The Labours of Heracles
Heracles was born the son of Zeus by Alcmene (one of Zeus' many wives) and was therefore a demi-god. As he was the child of Zeus, Hera therefore hated him as she was jealous of Alcmene so Hera drove him mad, so that Heracles killed his own wife and children without knowing what he was doing. To atone for this, Heracles was made the slave of King Eurystheus for twelve years; King Eurystheus set Heracles the task of completing the twelve labours, which are as follows.
1. Slaying the Nemean Lion.
The Nemean Lion could not be slayed because its golden skin was invulnerable to weapons and its claws were sharper than swords so could cut through any armour. Heracles initially attempted to kill the Nemean Lion with arrows before he realised that they would have no effect. So, Heracles waited for it to return to its cave before blocking one entrance and hiding inside. Heracles then jumped out upon the Nemean Lion and attempted to kill it with his club but when this failed, he strangled it to death. At the suggestion of Athena, Heracles used the Nemean Lion's own claw to skin the beast and retuned with the pelt to King Eurhystheus; Heracles then used the pelt to fashion strong armour for his own use.
2. Slaying the Lernaean Hydra.
Hera summoned the nine-headed Lernean Hydra specifically to kill Heracles. After firing flaming arrows into the mouth of the Lernaean Hydra's cave, Heracles proceded to chop-off the Lernean Hydra's head, however, everytime he chopped a head off, two would grow back in their place. Heracles' cousin, Iolus, came up with the idea of cauterising each head after it had been cut. The Hydra's one immortal head was removed with a golden sword given to him by Athena.
3. Capturing the Ceryneian Hind.
The Ceryneian Hind was a deer with golden antlers and hooves made of bronze. Sacred to Artemis, it was supposed to be able to outrun an arrow in flight. Heracles chased the hind on foot for a full year through Greece, Thrace, Istria and the land of the Hyperboreans before eventually capturing it as it slept. On his way back to Eurystheus, he encountered Artemis and her brother Apollo but avoided her wrath by explaining the situation and that he would return the Ceryneina Hind after he had proven his completion of the task.
4. Capturing the Erymanthian Boar.
Heracles had visited Chiron to get advice on how to capture the Erymanthian Boar, he suggested that Heracles needed to drive it into thick snow. Having successfully caught the Boar, he tied it up and carried it back to Eurystheus.
5. Cleaning the Augean Stables in one day.
This task was supposed to be both humiliating and impossible as one thousand cattle lived in the Augean stables and had not been cleaned for thirty years. On top of this, the animals were immortal so produced excess excrement. Heracles succeeded in this task by diverting the rivers Aplheus and Peneus through the stables to clear the filth. However, Eurystheus claimed that this labour did not count as he received a tenth of the cattle for completing this so was paid so would have an extra labour to do.
6. Slaying the Stymphalian Birds.
The Stymphalian Birds were man-eating birds with beaks of bronze and sharp feathers that could be launched at victims; these birds were sacred to Ares, the god of war. Heracles could not go far into the swamp where the Stymphalian Birds lived so Athena gave a purposely built rattle (by Hephaestus) to him in order to get the Birds to fly up into the air frightened. Heracles then shot many down with arrows whilst the rest fled, never to return.
7. Capturing the Cretan Bull.
Heracles sailed to Crete where King Minos gave him permission to take the bull away but Heracles denied his assistance due to his pride. He snuck up behind the bull and strangled it before shipping it back to Athens.
8. Stealing the Mares of Diomedes.
Heracles took some youths with him to aid in the capture of the Mares of Diomedes. He stayed up all night to avoid being caught by Diomedes and cut the chains of the horses when he fell asleep; this scared the horses to high ground which Heracles built a small moat around to create an island. When Diomedes woke, he attacked Heracles with an axe but he was killed; Heracles then fed Diomedes to the horses to calm them. When he took them back to Eurystheus, he dedicated the horses to Hera.
9. Obtaining the Girdle of Hippolyte.
Heracles was sent to retrieve the Girlde of Hippolyte (of the Amazons) for Eurystheus' daughter Admeta. Hippolyte was supposedly so impressed with Heracles that she was prepared to give it to him. However, Hera appeared in mortal form and spread a rumour around the Amazons that Heracles was stealing their Queen (Hippolyte). The Amazons started to attack his ship so he slew Hippolyte and stole the girdle. He then simply sailed away.
10. Stealing the Cows of Geryon.
When reaching the giant Geryon's homeland of Erytheia, Heracles slew the two-headed guard dog, Orthrus. Geryon went to see what had happened and ended up pursuing Heracles to the River Anthemus; Heracles then killed Geryon using an arrow that had been dipped in the venomous Hydra's blood. Heracles then led the cattle back.
11. Stealing the Golden Apples of the Hesperides.
Once reaching the Garden of the Hesperides, Heracles met Atlas and asked him to retrieve the golden apples for him whilst Heracles held up the Earth (as was the legend). When Atlas told Heracles that he did not want to take the Earth back, after retrieving the apples, Heracles tricked him into re-taking it by asking of he would take the earth temporarily to make his cloak more comfortable. So, Heracles simply walked away with the Golden Apples.
12. Capturing Cerberus.
Heracles found the entrance to the underworld at Tanaerum and was able to pass-through with the assistance of Athena and Hermes. He passed Charon with the assistance of Hestia. Whilst there, he met Pirithous and Theseus who had both been imprisoned there; Heracles managed to release Theseus but failed in his attempts to release Pirithous. Heracles asked the permission of Hades to take Ceberus to the surface who said that he could if he was able to overpower it without the use of weapons. Heracles managed to overpower him and dragged it out of the underworld through a cavern in the Peloponnese, taking it to Eurystheus. Eurystheus was so scared that he ordered that Heracles return Ceberus to the underworld and that he was now free from his labours.
1. Slaying the Nemean Lion.
The Nemean Lion could not be slayed because its golden skin was invulnerable to weapons and its claws were sharper than swords so could cut through any armour. Heracles initially attempted to kill the Nemean Lion with arrows before he realised that they would have no effect. So, Heracles waited for it to return to its cave before blocking one entrance and hiding inside. Heracles then jumped out upon the Nemean Lion and attempted to kill it with his club but when this failed, he strangled it to death. At the suggestion of Athena, Heracles used the Nemean Lion's own claw to skin the beast and retuned with the pelt to King Eurhystheus; Heracles then used the pelt to fashion strong armour for his own use.
2. Slaying the Lernaean Hydra.
Hera summoned the nine-headed Lernean Hydra specifically to kill Heracles. After firing flaming arrows into the mouth of the Lernaean Hydra's cave, Heracles proceded to chop-off the Lernean Hydra's head, however, everytime he chopped a head off, two would grow back in their place. Heracles' cousin, Iolus, came up with the idea of cauterising each head after it had been cut. The Hydra's one immortal head was removed with a golden sword given to him by Athena.
3. Capturing the Ceryneian Hind.
The Ceryneian Hind was a deer with golden antlers and hooves made of bronze. Sacred to Artemis, it was supposed to be able to outrun an arrow in flight. Heracles chased the hind on foot for a full year through Greece, Thrace, Istria and the land of the Hyperboreans before eventually capturing it as it slept. On his way back to Eurystheus, he encountered Artemis and her brother Apollo but avoided her wrath by explaining the situation and that he would return the Ceryneina Hind after he had proven his completion of the task.
4. Capturing the Erymanthian Boar.
Heracles had visited Chiron to get advice on how to capture the Erymanthian Boar, he suggested that Heracles needed to drive it into thick snow. Having successfully caught the Boar, he tied it up and carried it back to Eurystheus.
5. Cleaning the Augean Stables in one day.
This task was supposed to be both humiliating and impossible as one thousand cattle lived in the Augean stables and had not been cleaned for thirty years. On top of this, the animals were immortal so produced excess excrement. Heracles succeeded in this task by diverting the rivers Aplheus and Peneus through the stables to clear the filth. However, Eurystheus claimed that this labour did not count as he received a tenth of the cattle for completing this so was paid so would have an extra labour to do.
6. Slaying the Stymphalian Birds.
The Stymphalian Birds were man-eating birds with beaks of bronze and sharp feathers that could be launched at victims; these birds were sacred to Ares, the god of war. Heracles could not go far into the swamp where the Stymphalian Birds lived so Athena gave a purposely built rattle (by Hephaestus) to him in order to get the Birds to fly up into the air frightened. Heracles then shot many down with arrows whilst the rest fled, never to return.
7. Capturing the Cretan Bull.
Heracles sailed to Crete where King Minos gave him permission to take the bull away but Heracles denied his assistance due to his pride. He snuck up behind the bull and strangled it before shipping it back to Athens.
8. Stealing the Mares of Diomedes.
Heracles took some youths with him to aid in the capture of the Mares of Diomedes. He stayed up all night to avoid being caught by Diomedes and cut the chains of the horses when he fell asleep; this scared the horses to high ground which Heracles built a small moat around to create an island. When Diomedes woke, he attacked Heracles with an axe but he was killed; Heracles then fed Diomedes to the horses to calm them. When he took them back to Eurystheus, he dedicated the horses to Hera.
9. Obtaining the Girdle of Hippolyte.
Heracles was sent to retrieve the Girlde of Hippolyte (of the Amazons) for Eurystheus' daughter Admeta. Hippolyte was supposedly so impressed with Heracles that she was prepared to give it to him. However, Hera appeared in mortal form and spread a rumour around the Amazons that Heracles was stealing their Queen (Hippolyte). The Amazons started to attack his ship so he slew Hippolyte and stole the girdle. He then simply sailed away.
10. Stealing the Cows of Geryon.
When reaching the giant Geryon's homeland of Erytheia, Heracles slew the two-headed guard dog, Orthrus. Geryon went to see what had happened and ended up pursuing Heracles to the River Anthemus; Heracles then killed Geryon using an arrow that had been dipped in the venomous Hydra's blood. Heracles then led the cattle back.
11. Stealing the Golden Apples of the Hesperides.
Once reaching the Garden of the Hesperides, Heracles met Atlas and asked him to retrieve the golden apples for him whilst Heracles held up the Earth (as was the legend). When Atlas told Heracles that he did not want to take the Earth back, after retrieving the apples, Heracles tricked him into re-taking it by asking of he would take the earth temporarily to make his cloak more comfortable. So, Heracles simply walked away with the Golden Apples.
12. Capturing Cerberus.
Heracles found the entrance to the underworld at Tanaerum and was able to pass-through with the assistance of Athena and Hermes. He passed Charon with the assistance of Hestia. Whilst there, he met Pirithous and Theseus who had both been imprisoned there; Heracles managed to release Theseus but failed in his attempts to release Pirithous. Heracles asked the permission of Hades to take Ceberus to the surface who said that he could if he was able to overpower it without the use of weapons. Heracles managed to overpower him and dragged it out of the underworld through a cavern in the Peloponnese, taking it to Eurystheus. Eurystheus was so scared that he ordered that Heracles return Ceberus to the underworld and that he was now free from his labours.