earth vast enough for him; behold, he has broken down the doors of infernal Jove, and brings back to the upper world the spoils7 of a conquered king.

I myself saw, yes, saw him, the shadows of nether night dispersed and Dis overthrown, proudly displaying to his father a brother's spoils. Why does he not drag forth, bound and loaded down with fetters, Pluto himself, who drew a lot equal to Jove's? Why does he not lord it over conquered Erebus and lay bare the Styx? It is not enough merely to return; the law of the shades has been annulled, a way back has been opened from the lowest ghosts, and the mysteries of dread Death lie bared. But he, exultant at having burst the prison of the shades, triumphs over me, and with arrogant hand leads through the cities of Greece that dusky hound. I saw the daylight shrink at sight of Cerberus, and the sun pale with fear; upon me, too, terror came, and as I gazed upon the three necks of the conquered monster I trembled at my own command. [63] But I lament too much o'er trivial wrongs. 'Tis for heaven we must fear, lest he seize the highest realms who has overcome the lowest - he will snatch the sceptre from his father.

Nor will he come to the stars by a peaceful journey as Bacchus did; he will seek a path through ruin, and will desire to rule in an empty universe. He swells with pride of tested might, and has learned by bearing them that the heavens can be conquered by his strength; he set his head beneath the sky, nor did the burden of that immeasurable mass bend his shoulders, and the firmament rested better on the neck of Hercules. Unshaken, his back upbore the stars and the sky and me down-pressing. He seeks a way to the gods above. [75] Then on, my wrath, on, and crush this plotter of big things; close with him, thyself rend him in pieces with thine own hands. Why to another entrust such hate? Let the wild beasts go their ways, let Eurystheus rest, himself weary with imposing tasks. Set free the Titans who dared to invade the majesty of Jove; unbar Sicily's mountain cave, and let the Dorian land, which trembles whenever the giant struggles, set free the buried frame of that dread monster; let Luna in the sky produce still other monstrous creatures.

But he has conquered such as these. Dost then seek Alcides' match? None is there save himself; now with himself let him war. Rouse the Eumenides from the lowest abyss of Tartarus; let them be here, let their flaming locks drop fire, and let their savage hands brandish snaky whips. [89] Go now, proud one, seek the abodes of the immortals and despise man's estate. Dost think that now thou hast escaped the Styx and the cruel ghosts? Here will I show thee infernal shapes. One in deep darkness buried, far down below the place of banishment of guilty souls, will I call up - the goddess Discord , whom a huge cavern, barred by a mountain, guards; I will bring her forth, and drag out from the deepest realm of Dis whatever thou hast left; hateful Crime shall come and reckless Impiety, stained with kindred blood, Error, and Madness, armed ever against itself - this, this be the minister of my smarting wrath!

[100] Begin, handmaids of Dis, make haste to brandish the burning pine; let Megaera lead on her band bristling with serpents and with baleful hand snatch a huge faggot from the blazing pyre. To work! claim vengeance for outraged Styx. Shatter his heart; let a fiercer flame scorch his spirit than rages in Aetna's furnaces. That Alcides may be driven on, robbed of all sense, by mighty fury smitten, mine must be the frenzy first - Juno, why rav'st thou not? Me, ye sisters, me first, bereft of reason, drive to madness, if I am to plan some deed worthy a stepdame's doing. Let my request be changed; may he come back and find his sons unharmed, that is my prayer, and strong of hand may he return. I have found the day when Hercules' hated valour is to be my joy. Me has he overcome; now may he overcome himself and long to die, though late returned from the world of death.

Herein may it profit me that he is the son of Jove, I will stand by him and, that his shafts may fly from string unerring, I'll poise them with my hand, guide the madman's weapons, and so at last be on the side of Hercules in the fray. When he has done this crime, then let his father admit those hands to heaven! [123] Now must my war be set in motion; the sky is brightening and the shining sun steals up in saffron dawn." Hercules Seeks Purification for His Crimes Madness was not an excuse for the carnage -- not even madness sent by the gods -- so Hercules had to make amends. First, he went to King Thespius on Mt. Helicon [see map of northern Greece, Dd, in Boeotia ] for purification, but that wasn't enough. Hercules' Expiation and Marching Orders To learn what further course he must take, Hercules consulted the oracle at Delphi where the Pythian priestess told him to expiate his crime by serving King Eurystheus for 12 years.

During this 12-year period Hercules had to perform the 10 labors the king would require of him. The Pythian also changed Hercules' name from Alcides (after his grandfather Alcaeus) to what we normally call him, Heracles (in Greek) or Hercules (the Latin form and the one most commonly used today regardless of whether reference is to a Greek or Roman myth). The Pythian also told Hercules to move to Tiryns. Willing to do anything to atone for his murderous rage, Hercules obliged. The Twelve Labors - Introduction Eurystheus set before Hercules a series of impossible tasks. If completed, some of them would have served a useful purpose because they removed the world of dangerous, predatory monsters -- or excrement, but others were capricious whims of a king with an inferiority complex: Comparing himself with the hero was bound to make Eurystheus feel inadequate. Since Hercules was doing these tasks to atone for his crimes, Eurystheus insisted there be no ulterior motive.

Because of this restriction, when King Augeas of Elis [see Peloponnese map Bb ] promised Hercules a fee for cleaning his stables ( Labor 5 ), Eurystheus denied the feat: Hercules had to do another to fill his quota. That King Augeas reneged and did not pay Hercules made no difference to Eurystheus. Other tasks the king of Tiryns set his nephew were make-work. For instance, once Hercules retrieved the apples of the Hesperides ( Labor 11 ), but Eurystheus had no use for the apples, so he had Hercules send them back again. Eurystheus Hides From Hercules One more important point needs to be made in connection with these tasks. Eurystheus did not just feel inferior to Hercules; he was also afraid. Anyone who could survive the suicide missions on which King Eurystheus had sent the hero must be very powerful indeed. It is said Eurystheus hid in a jar and insisted -- contrary to the instructions of the Pythian priestess -- that Hercules stay outside the Tiryns city limits.

Labours of Heracles Labours of Heracles See More Labours of Heracles Pictures > The Twelve Labours of Heracles were a number of tasks that the mythical hero Heracles was told to complete by King Eurystheus . It all started when Hera , who loathed Heracles for he was a living example of her husband's infidelities, drove the hero mad, making him kill his wife Megara and his children. When he realised what he had done, he deeply regretted it and went to the Oracle of Delphi to ask for penance. There, he was told to serve Eurystheus , king of Tiryns, for twelve years; if he completed all tasks he would be given, he would become immortal. Although Heracles did not like this as he considered Eurystheus to be a lesser person than himself, he decided to follow the Oracle's advice. When he arrived in Tiryns, Eurystheus initially asked Heracles to perform ten labours.

These ten labours were: to capture the Erymanthian Boar , to clean the stables of Augeas in one day, to steal the Mares of Diomedes , to steal the girdle of the queen of the Amazons , Hippolyta , and, to steal the cattle of the monster Geryon . Labour one: slaying the Nemean Lion The Nemean lion was a terrible monster that roamed in the region of Nemea , capturing women as hostages and luring brave men to save them. When someone entered the lion's den and tried to free the woman, she would turn into the lion and eat the warrior alive. When Heracles arrived in a town of the region, he met a boy who asked him to kill the lion. He also told him that if Heracles killed the lion within a month, a lion would be sacrificed to Zeus ; otherwise, the boy would sacrifice himself. Heracles eventually found the lion roaming, and shot many arrows against it. Only then did he realise that the lion's skin was impenetrable, and that his arrows would be of no use. So, he decided to follow it to its den.

There, he blocked one of the two entrances to the cave and entered through the other. Fumbling in the dark, Heracles managed to find the lion; he stun it with his club and then he strangled it with his bare hands. After he had killed it, he thought of taking the impenetrable skin of the lion and use it as an armour. So, he managed to skin it with the help of the goddess Athena , who advised him to use the lion's claw to remove the pelt. Wearing the lion skin, Heracles entered the city on the thirtieth day. Upon seeing him, Eurystheus was initially horrified, for he feared the lion was roaming in the streets of the city. Labour two: slaying the Lernaean Hydra The Lernaean Hydra was a fearsome monster that lived in the swamp of the lake Lerna . It had been specifically raised by Hera to kill Heracles . The Hydra had nine heads, one of which was immortal and the rest were mortal. The swamp was covered in a poisonous mist, so upon his arrival, Heracles put a cloth on his mouth and nose. To lure the Hydra out of its lair, the hero shot flaming arrows, achieving his intent.

However, when he chopped one of the Hydra's heads, he realised in horror that two new heads would spring back. At that point, the hero felt hopeless, so he asked for the help of his nephew, Iolaus. Iolaus, probably advised by the goddess Athena who favoured the hero , thought of an idea and put it in action; as soon as Heracles would chop one of the monster's heads, Iolaus would cauterise the stump with a firebrand. The plan was successful; no more heads would appear. Hera , angry that her side was losing the battle, sent a huge crab to distract Heracles , which he simply squashed under his foot. When it was time for the immortal head to be cut off, Heracles took a golden sword that Athena gave him, and using the same technique, the two heroes managed to kill the monster. Before Heracles left, he dipped his arrows in the poisonous blood of the Hydra, one of which he later used to kill the centaur Nessus ; this would later become Heracles ' doom, as the hero died due to the Shirt of Nessus which was smeared in the centaur 's blood containing some of Hydra's poison.

Hera turned her slain monster into the constellation of the same name, while she transformed the crab into the constellation Cancer. Eurystheus did not count the success of killing the hydra as one of the labours, using as an excuse the fact that Heracles was helped by Iolaus. Labour three: capturing the Ceryneian Hind In their effort to mark an end to Heracles ' successes, Eurystheus and Hera decided that the next task Heracles should do would be to capture the Ceryneian Hind . This was a sacred deer belonging to the goddess Artemis , and had golden antlers and hooves of bronze. It was believed that it was so fast that it could outrun a flying arrow. Heracles made a real effort to track the animal. When he saw it, he followed it for a whole year through the lands of Greece, Thrace, Istria and the land of Hyperboreans. According to one version of the myth, he managed to capture the hind while it was sleeping. On his way back, Artemis and her twin brother Apollo appeared in front of Heracles .

This task was given by Eurystheus , thinking that Heracles would cause the anger of the goddess and that she would punish him. However, when she appeared in front of him, Heracles asked for forgiveness, explaining to her that this was part of his penance for killing his wife and children. He also told her he would return the hind to her as soon as he showed it to Eurystheus . Artemis accepted his apology and let him go. When he returned to the king's court, Eurystheus told Heracles that the animal now belonged to him. Not forgetting his promise to the goddess, Heracles tricked Eurystheus by telling him he should take the animal himself and bring it to the palace. When Eurystheus came out to take the deer, the hero let it go and the animal ran back to Artemis . Heracles simply replied to Eurystheus that he was not been quick enough. Labour four: capturing the Erymanthian Boar The Erymanthian Boar was a giant animal living on Mount Erymanthos, which was dedicated to the goddess Artemis as well.

Eurystheus thought that capturing this beast would be the perfect task that would lead to the hero 's death. Heracles set forth on his journey to the mountain, but decided to stop by his friend's place, Pholus, a kind centaur . After eating together, Heracles asked his friend to open a jug of wine that he had, which attracted the other centaurs to Pholus' dwelling. Not knowing that wine was supposed to be watered down before being consumed, the centaurs quickly became drunk and attacked Heracles . The hero killed most of them by shooting his poisonous arrows against them; the centaurs that remained fled to Chiron 's cave. Pholus did not understand why these arrows were so lethal. Out of curiosity, he picked one up but it fell on his foot and poisoned him as well. Another version has it that one of the arrows mistakenly hit Chiron as well; although Chiron , being immortal, did not die, he could still feel an insufferable pain.

Not able to withstand it, the wise centaur asked to be rid of the pain, exchanging his immortality as well as take the place of the Titan Prometheus , who was bound on the top of a mountain and his liver was being eaten daily by an eagle. Zeus accepted the exchange. Heracles then killed the eagle with one of his arrows, stopping the torture for Chiron . Chiron advised Heracles how to catch the Erymanthian Boar ; he told him that it would be very easy if the hero lured the boar into thick snow. Heracles followed Chiron 's advice and captured the boar in no time. He then returned to Eurystheus , who upon seeing the creature was so scared that he hid himself in a large jar and asked Heracles to get rid of the animal. Labour five: cleaning the stables of Augeas King Augeas of Elis had a large number of cattle in his stables. All of them were blessed with perfect health and immortality, and being so lively, created a huge amount of dung. The stables of Augeas had never been cleaned in thirty years, and Eurystheus asked Heracles to clean them within a day.

This task was set to stain Heracles ' reputation as it was quite humiliating. When Heracles reached Augeas' court, he asked for one tenth of the cattle if he managed to clean the stables in a day; the king agreed. The hero managed to complete the task by diverting the rivers Alpheus and Peneus to pass through the stables and wash them out. Augeas refused to pay Heracles , and the hero took him to court, where he managed to win his claim, backed by Augeas' son, Phyleus. However, Phyleus and Heracles were both banished by Augeas before the court had ruled. Furious, Heracles returned to Elis, killed Augeas and handed the throne to Phyleus. This is when he was said to have founded the Olympic Games. Although Heracles was successful, Eurystheus did not count it as a success, saying that it was the rivers that had done the work for him, and that he accepted payment for it.

Labour six: slaying the Stymphalian Birds Eurystheus ' next task to Heracles was to kill the Stymphalian birds , large flying monsters that ate humans with their bronze beaks; their wings were made of metallic feathers that could be thrown against their prey, while their dung was highly poisonous. They belonged to the god of war, Ares , and lived in the area of the lake Stymphalia, where they destroyed all the surrounding area and the towns. Heracles was unable to go too deep into the swamp as he would eventually drown. Athena helped him by providing him with a rattle; the sound the rattle produced scared the birds and made them fly from their hiding place. While in the air, they were an easy target for Heracles , who shot many of them down with his poisonous arrows. The remaining birds flew away to plague other lands; in fact, they were later encountered by the Argonauts . Labour seven: capturing the Cretan Bull The seventh task Eurystheus gave to Heracles was to capture the Cretan Bull . This was a legendary creature that wreaked havoc on the island of Crete , destroying crops and land.

After getting permission from King Minos , Heracles managed to catch the bull with his bare hands and sent it back to Eurystheus ' court. Upon seeing the creature, Eurystheus hid in his jar and decided to sacrifice the animal to Hera . The goddess rejected the offer, as this would glorify Heracles ' success even more. Instead, the animal was left free and went to the area of Marathon, getting the name Marathonian Bull. It was later caught by Theseus and was sacrificed to Athena and Apollo . Labour eight: stealing the Mares of Diomedes The Mares of Diomedes were fearsome animals that had been trained to eat human flesh. They were owned by Diomedes, king of Thrace. It was believed that due to their unnatural diet, the horses were seized with madness, uncontrollable and sometimes they even breathed fire. According to one source, Heracles brought a number of young men with him to help him with his task. After they managed to steal the animals, they were all chased by Diomedes and his army. Heracles told his companion Abderus to take care of the horses, while he was fighting Diomedes.

Upon his return, Heracles realised that Abderus was devoured by the mares. Overcome with anger, Heracles fed Diomedes to his own horses, and later founded the city of Abdera in memory of his friend. After the horses were fed, they became calm and Heracles seized the opportunity to bind their mouths shut. He brought them back to Eurystheus , who either sacrificed them to Hera or left them roam free, as they had now become permanently calm. Labour nine: stealing the girdle of Hippolyta Admete, the daughter of Eurystheus , learned that Hippolyta , queen of the Amazons , had been given a girdle as a gift from her father, Ares , and wanted it for herself. So, Eurystheus decided to make this the ninth labour that Heracles would have to complete. Heracles took some friends with him and set sail for the region of Themiscyra, where the Amazons dwelled. On their way there, they stopped at the island of Paros, where the sons of king Minos of Crete killed two of Heracles ' friends.

Furious, Heracles killed the sons of Minos and demanded that two of the inhabitants replace his dead comrades. Thus, two of Minos ' grandsons joined the band, and they all set sail again. After a brief stop at the court of Lycus, a friend of Heracles , they eventually reached the land of the Amazons . Hippolyta had heard of the glorious feats that Heracles had performed, and impressed, she immediately agreed to give her girdle. Heracles asked her to have lunch together on the ship and Hippolyta eagerly followed. At the same time, however, a disguised Hera went to the Amazons and started spreading rumours about Heracles wanting to abduct their queen. The Amazons decided to confront Heracles and rode towards the ship. Upon seeing them, Heracles thought that this had all been set up by Hippolyta and that she had no intention of handing over the girdle; so, he killed her, took the belt and set sail back to Tiryns. Labour ten: stealing the cattle of Geryon The tenth labour of Heracles was to steal the cattle of Geryon , who lived on the island of Erytheia, somewhere in the west.

Heracles went on his quest, and he first had the cross the desert of Libya. At some point, having been so frustrated at the heat, he shot an arrow at the sun. Helios , the sun god, was so impressed by Heracles ' courage, that he decided to help him by offering him his own golden chariot with which he sailed across the sea from west to east every night. Heracles hopped on the chariot and reached Erytheia overnight. There, his first obstacle was the two-headed dog Orthrus , brother of Cerberus , the three-headed dog and guardian of the Underworld. One blow with Heracles ' club was enough to kill Orthrus . Eurytion, the herdsman, heard what happened and when he tried to confront Heracles , he was killed in the same way. Geryon immediately grabbed his three shields and three spears, while wearing three helmets and attacked the hero . However, a powerful shot of an arrow from Heracles ' bow was enough to pierce Geryon 's forehead and sent him to his demise. Bringing the cattle back to Tiryns was another task on its own.

According to the Roman version of the story, Heracles took the road over the Aventine Hill where Rome would later be built on. There, a giant named Cacus stole some of the cattle, but they were later retrieved, called out by the animals remaining in the possession of Heracles . As an extra obstacle, Hera sent a gadfly to irritate the animals and scatter them. Heracles managed to get them back within a year. Before he reached Tiryns, though, Hera caused a flood that raised the level of a river so much that it could not be crossed. So, Heracles started piling stones into the river, and bridged the two riverbanks. He eventually reached Tiryns, where the cattle were sacrificed to the goddess. Upon finishing the tenth labour, Eurystheus told Heracles that he considered two of the labours invalid; the Hydra was not slain by Heracles alone but was helped by Iolaus, while he accepted payment for the cleaning of the Augean Stables. So, two more labours had to be completed. These were: 11. to steal the Hesperidean Apples, 12. to capture Cerberus , guardian of the Underworld.

Labour eleven: stealing the apples from the garden of Hesperides The Hesperides were nymphs of the sunset that tended a garden somewhere in the far western corner of the world. Heracles managed to capture the Old Man of the Sea , a shape-shifting sea deity, in order to find out the exact location of the garden. During this quest, Heracles also confronted the half-giant Antaeus , who was invincible by drawing power from his mother, Gaea (the earth), as long as he touched it. To kill him, Heracles held him high so his feet wouldn't touch the ground, and crushed him with his hands. There are two versions on how Heracles managed to acquire the apples. One version has it that he reached the Hesperidean Garden, where he killed Ladon , the dragon guardian of the apples, and took the apples. According to another version, he came across Atlas , the Titan god who was condemned to hold the heavens on his shoulders. Atlas was also the father of the Hesperides , and thus had access to the garden at any time. Heracles persuaded Atlas to change places for a while, so that Atlas would fetch some of the apples. Atlas agreed and indeed took some of the apples.

However, on his return, he decided he did not want to take the heavens back on his shoulders. Heracles tricked him and he said he would be keeping the heavens but wanted to adjust his cloak first. Atlas agreed to take the heavens back momentarily, but Heracles walked away taking the apples with him. Labour twelve: capturing Cerberus , guardian of the Underworld The final labour that Heracles had to complete was to capture Cerberus , the three-headed dog and guardian of the Underworld. Before going to the Underworld, Heracles decided to be initiated in the Eleusinian Mysteries, so that he would be taught how to travel alive from the world of the living to the realm of the dead and vice versa. He then went to Tanaerum, where one of the entrances to the Underworld lay, and was helped there by Athena and Hermes . The goddess Hestia also helped him with negotiating with Charon, the boatman that guided the souls over the river Acheron towards the Underworld. Once he reached the Underworld, he met Theseus and Pirithous , the two heroes that had been incarcerated in the Underworld by Hades for attempting to steal Persephone .

According to one version of the story, snakes coiled around their legs and then turned into stone. A different version has it that the god of the Underworld feigned hospitality and invited them to a feast. However, the chairs on which the heroes were seated magically caused forgetfulness, thus keeping them there. Heracles pulled Theseus from his chair, managing to save him; however, part of his thigh was stuck to it, thus providing an explanation of the supposedly lean thighs of Athenians. When the hero tried to save Pirithous , though, the earth started trembling; it seems that because he desired Persephone for himself, it was so insulting that he was not allowed to leave. Heracles found Hades and asked him to take Cerberus to the surface. The god agreed on the condition that no weapons should be used to achieve it. Heracles managed to subdue the dog with his hands and brought it on his back to Tiryns. Eurystheus fled in horror into his jar and asked Heracles to take the monster back to the Underworld, releasing him from any other labours.

After the Twelve Labours were complete, Heracles decided to join Jason and the Argonauts in their attempt to obtain the Golden Fleece . Labours of Heracles Is also called Twelve Labours of Heracles. Why should we study Greek mythology? - Quora Quora Written Apr 6, 2016 Why do people study the Bible, Koran or the Gita. They teach us right and wrong and about faith. Lets give an example, THE TWELVE LABOURS OF HERCULES. The goddess Hera, determined to make trouble for Hercules, made him lose his mind. In a confused and angry state, he killed his own wife and children. When he awakened from his "temporary insanity," Hercules was shocked and upset by what he'd done. He prayed to the god Apollo for guidance, and the god's oracle told him he would have to serve Eurystheus, the king of Tiryns and Mycenae, for twelve years, in punishment for the murders. As part of his sentence, Hercules had to perform twelve Labors, feats so difficult that they seemed impossible. Fortunately, Hercules had the help of Hermes and Athena, sympathetic deities who showed up when he really needed help.

By the end of these Labors, Hercules was, without a doubt, Greece's greatest hero. His struggles made Hercules the perfect embodiment of an idea the Greeks called pathos, the experience of virtuous struggle and suffering which would lead to fame and, in Hercules' case, immortality. When i have done bad to someone, i feel a darkness. I can't explain this. I feel more at ease when i perform a good deed for someone in need. Kind of like confession or karma. Now in Hercules case, he killed his wife and children and was shocked by the event, enough that he had to go through the twelve labours as repentance. In today's world Hercules would be thrown in prison for life or at best sent to an insane asylum being pumped with drugs. Ask yourself, what do you take from this story? A lot of people might say that we should study it because the stories have morals or lessons to teach us that still carry relevance to this day. This may well be true. Others might say that the myths offer us insights into Greek culture, a sort of indication of how ancient Greeks thought and expressed ideas. This may also be true. Personally? I say we should study Greek mythology because it's quite frequently hilarious.

I mean, come on. Zeus gave birth to one god from his thigh, and another from his head. Hermes gave Aphrodite a dick. A guy got turned into a woman because he hit a pair of snakes while they were doing the nasty. If that's not entertainment, I don't know what is. Oh, and there's cool monsters and junk, too. Many of which have an inappropriate number of heads or were created in particularly amusing ways (You know the minotaur? Half-man, half-bull? Yeah, that happened exactly the way you'd expect it to). It's not so intellectual an argument, I know, but it's why I'm a fan of Greek mythology, and if nothing else, studying it for its entertainment value could be a gateway to studying it for those other, actually important reasons, too. Hercules' Second Labor: the Lernean Hydra The Lernean Hydra The second labor of Hercules was to kill the Lernean Hydra. From the murky waters of the swamps near a place called Lerna, the hydra would rise up and terrorize the countryside. A monstrous serpent with nine heads, the hydra attacked with poisonous venom.

Nor was this beast easy prey, for one of the nine heads was immortal and therefore indestructible. Lerna Aerial view of site and bay, from E Photograph by Raymond V. Schoder, S.J., courtesy of Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers Hercules set off to hunt the nine-headed menace, but he did not go alone. His trusty nephew, Iolaus, was by his side. Iolaus, who shared many adventures with Hercules, accompanied him on many of the twelve labors. Legend has it that Iolaus won a victory in chariot racing at the Olympics and he is often depicted as Hercules' charioteer. So, the pair drove to Lerna and by the springs of Amymone, they discovered the lair of the loathsome hydra. Munich 1416, Attic black figure amphora, ca. 510-500 B.C. Side A: scene at left, Hercules and Iolaos in chariot Photograph copyright Staatl. Antikensammlungen und Glyptothek, München First, Hercules lured the coily creature from the safety of its den by shooting flaming arrows at it.

Once the hydra emerged, Hercules seized it. The monster was not so easily overcome, though, for it wound one of its coils around Hercules' foot and made it impossible for the hero to escape. With his club, Hercules attacked the many heads of the hydra, but as soon as he smashed one head, two more would burst forth in its place! To make matters worse, the hydra had a friend of its own: a huge crab began biting the trapped foot of Hercules. Quickly disposing of this nuisance, most likely with a swift bash of his club, Hercules called on Iolaus to help him out of this tricky situation. Each time Hercules bashed one of the hydra's heads, Iolaus held a torch to the headless tendons of the neck. The flames prevented the growth of replacement heads, and finally, Hercules had the better of the beast. Once he had removed and destroyed the eight mortal heads, Hercules chopped off the ninth, immortal head. This he buried at the side of the road leading from Lerna to Elaeus, and for good measure, he covered it with a heavy rock.

As for the rest of the hapless hydra, Hercules slit open the corpse and dipped his arrows in the venomous blood. Malibu 83.AE.346, Caeretan hydria, c. 525 B.C. Main panel: Hercules slaying the Lernean hydra Collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, California Eurystheus was not impressed with Hercules' feat, however. He said that since Iolaus had helped his uncle, this labor should not count as one of the ten. This technicality didn't seem to matter much to anyone else: the ancient authors still give Hercules all of the credit. Even so, Pausanias did not think that this labor was as fantastic as the myths made it out to be: to him, the fearsome hydra was just, well, a big water snake. At the source of the Amymone grows a plane tree, beneath which, they say, the hydra (water-snake) grew. I am ready to believe that this beast was superior in size to other water-snakes, and that its poison had something in it so deadly that Heracles treated the points of his arrows with its gall.

It had, however, in my opinion, one head, and not several. It was Peisander of Camirus who, in order that the beast might appear more frightful and his poetry might be more remarkable, represented the hydra with its many heads. Pausanias, Description of Greece, 2.37.4 (lmc) The Twelve Labors of Hercules Arts and Entertainment > Mythology The Twelve Labors of Hercules Hercules performed twelve labors given to him by King Eurystheus of Tiryns. For twelve years, he traveled all over to complete these incredible tasks. NOTE: Because different ancient poets gave their own accounts of Hercules's labors, some details may vary. One: Kill the Nemean Lion This monster of a lion had a hide was so tough that no arrow could pierce it. Hercules stunned the beast with his olive-wood club and then strangled it with his bare hands. It is said that he skinned the lion, using the lion's sharp claws, and ever after wore its hide. Two: Kill the Lernean Hydra The evil, snakelike Hydra had nine heads. If one got hurt, two would grow in its place.

But Hercules quickly sliced off the heads, while his charioteer, Iolaus, sealed the wounds with a torch. Hercules made his arrows poisonous by dipping them in the Hydra's blood. Three: Capture the Cerynian Hind The goddess Artemis loved and protected this stubborn little deer, which had gold horns. Hercules found it a challenge to capture the delicate hind without hurting it (and making Artemis angry). After following the hind for an entire year, he safely carried it away. Four: Capture the Erymanthian Boar The people of Mount Erymanthus lived in fear of this deadly animal. Hercules chased the wild boar up the mountain and into a snowdrift. He then took it in a net and brought it to King Eurystheus, who was so frightened of the beast that he hid in a huge bronze jar. Five: Clean the Augean Stables Thousands of cows lived in these stables belonging to King Augeas . They had not been cleaned in 30 years, but Hercules was told to clean them completely in a single day. To do so he made two rivers bend so that they flowed into the stables, sweeping out the filth.

Six: Kill the Stymphalian Birds These murderous birds lived around Lake Stymphalos. Their claws and beaks were sharp as metal and their feathers flew like darts. Hercules scared them out of their nests with a rattle and then killed them with the poison arrows he had made from the Hydra 's blood. Seven: Capture the Cretan Bull This savage bull, kept by King Minos of Crete, was said to be insane and breathe fire. Hercules wrestled the mad beast to the ground and brought it back to King Eurystheus. Unfortunately, the king set it free, and it roamed Greece, causing terror wherever it went. Eight: Capture the Horses of Diomedes King Diomedes , leader of the Bistones, fed his bloodthirsty horses on human flesh. Hercules and his men fought and killed King Diomedes and fed the king to his horses. This made the horses tame, so that Hercules was able to lead them to King Eurystheus.

Nine: Take the Girdle of the Amazon Queen Hippolyte Hercules went to the land of the Amazons , where the queen welcomed him and agreed to give him her girdle for Eurystheus's daughter. But Hera spread the rumor that Hercules came as an enemy. In the end he had to conquer the Amazons and steal the golden belt. Ten: Capture the Cattle of Geryon Geryon , a winged monster with three human bodies, had a herd of beautiful red cattle. He guarded his prized herd with the help of a giant and a vicious two-headed dog. Hercules killed Geryon, the giant, and the dog and brought the cattle to King Eurystheus. Eleven: Take the Golden Apples of the Hesperides The Hesperides were nymphs. In their garden grew golden apples protected by Ladon , a dragon with a hundred heads. Hercules struck a bargain with Atlas , who held up the earth. Hercules shouldered the earth while Atlas, the nymphs' father, fetched the apples. Twelve: Capture Cerberus Hercules was ordered to capture Cerberus , the three-headed guard dog of the underworld, without using weapons.

Hercules wrestled down the dog's wild heads, and it agreed to go with him to King Eurystheus. Cerberus was soon returned unharmed to the underworld.

Question: In Greek mythology how many labours did Hercules have to perform?
Answer: Twelve