Herakles(Hercules)Herakles, also spelled Heracles, is the son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmene. The 12 Labors of HeraklesThe Peloponnesian Labors1. The Nemean LionThe Nemean Lion is the offspring of Echidna, grandaughter of the Gorgon Medusa, and Orthus, Echidna's son with Typhon. Herakles was given the task of bringing the lion's skin back to Eurystheus. There are two versions of the story. One is that he killed the lion with a club that he crafted himself. The other version is that the lion was invulnerable so he had to strangle the lion and then skin it using its own claws. This is said to be where Herakles got his lion skin and club that are the attributes he is represented with in art and literature. 2. The Lernaean HydraThe Lernaean Hydra is another offspring of Echidna's and Thyphon. It lived near Argos, in the swamps of Lerna. This monster had nine heads, eight of which were mortal and the ninth head immortal. When Heracles took off one of the Hydra's heads he learned that two grew back in its place. To make this task even harder for him, Hera sent a gigantic crab to help the Hydra. Herakles killed the crab and then, with the help of his nephew Iolaus, son of Iphicles, he was able to kill the Hydra. The process they used was every time the Greek hero cut off a head, Iolaus would cauterize the wound before two more heads grew. The immortal head was buried under a large rock and he dipped the tips of his arrows in the Hydra's poisoned blood. Hera took the crab that she had sent and turned it into the constellation Cancer. 3. The Cerynean HindThe Cerynean Hind is a stag with golden horn that is sacred to the goddess Artemis. It's name is derived from Mt. Cerynea in Arcadia. It is a harmless creature and so to bring it harm would incur the wrath of Artemis. Herakles was ordered o bring the creature back to Eurystheus. He pursued it for a year and finally caught it by the river Ladon. While carrying the stag back to Eurystheus, Heracles was stopped by Artemis, who had come to reclaim her animal. Her wrath was appeased when he told her why he had captured the stag, laying the blame on Eurystheus. 4. The Erymanthian BoarThe Erymanthian Boar was a very destructive animal that lived on Mt. Erymanthus. Herakles fourth labor was to bring this animal back to Eurystheus alive. He was able to do this by chasing the creature into deep snow and there catching it in nets. Eurystheus hid in terror in a large jar when the Greek hero brought the boar to him. 5. The Augean StablesThe king of Elis, Augeas, son of Helius, owned a large stable with a huge herd of cattle. The stable, however, had never been cleaned out. Herakles was given the massive task of cleaning this stable. He achieved this miraculous task in one day by diverting two rivers so that they flowed through the stables. 6. The Stymphalian BirdsThe Stymphalian Birds are creatures that gather together in a forest by the Stymphalus lake, which is located in Arcadia. Hercules was ordered to shoot these birds. He did this by scaring them out with beating together brazen castanets which the goddess Athena had given to him. He then proceeded to shoot them down. The Non-Peloponnesian Labors7. The Cretan BullKing Minos, on Crete, refused to sacrifice a certain bull to the god Poseidon. Heracles was given the task to catch the bull and bring it back to alive to Eurystheus. He completed this task and then turned the bull loose. The bull settled in Marathon where later on Theseus sacrificed it. 8. The Mares of DiomedesThe Thracian king, Diomedes, son of Ares, had a herd of mares that fed off of human flesh. It is unclear whether Heracles id this himself or with help, but he was able to tame the horses by feeding Diomedes himself to them. Herakles took the horses back to Eurystheus. The horses were set free and Eurystheus decided to dedicate them to the goddess Hera. 9. The Girdle of HippolytaHippolyta was the queen of the Amazons. They are a group of warrior women who live to the north of Greece. Hippolyta had a girdle which was said to have magical powers. Herakles ninth task was to grab this girdle from her. In order to get it he entered into battle with the queen, he killed her and took the girdle back to Argos where it was put on display. 10. The Cattle of GreyonGreyon was a three-bodied creature, offspring of Medusa's son Chrysaor and the Oceanid Callirhoe. He lived on the island of Erythia and guarded a herd of cattle with a giant herdsman, Eurytion and his half brother, a two-headed hound, Orthus. Eurystheus gave the Greek hero the task of bringing the herd of cattle back to him. The ancient Greek god Helius helped him by providing him with a large golden cup in which to sail to the island of Erythia in. Herakles got to the island, killed Greyon, Orthus and Eurytion and sailed back in the cup with the cattle. The legend says that he landed in what is today Western Europe, he returned the golden cup to the sun god and he started driving the cattle towards Greece.
11. The Apples of the HersperidesThe Greek hero's next task was to collect the apples of the Hersperides. The Herperides were three daughters of Night and along with the serpent, Ladon, they guarded a tree that produced golden apples. Ladon is the son of Phorcys and Ceto and grandson of Pontus and Ge. This tree was a wedding gift to Hera from Ge. In Euripides' version of this labor, he has to find Nereus, a sea-god, and get him to tell him where the garden is located. He then went to the garden and killed the serpent Ladon. Herakles picked the apples himself. In another version, he had help from the Greek goddess Athena and the Titan Atlas. He takes over Atlas' job of holding up the heavens with the help of Athena, while Atlas goes and gets the apples from the garden. Atlas returns to his job and Heracles takes the apples to Eurystheus. Once the task was completed some say that Athena returned the apples to the garden. 12. CerberusThe three-headed dog of the Underworld, offspring of Echinda and Typhon, grandson of Medusa. This is Herakles last labor to complete for Eurystheus, to bring Cerberus to him. The Greek hero makes a trip down into the Underworld and wrestles with the hound. He overcomes Cerberus and brings him to Eurystheus. After the task is completed Cerberus is returned to the Underworld. LinksHerakles Jenny Ervin
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