HERCULES
Of all the Greek heroes, Hercules was by far the most famous.
He was a mortal man, who through hard work became immortal and joined the gods
of Olympus. Hercules was the son of Zeus and Alcmene. Alcmene’s husband
Amphiteryon was out avenging her brother’s death at the hands of pirates. Zeus,
disguised as Amphiteryon, came to her and told her stories of how he killed the
pirates to avenge her brother’s death. That night Zeus went to bed with Alcmene
and impregnated her. The next day the real Amphiteryon returned with his
stories of avenging the pirates, and he could not understand why his wife was
irritated with him and seemed disinterested in the stories. It was then that
Amphiteryon consulted a blind seer and became aware of what Zeus
did.
Hercules had several teachers in his youth who taught him
well. Here is a partial list of his teachers and the areas they instructed him
in:
Amphitrton – chariot driving
Autolycus – boxing
Castor – art of riding horses in battle
Cheiron – (centaur) politics, manners, and wisdom
Eumolpus – playing the lyre and singing
Eurytus – archery
Not only was he well trained, but Hercules also received
lavish gifts from the gods of Olympus. He was well equipped with special
swords, shields, bows, and horses.
Hercules, of all of Zeus’s illegitimate children seemed to be
the focus of Hera’s anger. She sent a two-headed serpent to attack him when he
was just an infant. He simply strangled the snake with one head in each hand.
When Hercules married Megara of Thebes, Hera drove Hercules to madness. This
madness caused Hercules to kill his wife and all of his children. He did not
stop this killing streak until Athena struck him with a rock, knocking him
unconscious. When he awoke, he realized what he had one and consulted the
Oracle of Delphi to see how he could purify himself. The oracle instructed him
to complete ten labors that King Eurystheus set before him, and he could be
purified and also attain immortality.
Labor 1: Kill the Nemean Lion
The lion had a skin which could not be penetrated by any
sword or spear. Hercules had to kill the lion with his bare hands.
Labor :2 Kill the Hydra of Lerna
Hercules attacked the Hydra and began to chop off its many
heads. Yet each time he chopped off a head, the Hydra would grow two more in
its place. He called on his friend Iolaus to burn each wound which did not
allow the heads to grow back. In this way he defeated the Hydra. Eurystheus
refused to count this labor because Hercules had help in completing
it.
Labor 3: Capture the Cerynitian Hind
The Cerynitian Hind was a deer with golden antlers. Hercules
hunted it for a year and finally captured it with a net while it was sleeping.
After completing this Labor, Hercules joined Jason and the Argonauts for a
period of time.
Labor 4: Capture the Erymanthian Boar
Hercules captured the boar in a snowdrift and brought it back
in chains.
Labor 5: Clean the Stables of Augeas
The Stables of Augeas held thousands of cattle and had not
been cleaned in thirty years. Hercules had to clean all of them in a single
day. To accomplish this, Hercules diverted two rivers into the stables to carry
away all the dung. He also made a deal with King Augeas to receive one tenth of
the cattle as payment for his work. After completing the work, the King refused
to pay. In addition, Hercules did not receive credit for the labor because
Erystheus stated he did the labor for profit.
Labor 6: Drive out the Stymphalian Birds
The Stymphalian Birds were man-eating birds. Hercules used a
bronze rattle to confuse and drive out the birds.
Labor 7: Fetch the Cretan Bull
The bull was a beautiful creature given to King Minos of
Crete by Poseidon. Hercules had a long struggle wrestling the bull, but he
captured it, brought it to Tiryns, and released it.
Labor 8: Capture the Mares of Diomedes
Four mares of Diomedes were man eating animals. Hercules
drove them down to the sea. Diomedes then to attacked Hercules. Hercules
clubbed Diomedes and fed him to his horses. He then harnessed the horses, took
them back to Tiryns, and then set them free on Mount Olympus.
Labor 9: Bring back the Amazon Girdle
Hercules simply asked the queen of the Amazons for the
girdle, and she gave it to him. Hera was so angry at the ease in which he got
the item that she disguised herself and warned the other Amazon women that
Hercules planned to abduct the queen. When Hercules saw the army coming after
him, he figured the queen had betrayed him. He than killed her and escaped with
the girdle.
Labor :10 Steal Cattle of Geryon
Hercules had to defeat a son of Ares and several other
monsters. In doing so, he was able to complete this task.
Labor 11: Retrieve the Golden Apples of Hesperide
Hercules convinced the Titan Atlas to help him with this
task. Hercules agreed to take the weight of the world while Atlas retrieved the
apples from his daughters. When Atlas returned, he did not want the weight of
the world again. Hercules agreed to keep the world but asked Atlas to take it
for just a minute so he could get some cushions for his head. Once Atlas took
the weight again, Hercules took the apples and walked away. On the way back
from this journey, Hercules came across the Titan Prometheus, who was chained
to a rock. He killed the bird which came every day to feed on his liver, and
freed Prometheus.
Labor 12: Retrieve Cerberus from the Underworld
Hercules had to fight Hades to get into the underworld.
Hercules was able to injure Hades, who left for Mont Olympus to be healed. He
then wrestled the three- headed dog Cerberus with his bare hands and took it
back to Eurystheus. After seeing the dog, Eurystheus had Hercules return the
creature to the underworld. With this last act, Hercules completed his tasks,
was purified, and made immortal.
He was a mortal man, who through hard work became immortal and joined the gods
of Olympus. Hercules was the son of Zeus and Alcmene. Alcmene’s husband
Amphiteryon was out avenging her brother’s death at the hands of pirates. Zeus,
disguised as Amphiteryon, came to her and told her stories of how he killed the
pirates to avenge her brother’s death. That night Zeus went to bed with Alcmene
and impregnated her. The next day the real Amphiteryon returned with his
stories of avenging the pirates, and he could not understand why his wife was
irritated with him and seemed disinterested in the stories. It was then that
Amphiteryon consulted a blind seer and became aware of what Zeus
did.
Hercules had several teachers in his youth who taught him
well. Here is a partial list of his teachers and the areas they instructed him
in:
Amphitrton – chariot driving
Autolycus – boxing
Castor – art of riding horses in battle
Cheiron – (centaur) politics, manners, and wisdom
Eumolpus – playing the lyre and singing
Eurytus – archery
Not only was he well trained, but Hercules also received
lavish gifts from the gods of Olympus. He was well equipped with special
swords, shields, bows, and horses.
Hercules, of all of Zeus’s illegitimate children seemed to be
the focus of Hera’s anger. She sent a two-headed serpent to attack him when he
was just an infant. He simply strangled the snake with one head in each hand.
When Hercules married Megara of Thebes, Hera drove Hercules to madness. This
madness caused Hercules to kill his wife and all of his children. He did not
stop this killing streak until Athena struck him with a rock, knocking him
unconscious. When he awoke, he realized what he had one and consulted the
Oracle of Delphi to see how he could purify himself. The oracle instructed him
to complete ten labors that King Eurystheus set before him, and he could be
purified and also attain immortality.
Labor 1: Kill the Nemean Lion
The lion had a skin which could not be penetrated by any
sword or spear. Hercules had to kill the lion with his bare hands.
Labor :2 Kill the Hydra of Lerna
Hercules attacked the Hydra and began to chop off its many
heads. Yet each time he chopped off a head, the Hydra would grow two more in
its place. He called on his friend Iolaus to burn each wound which did not
allow the heads to grow back. In this way he defeated the Hydra. Eurystheus
refused to count this labor because Hercules had help in completing
it.
Labor 3: Capture the Cerynitian Hind
The Cerynitian Hind was a deer with golden antlers. Hercules
hunted it for a year and finally captured it with a net while it was sleeping.
After completing this Labor, Hercules joined Jason and the Argonauts for a
period of time.
Labor 4: Capture the Erymanthian Boar
Hercules captured the boar in a snowdrift and brought it back
in chains.
Labor 5: Clean the Stables of Augeas
The Stables of Augeas held thousands of cattle and had not
been cleaned in thirty years. Hercules had to clean all of them in a single
day. To accomplish this, Hercules diverted two rivers into the stables to carry
away all the dung. He also made a deal with King Augeas to receive one tenth of
the cattle as payment for his work. After completing the work, the King refused
to pay. In addition, Hercules did not receive credit for the labor because
Erystheus stated he did the labor for profit.
Labor 6: Drive out the Stymphalian Birds
The Stymphalian Birds were man-eating birds. Hercules used a
bronze rattle to confuse and drive out the birds.
Labor 7: Fetch the Cretan Bull
The bull was a beautiful creature given to King Minos of
Crete by Poseidon. Hercules had a long struggle wrestling the bull, but he
captured it, brought it to Tiryns, and released it.
Labor 8: Capture the Mares of Diomedes
Four mares of Diomedes were man eating animals. Hercules
drove them down to the sea. Diomedes then to attacked Hercules. Hercules
clubbed Diomedes and fed him to his horses. He then harnessed the horses, took
them back to Tiryns, and then set them free on Mount Olympus.
Labor 9: Bring back the Amazon Girdle
Hercules simply asked the queen of the Amazons for the
girdle, and she gave it to him. Hera was so angry at the ease in which he got
the item that she disguised herself and warned the other Amazon women that
Hercules planned to abduct the queen. When Hercules saw the army coming after
him, he figured the queen had betrayed him. He than killed her and escaped with
the girdle.
Labor :10 Steal Cattle of Geryon
Hercules had to defeat a son of Ares and several other
monsters. In doing so, he was able to complete this task.
Labor 11: Retrieve the Golden Apples of Hesperide
Hercules convinced the Titan Atlas to help him with this
task. Hercules agreed to take the weight of the world while Atlas retrieved the
apples from his daughters. When Atlas returned, he did not want the weight of
the world again. Hercules agreed to keep the world but asked Atlas to take it
for just a minute so he could get some cushions for his head. Once Atlas took
the weight again, Hercules took the apples and walked away. On the way back
from this journey, Hercules came across the Titan Prometheus, who was chained
to a rock. He killed the bird which came every day to feed on his liver, and
freed Prometheus.
Labor 12: Retrieve Cerberus from the Underworld
Hercules had to fight Hades to get into the underworld.
Hercules was able to injure Hades, who left for Mont Olympus to be healed. He
then wrestled the three- headed dog Cerberus with his bare hands and took it
back to Eurystheus. After seeing the dog, Eurystheus had Hercules return the
creature to the underworld. With this last act, Hercules completed his tasks,
was purified, and made immortal.