Will rule over all relatives. Hera, having learned about this, accelerated the birth of Perseid's wife Sthenel, who gave birth to the weak and cowardly Eurystheus. Zeus involuntarily had to agree that Hercules, who was born after this by Alcmena, would obey Eurystheus - but not all his life, but only until he accomplished 12 great feats in his service.
Hercules with early childhood was different enormous power. Already in the cradle, he strangled two huge snakes sent by Hera to destroy the baby. Hercules spent his childhood in Thebes, Boeotia. He liberated this city from the power of neighboring Orkhomenes, and in gratitude, the Theban king Creon gave his daughter, Megara, to Hercules. Soon, Hera sent Hercules into a fit of madness, during which he killed his children and the children of his half-brother Iphicles (according to the tragedies of Euripides (“”) and Seneca, Hercules also killed his wife Megara). The Delphic oracle, in atonement for this sin, ordered Hercules to go to Eurystheus and, on his orders, perform the 12 labors that were destined for him by fate.
The first labor of Hercules (summary)
Hercules kills the Nemean lion. Copy from the statue of Lysippos
The second labor of Hercules (summary)
The second labor of Hercules was the fight against the Lernaean Hydra. Painting by A. Pollaiolo, c. 1475
The third labor of Hercules (summary)
Hercules and the Stymphalian Birds. Statue of A. Bourdelle, 1909
The fourth labor of Hercules (summary)
The Fourth Labor of Hercules - Kerenean Hind
The fifth labor of Hercules (summary)
Possessing monstrous strength, the Erymanthian boar terrified the entire surrounding area. On the way to fight him, Hercules visited his friend, the centaur Pholus. He treated the hero to wine, angering the other centaurs, since the wine belonged to all of them, and not to Fol alone. The centaurs rushed at Hercules, but with archery he forced the attackers to hide with the centaur Chiron. Pursuing the centaurs, Hercules burst into Chiron's cave and accidentally killed this wise hero of many Greek myths with an arrow.
Hercules and the Erymanthian boar. Statue of L. Tuyon, 1904
The sixth labor of Hercules (summary)
King Augeas of Elis, the son of the sun god Helios, received from his father numerous herds of white and red bulls. His huge barnyard had not been cleared for 30 years. Hercules offered Augeas to clear the stall in a day, asking in return for a tenth of his herds. Believing that the hero could not cope with the work in one day, Augeias agreed. Hercules blocked the rivers Alpheus and Peneus with a dam and diverted their water to Augeas's farmyard - all the manure was washed away from it in a day.
The sixth labor - Hercules cleans the stables of Augeas. Roman mosaic from the 3rd century. according to R.H. from Valencia
The seventh labor of Hercules (summary)
Seventh labor - Hercules and the Cretan bull. Roman mosaic from the 3rd century. according to R.H. from Valencia
The Eighth Labor of Hercules (summary)
Diomedes devoured by his horses. Artist Gustave Moreau, 1865
The Ninth Labor of Hercules (summary)
The tenth labor of Hercules (summary)
On the westernmost edge of the earth, the giant Geryon, who had three bodies, three heads, six arms and six legs, was tending cows. By order of Eurystheus, Hercules went after these cows. The long journey to the west itself was already a feat, and in memory of it, Hercules erected two stone (Hercules) pillars on both sides of a narrow strait near the shores of the Ocean (modern Gibraltar). Geryon lived on the island of Erithia. So that Hercules could reach him, the sun god Helios gave him his horses and a golden boat, on which he himself sails across the sky every day.
The Eleventh Labor of Hercules (summary)
The Eleventh Labor of Hercules - Cerberus
The Twelfth Labor of Hercules (summary)
Hercules had to find the way to the great titan Atlas (Atlas), who holds the firmament on his shoulders at the edge of the earth. Eurystheus ordered Hercules to take three golden apples from the golden tree of the Atlas garden. To find out the way to Atlas, Hercules, on the advice of the nymphs, lay in wait for the sea god Nereus on the seashore, grabbed him and held him until he showed the right road. On the way to Atlas through Libya, Hercules had to fight the cruel giant Antaeus, who received new powers by touching his mother, Earth-Gaea. After a long fight, Hercules lifted Antaeus into the air and strangled him without lowering him to the ground. In Egypt, King Busiris wanted to sacrifice Hercules to the gods, but the angry hero killed Busiris along with his son.
The fight of Hercules with Antaeus. Artist O. Coudet, 1819
Photo - Jastrow
The sequence of the 12 main labors of Hercules varies in different mythological sources. The eleventh and twelfth labors especially often change places: a number of ancient authors consider the descent into Hades for Cerberus to be the last achievement of Hercules, and the journey to the Garden of the Hesperides as the penultimate.
Other labors of Hercules
After completing 12 labors, Hercules, freed from the power of Eurystheus, defeated the best archer in Greece, Eurytus, king of the Euboean Oichalia, in a shooting competition. Eurytus did not give Hercules the promised reward for this - his daughter Iola. Hercules then married Deianira, the sister of Meleager, whom he met in the kingdom of Hades, in the city of Calydon. Seeking the hand of Deianira, Hercules endured a difficult duel with the river god Achelous, who during the fight turned into a snake and a bull.
Hercules and Deianira went to Tiryns. Along the way, Dejanira was attempted to be kidnapped by the centaur Nessus, who offered to transport the couple across the river. Hercules killed Nessus with arrows soaked in the bile of the Lernaean hydra. Before his death, Nessus, secretly from Hercules, advised Deianira to collect his blood poisoned by the hydra poison. The centaur assured that if Dejanira rubbed Hercules’ clothes with her, then no other woman would ever please him.
In Tiryns, during a fit of madness again sent by Hero, Hercules killed his close friend, the son of Eurytus, Iphitus. Zeus punished Hercules with a serious illness for this. Trying to find out a cure for it, Hercules went on a rampage in the Delphic temple and fought with the god Apollo. Finally it was revealed to him that he must sell himself into slavery for three years to the Lydian queen Omphale. For three years Omphale subjected Hercules to terrible humiliation: she forced him to wear women's clothing and spin, and she herself carried the lion’s skin and the hero’s club. However, Omphale allowed Hercules to take part in the campaign of the Argonauts.
Freed from slavery to Omphale, Hercules took Troy and took revenge on its king, Laomedon, for his previous deception. He then took part in the battle of the gods with the giants. The mother of the giants, the goddess Gaia, made these children of hers invulnerable to the weapons of the gods. Only a mortal could kill giants. During the battle, the gods threw the giants to the ground with weapons and lightning, and Hercules finished them off with his arrows.
Death of Hercules
Following this, Hercules set out on a campaign against King Eurytus, who had insulted him. Having defeated Eurytus, Hercules captured his daughter, the beautiful Iola, whom he should have received after a previous competition with her father in archery. Having learned that Hercules was going to marry Iola, Dejanira, in an attempt to return her husband’s love, sent him a cloak soaked in the blood of the centaur Nessus, soaked in the poison of the Lernaean Hydra. As soon as Hercules put on this cloak, it stuck to his body. The poison penetrated the hero’s skin and began to cause terrible pain. Dejanira, having learned about her mistake, committed suicide. This myth became the plot of the tragedy of Sophocles and Demophon. The army of Eurystheus invaded Athenian soil, but was defeated by an army led by the eldest son of Hercules, Gill. The Heraclides became the ancestors of one of the four main branches of the Greek people - the Dorians. Three generations after Gill, the Dorian invasion of the south ended with the conquest of the Peloponnese, which the Heraclides considered the rightful inheritance of their father, treacherously taken from him by the cunning of the goddess Hera. In the news of the captures of the Dorians, legends and myths are already mixed with memories of genuine historical events.
Hercules was born in Thebes to Alcmene and Zeus. According to the instructions of the father, the child born was to rule every earthly nation. Then Hera made sure that Perseus' grandson Eurystheus was born before Alcmene's son. Hercules was forced to serve Eurystheus, but the hero was able to get rid of this duty by performing a number of feats . He had to show not only strength, but also intelligence. Let us briefly list all 12 labors of Hercules.
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Prince Hercules ordered to go to the temple of Zeus in Nemea to defeat a huge lion that brought terror to all the inhabitants.
Attention! All his life, Prince Eurystheus received care and love. He had power, but was neither smart nor distinguished.
Hercules went to the deserted lands and walked for a long time along the gorges and slopes. Suddenly, the roar of a giant lion was heard from the cave. The hero managed to hit the monster on the head with a club just before the jump, and then squeezed its neck, and the beast stopped breathing. This was feat number 1.
The winner wore the skin of a lion. People ran away from him in horror, Eurystheus hid in the far corner and shouted to the hero to leave and to receive orders from the herald.
The second feat of Hercules was no less brilliant. The next day the hero had to go to the swamp, where the Hydra with ten heads lived. Iolaus went with him. The hydra wrapped its necks around random travelers, pulled them into its lair and ate them. When Hercules and Iolaus reached the cursed swamp, the monster was asleep. Having teased the Hydra, Hercules lured her out and began cutting off heads. one after another, but in their place two new ones grew. The hero asked Iolaus for help, and he began to burn the place of the severed head with a torch. So the monster was defeated. The hero dipped the arrowheads in the blood of the Hydra, and they turned into deadly weapons.
A whole year passed without hiking, the hero took part in competitions and hunted. Then Hercules received a new punishment from Eurystheus - bring him a live doe, whose hooves are made of copper and horns of gold. No one has been able to catch her until now. This was the 3rd labor of Hercules. The heroes went to the inaccessible wild mountains, and one day they saw a sacred doe that they were hunting for. Hercules rushed after her and pursued her for several days. Finally, the fugitive gave up, but then he met Artemis, who promised that the animal would soon return to her. Upon returning to Mycenae, Eurystheus told the hero to do whatever he wanted with her, and Hercules sacrificed her to Artemis.
Erymanthian boar
The inhabitants of Mount Erimanth suffered from a monstrous boar - at night he devastated all their fields, trampled crops, and tore up the lands. Then Eurystheus ordered Hercules to catch the monster. It was surrounded by centaurs.
Attention! The once-living king Ixion killed his father-in-law and asked for help from Zeus, who brought the killer closer to himself. Then Ixion decided to seek the favor of Hera. Zeus wanted to test the limits of Ixion’s dishonor and gave Cloud-Nephele the appearance of Hera. Their union gave birth to the centaurs.
The 4th labor of Hercules was accomplished like this. He went to the mountain, and in the cave he saw the middle-aged centaur Fol. He invited him and treated him to wine. The other centaurs saw the uninvited guest and became furious. Then the hero began to throw poisoned arrows at them and killed many centaurs, but suddenly he accidentally hit the oldest of them, who did not participate in the battle. It was Chiron who forgave the repentant Hercules for his involuntary murder. The hero easily caught the boar, brought it to Mycenae, fried it and treated it to people, but Eurystheus never showed up out of fear.
Stymphalian birds
Hercules was shocked by the death of Chiron. He spent many days talking with Iolaus about what truth is and what the meaning of life is. He said that the truth lies in living life, in her endless struggle with death, and in a dead life there is no truth - it is filled with oblivion.
One day the king's herald appeared and said that the Stymphalian birds should be killed. Their strength lay in the copper feathers with which the birds destroyed people by eating their flesh. The 5th labor of Hercules began. He and Iolaus reached the lake and felt a strange languor take possession of them. It turned out that about The zero envelops travelers in a poisonous haze, giving oblivion and death.
Then Athena sent a wooden rattle to help - Iolaus shook it, and suddenly the sound, amplified by the echo, swept over the lake and woke up the monstrous birds. They perked up, took off and began to throw their feathers at the travelers, but the hero covered himself and Iolaus with the skin of a lion and began to hit the birds with poisoned arrows. Many of them died, and miraculously those who survived flew away and never appeared again.
Augean stables
The herald who came on the orders of Eurystheus punished clean out the stables of King Augeas which were filled with manure, had not been cleaned for many years, and the walls, feeders and stalls had long since rotted. The hero promised the king that the stalls would be cleaned by morning, but in return the ruler had to give him a tenth of the horses. Augeas was greedy, but easily agreed, because he thought it was impossible to do. The hero, with the help of only one shovel, diverted the flow of the river to the stables, and its flow washed away the manure and everything rotten. This is how the 6th labor of Hercules ended.
However, the king did not want to share what he had promised, so he ordered his nephews to kill the hero, but they themselves fell at his hands. Then Hercules killed Augeas, and the throne was taken by his honest and innocent son. AND The inhabitants of Hellas were ordered to conduct, and as long as they go, everything will be calm in the world.
A new order came from the king - deliver him a snow-white Cretan bull with horns of gold and a rebellious character that brought terror to the entire island of Crete. The 7th labor of Hercules began. He boarded a Phoenician ship, but suddenly a strong storm arose and crashed the ship onto the shore. The hero went to the king, but was captured local residents and was taken to the ruler, who said that he would sacrifice his uninvited guest and his friends to the gods.
Then Hercules easily broke the heavy chains, struck the priest and stabbed the king. Then he left the palace and easily conquered the Cretan bull, which now obeyed only his tamer, and upon arriving at King Eurystheus he broke free.
Eurystheus's next order - go to King Diomedes and take away his bloodthirsty horses, which the ruler feeds to travelers. The 8th labor of Hercules happened like this. On the way, he stopped at King Admet. He received the guest, ordered him to feed him well, but he himself went to other chambers. The old servant said that Admetus suffered the greatest grief: by agreement with the gods, he could remain alive if there was someone willing to die in his place.
When the hour of death struck, no one volunteered to sacrifice their life, except for Admet’s wife, Alceste, who was dearer to him than anything in the world. So the demon of death took a beautiful girl. The hero decided to snatch her from the hands of the dead and fought with Thanatos, who took Alceste. The revived wife returned to Admet, and there was no happier person in the world.
Hercules went further to carry out the king’s instructions. Diomedes sent a huge army against him, but the hero easily dealt with them all, and gave the king himself to be devoured by his own horses. The bloodthirsty animals were delivered to Eristheus, who ordered them to be taken to the forest, where the horses were destroyed wild animals.
Eurystheus had a daughter, Admet, who heard that somewhere in the world women—fearless Amazons—ruled. They have arrows and war horses, they are not afraid of any enemy, and all because their leader Hippolyte has a leather belt in which strength is hidden. Then Eurystheus ordered ancient Greek hero get this magic belt for him. The 9th labor of Hercules also ended in success:
- He and his comrades arrived at the Amazons, and their queen declared battle against the uninvited guests.
- But among the women there was the beautiful Antiope, who immediately fell in love with the hero. At night, she stole Hippolyta’s belt and took it to the men’s tent.
- So the Amazons were defeated, and the belt was delivered to Eurystheus. However, his daughter returned the magical gift to the gods.
Geryon's Herd
10th labor of Hercules. Eurystheus punished his subordinate get magical purple cows, which were herded by the giant Geryon with three heads. Helios-Sun helped him get to the desired island by boat. The hero coped with huge dog, and with the shepherds, and with the giant Geryon himself. However, the most difficult thing was ahead - delivering the entire herd to Mycenae.
Some cows ran away, others were captured, and one day the entire herd disappeared, frightened by a cloud of gadflies sent by the goddess Hera. Echidna helped - half girl, half snake - but in exchange for the fact that the hero would become her husband for the night and help her conceive three children. According to the instructions of Hercules, the one who can bend his bow and girdle himself just like his father will rule these lands. Skif became such a son. The herd was brought to Mycenae- Cows were sacrificed to Hera.
11th labor of Hercules. Eurystheus was getting old and was afraid of losing power. Then he punished get golden apples that give you youth. The hero set off on his journey, reached the sea elder Nereus and asked him to help. The elder wanted to deceive by saying:
- fish,
- like a stream,
- snake,
- fire,
- seagull
However, the hero still turned out to be more agile. Nereus surrendered, showed the way and even helped him move to the other side of the sea. Met on the way Atlas, who held the firmament and agreed to help the traveler get the golden apples, but if for a while he would take his place. Atlas wanted to leave the hero under the weight of the vault, but he outwitted him: he promised to give him a golden skin, and when Atlas lifted the sky, he left him. He returned to Mycenae, but Eurystheus didn’t even want to look at the golden apples, and then Athena took them.
Taming of Kerberus
12th labor of Hercules. When Eurystheus ordered the hero to go to the kingdom of the dead and bring him the dog Kerberus with three heads, guarding the underworld, the hero agreed, but on the condition that after this he would receive freedom. On the way, he met the messenger of Zeus - Hermes, who promised to be a guide, showed the traveler the kingdom of the dead: the river of oblivion, Sisyphus, endlessly lifting a giant stone to the top of the mountain, which fell down, Tantalus, mad with thirst, who stood almost completely in the water, but did not could get drunk.
Hades agreed to give the hero Cerberus, but only if he could take it with bare hands. The condition was fulfilled and the dog was brought to Eurystheus. He got scared and let his subordinate go home - so his service with the king ended.
Labors of Hercules. "The Animal Farm of King Augius"
Labors of Hercules. Apples of the Hesperides
Conclusion
Eurystheus prepared difficult tasks for Hercules summary we have outlined them. Each feat subsequently turned into myth, which was passed on from mouth to mouth. Greatest Hero Greece is still of interest today. Animated and feature films have been made about the exploits of Hercules.
Two nymphs (Vice and Virtue) offered our hero, when he was still young, a choice between a pleasant, easy life or a hard, but glorious and full of exploits, and Hercules chose the latter. One of his first tests was given to him by King Thespius, who wanted the hero to kill a lion on Mount Cithaeron. As a reward, the king invited him to impregnate each of his 50 daughters, which Hercules accomplished in one night (sometimes referred to as the 13th labor).
Later the hero married Megara. sent him into a fit of madness, as a result of which Hercules killed Megara and his children. Our hero went to the Delphic oracle to find out his fate. The oracle was controlled by Hera, which he had no idea about. Following the prediction he received, the hero went to serve King Eurystheus, carrying out any of his orders for 12 years. Many victories were won during this service, their descriptions are collected in the book “The Twelve Labors of Hercules”; whether it is a myth or truth, each reader has the right to decide for himself. His exploits brought the hero great fame and glory. After all, just think, Hercules is still known and remembered, many millennia later!
The twelve labors of Hercules will be briefly described below.
Feat 1. Nemean Lion
The first task given to Hercules by Eurystheus ( cousin hero) - kill and bring his skin. It was believed that Leo was a descendant of Typhon and Echidna. He controlled the lands around Nemea and had a hide so thick that it was impenetrable by any weapon. When Hercules first tried to kill the beast, any of his arrows, the club from which he pulled straight out of the ground, and the bronze sword) turned out to be ineffective. Finally, the hero threw away the weapon, attacked the Lion with his bare hands and strangled him (in some versions he broke the Lion's jaw).
Hercules had already lost faith that he could complete the task, since he could not skin the beast. However, the goddess Athena helped him, saying that the best tool for this was the claws of the animal itself. The twelve labors of Hercules were accomplished with the help of the skin of the Nemean Lion, which was used for protection.
Feat 2. Lernaean Hydra
The second feat was the destruction sea creature with many heads and poisonous breath. The monster had so many heads that ancient artist, while drawing on a vase, I could not depict them all. Arriving at a swamp near Lake Lerna, Hercules covered his mouth and nose with a cloth to protect them from toxic fumes. He then shot red-hot arrows into the monster's lair to attract its attention. Hercules attacked the Hydra with a sickle. But as soon as he cut off her head, he discovered that two more heads had grown in its place. Then our hero called his nephew, Iolaus, for help. Iolaus (possibly inspired by Athena) suggested using burning brands after they cut off the Hydra's head. The animal's own poisonous blood was thus used to burn off the heads so they could not grow back. When Eurystheus found out that Hercules was being helped by his nephew, he declared that the feat did not count against him.
Feat 3. Keriney Hind
Eurystheus was very indignant that Hercules managed to avoid death by completing the two previous tasks, so he decided to spend more time thinking about the third test, which would certainly bring death to the hero. The third task was not related to killing the beast, since Eurystheus thought that Hercules could cope with even the most formidable opponents. The king sent him to capture the Keryneian Hind.
There were rumors about this animal that it ran so fast that it could outrun the flight of any arrow. Hercules noticed the Hind by the golden shine of her horns. He pursued her for a year in the vastness of Greece, Thrace, Istria, and Hyperborea. Our hero caught the Doe when she was exhausted and could not continue running. Eurystheus gave this to Hercules difficult task also because he hoped to arouse the wrath of the goddess Artemis for desecrating a sacred animal. When the hero was returning with Lanyu, he encountered Artemis and Apollo. He asked the goddess for forgiveness, explaining his action by saying that he had to catch the animal to atone for his guilt, but promised to return it. Artemis forgave Hercules. But, having arrived at the court with Lanyu, he learned that the animal should remain in the royal menagerie. Hercules knew that he must return the Hind, as promised to Artemis, so he agreed to give it only on the condition that Eurystheus himself go out and take the animal. The king came out, and at the moment when our hero was handing the Hind over to the king, she ran away.
Feat 4. Erymanthian Boar
The twelve labors of Hercules are continued by the fourth - the capture of the Erymanthian Boar. On the way to the place of the feat, the hero visited Fol, a kind and hospitable centaur. Hercules dined with him and then asked for wine. Pholus had only one jug, a gift from Dionysus, but the hero convinced him to open the wine. The smell of the drink attracted other centaurs, who became tipsy from the undiluted wine and attacked. Hercules shot them with his poisonous arrows, forcing the survivors to retreat to Chiron's cave.
Foul, interested in the arrows, took one and dropped it on his foot. The arrow also struck Chiron, who was immortal. Hercules asked Chiron how to catch the Boar. He replied that he needed to be driven into deep snow. Chiron's pain caused by the arrow wound was so severe that he voluntarily renounced immortality. Following his advice, Hercules caught the Boar and brought it to the king. Eurystheus was so frightened by the formidable appearance of the animal that he climbed into his chamber pot and asked Hercules to get rid of the beast. The twelve labors of Hercules, pictures and descriptions of the following labors, see below.
Feat 5. Augean stables
The story "The Twelve Labors of Hercules" continues with purification Augean Stables one day. Eurystheus gave the hero such a task in order to humiliate him in the eyes of people, because previous exploits glorified Hercules. The inhabitants of the stables were a gift from the gods, and therefore never got sick or died; it was considered impossible to clean them. However, our hero succeeded; he came up with the idea of changing the beds of the Alpheus and Penei rivers, which washed away all the dirt.
Augeas was angry because he had promised Hercules a tenth of his cattle if the work was completed within 24 hours. He refused to fulfill his promise. Hercules killed him after completing the task and handed over control of the kingdom to Augeas' son, Philaeus.
Feat 6. Stymphalian birds
The author continues “The Twelve Labors of Hercules” with the following labor. Eurystheus ordered Hercules to kill the birds that fed on people. They were Ares' pets and were forced to fly to Stymphalia to avoid being pursued by a pack of wolves. These birds quickly multiplied, capturing countryside and destroying local crops and fruit trees. The forest they lived in was very dark and dense. Athena and Hephaestus helped Hercules by forging huge copper rattles that frightened the flying birds and helped the hero shoot them down with arrows. The surviving Stymphalian birds never returned to Greece.
Feat 7. Cretan bull
Hercules' seventh task was to go to the island of Crete, where the local king Minos allowed him to take the bull, since it was wreaking havoc on the island. Hercules defeated the bull and sent him back to Athens. Eurystheus wanted to sacrifice the bull to the goddess Hera, who continued to be angry with the hero. She refused to accept such a gift, since it was obtained as a result of the victory of Hercules. The bull was released and went to wander around Marathon. According to another version, he was killed near this city.
Feat 8. Horses of Diomedes
Hercules had to steal the horses. IN different options In the books "The Twelve Labors of Hercules", the names of the labors vary slightly, and the plot also changes slightly. For example, according to one version, the hero took his friend Abder and other men with him. They stole horses and were pursued by Diomedes and his assistants. Hercules did not know that horses were cannibals and could not be tamed. He left Abdera to look after them while he went to fight Diomedes. Abder was eaten by animals. In retaliation, Hercules fed Diomedes to his own horses.
According to another version, the hero gathered animals on the high ground of the peninsula and quickly dug a trench, filling it with water, thus forming an island. When Diomedes arrived, Hercules killed him with the ax used to create the trench and fed his body to the horses. The meal made the horses calmer, and the hero took advantage of this to gag their mouths and send them to Eurystheus. Then the horses were freed and began to wander around Argos, calming down forever. The twelve labors of Hercules are depicted by ancient artists very picturesquely.
Feat 9. Belt of Hippolyta
The ninth task of Hercules was to obtain, at the request of Admeta, daughter of Eurystheus, the belt of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons. The belt was a gift from Ares, the god of war. So the hero came to the land of the Amazons, famous tribe female warriors who lived on the banks of the Thermodon River, which flowed through the northeast of Asia Minor and flowed into the Black Sea.
According to one legend, in order to keep their men at home, the Amazons killed the arms and legs of male babies, making them unfit for war. According to another legend, they killed all male babies. Left breast The Amazons' neck was either open or cut off so as not to prevent them from using bows or throwing spears.
Hippolyta was so fascinated by the hero’s muscles and lion skin that she herself gave him the belt without a fight. But Hera, who continued to follow Hercules, took the form of an Amazon and spread a rumor among them that Hercules wanted to kidnap the queen. The Amazons rushed at the enemy. In the ensuing battle, the hero killed Hippolyta and received the belt. He and his companions then defeated the Amazons and returned with the trophy.
Feat 10. Geryon's herd
Hercules had to go to Erythea to get Geryon's herd. On his way there, he crossed the Libyan Desert and was so frustrated by the heat that he shot an arrow at the Sun. The luminary was delighted with his exploits and gave him a golden boat, which he used every night to cross the sea from west to east. Hercules reached Erythea on a boat. As soon as he set foot on this land, he encountered a two-headed dog, Orff. With one blow our hero killed the guard dog. The shepherd came to the aid of Orph, but Hercules dealt with him in the same way.
Hearing the noise, Geryon himself came out to the hero with three shields, three spears and three helmets. He pursued Hercules to the Antemus River, but fell victim to an arrow dipped in the poisonous blood of the Lernaean Hydra. The arrow was shot with such force that the hero pierced Geryon's forehead with it. The herd was sent to Eurystheus.
To annoy Hercules, Hera sent a gadfly, who stung the animals, causing them to scatter. It took the hero a year to gather the herd. Then Hera caused a flood, raising the level of the river so much that Hercules and his herd could not cross it. Then our hero threw stones into the water and made the water level lower. Eurystheus sacrificed the herd to the goddess Hera.
Feat 11. Apples of the Hesperides
Eurystheus did not count two feats to Hercules, since they were accomplished with the help of others or bribery, so he assigned two to the hero additional tasks. The first of these was to steal apples from the garden of the Hesperides. Hercules first caught Nereus, the god who took the form sea wave, and asked him where the garden was located. He then deceived Atlas by promising him several golden apples if he would agree to hold the sky for a while. When the hero returned, Atlas decided that he did not want to hold the sky any longer, and offered to deliver the apples himself. Hercules deceived him again, agreeing to take his place on the condition that he would hold the sky for a while so that the hero could straighten his cloak. Atlas agreed, and Hercules left and never returned.
On the way back, our hero had to go through many adventures. In Libya he met the giant Antaeus, son of Gaia and Poseidon, who loved to fight his guests until exhaustion and then kill them. As they fought, Hercules realized that the giant's strength and energy were renewed every time he fell to the ground, since the Earth was his mother. Then the hero lifted the giant high into the air and crushed him with his hands.
Arriving at Caucasus Mountains, he met the titan Prometheus, who was chained to a rock for 30,000 years. Taking pity on him, Hercules killed the eagle, which had been feasting on the titan's liver every day for all these years. Then he went to the wounded centaur Chiron, see labor 4 (“The Twelve Labors of Hercules,” summary), who begged him to be freed from pain.
When the hero finally brought Eurystheus, the king immediately gave him the fruits back, since they belonged to Hera and could not remain outside the garden. Hercules gave them to Athena, who returned the apples to their place.
Feat 12. Taming of Cerberus
The twelve labors of Hercules close with the taming of Cerberus from the underground kingdom of Hades. Hades was the god of the dead and ruler of the underworld. The hero first went to Eleusis to be initiated into the Eleusinian mysteries and to be able to enter the underworld and return from there alive, and at the same time to relieve himself of the guilt for killing the centaurs. Athena and Hermes helped him find the entrance to the underworld.
Hercules passed by Charon, the ferryman of shadows, with the help of Hermes. In hell, he freed Theseus, but when he tried to free his friend Pirithous, an earthquake began, and the hero was forced to leave him in underground world. Both friends were imprisoned for attempting to kidnap Persephone, the wife of Hades, and were chained to a stone using magic. The magic spell was so strong that when Hercules freed Theseus, part of his thighs remained on the stone.
The hero appeared before the throne of Aida and Persephone and asked permission to take Cerberus. The gods agreed, but on the condition that he would not harm him. According to one version, Persephone gave her consent because Hercules was her brother. Our hero then took the dog to Eurystheus, passing through a cave at the entrance to the Peloponnese. When he returned with Cerberus to the palace, Eurystheus was so frightened by the formidable beast that he jumped into a large vessel to escape from it. From the saliva of a dog that fell to the ground, the first poisonous plants, including aconite.
You have read The Twelve Labors of Hercules, summary. An entire book is dedicated to these exploits. Kuhn compiled the collection “The Twelve Labors of Hercules”, bringing together all the labors of the hero. Another option was suggested by a Russian writer. In the book “The Twelve Labors of Hercules,” Uspensky outlined his vision no less interestingly.
Cinema also did not remain aloof from these exciting myths. The film "The Twelve Labors of Hercules" exists in many versions in different countries world, there are even TV series dedicated to these events.
Year of writing: 1 thousand BC
Genre: myths
Main characters: Hercules- son of Zeus, folk hero
Plot
Hera, the wife of Zeus, was very jealous of her divine husband and therefore hated Hercules, his son from an earthly woman. She arranged it so that the brave and strong hero had to obey the weak and cowardly king Eurystheus. And on his orders, the legendary strongman freed the country from the Nemean lion and made a cloak from its skin, killed the Lernaean hydra, fought with the Erymanthian boar, and drove him out of Hellas. Stymphalian birds, tamed a huge bull belonging to Poseidon. To humiliate the titan, the king ordered him to clean the stables of Augeas, which had not been cleaned for many years. The hero has to bring to the stupid king a herd of mares of King Diomedes, who devoured human flesh, captures the belt of Mars from the queen of the Amazons, the beautiful Hippolyta, and also steals golden apples that give eternal youth. In the end, Hercules descends into hell and brings out Cerberus, the dog guarding the entrance to the kingdom of the dead. After this, Hercules becomes free.
Conclusion (my opinion)
Hercules became famous throughout the centuries for his deeds, but it’s a pity that he, so smart and strong, had to serve the cowardly and pathetic Eurystheus. After all, if it weren’t for him, the titan could choose his own affairs and do a lot of useful things for his people.
Hercules (lat. Heracles, Hercules, in Greek mythology hero, son of Zeus and mortal woman Alcmene (wives of Amphitryon). When Amphitryon (who fought against the tribes of TV fighters) was absent, Zeus took his form and appeared to Alcmene. After the return of her husband, Alcmene gave birth to sons at the same time - Iphicles from her husband and Hercules from Zeus.
Hercules performed 12 labors while he was in the service of the Mycenaean king Eurystheus.
The First Labor of Hercules (Strangling of the Nemean Lion)
First of all, he obtained the skin of a Nemean lion. Because the lion was invulnerable to arrows, Hercules managed to defeat him only by strangling him with his hands. When he brought the lion to Mycenae, Eurystheus was so frightened that Hercules ordered Hercules not to enter the city in the future, but to show the prey in front of the city gates. Eurystheus even built himself a bronze pithos in the ground, where he hid from Hercules and communicated with him only through the herald Copreus.
Second Labor of Hercules (Killing the Lernaean Hydra)
Wearing the skin of a Nemean lion, Hercules set out to carry out the second command of Eurystheus - to kill the Lernaean hydra, which was stealing cattle and devastating the lands in the vicinity of Lerna. She had nine heads, one of them was immortal. When Hercules cut off one head, two grew in its place. Karkin, a huge crayfish, crawled out to help the hydra and grabbed Hercules’ leg. But Hercules trampled him and called for help from Iolaus (his nephew, who from that time became his faithful companion), who began to cauterize the fresh wounds of the hydra with burning brands, so that the heads could no longer grow back.
Having cut off the last, immortal head, the winner buried it in the ground, pressing it with a heavy stone. Having cut the hydra's body, the hero plunged the tips of his arrows into its deadly bile. Eurystheus refused to include this feat among the 10 assigned to Hercules because Iolaus helped him.
The Third Labor of Hercules (Extermination of the Stymphalian Birds)
The third labor of Hercules was the expulsion of the Stymphalian birds with sharp iron feathers, which were found in a forest swamp near the city of Stymphalus (in Arcadia) and devoured people. Having received copper rattles made by Hephaestus from Athena, Hercules scared away the birds with noise and then killed them; according to another version of the myth, some of the birds were able to fly to an island in Pontus Euxine, from where the Argonauts then drove them away with a scream.
The Fourth Labor of Hercules (Capture of the Kerenean Hind)
The doe that belonged to Artemis had golden horns and copper hooves. Hercules pursued her for a whole year, reaching the land of the Hyperboreans, and caught her, wounding her with an arrow. Apollo and Artemis wanted to take the doe from him, but Hercules, citing the order of Eurystheus, took the doe to Mycenae.
Fifth Labor of Hercules (Taming of the Erymanthian Boar)
Then Eurystheus began to demand the Erymanthian boar from Hercules. On the way to Erymanthus (in Northern Arcadia), Hercules stopped at the centaur Pholus, who began to cordially treat Hercules. Attracted by the smell of wine, other centaurs moved towards Fola's cave, armed with stones and tree trunks. In the battle, the centaurs came to the aid of their mother, the goddess of the clouds Nephele, who cast down streams of rain to the ground, but Hercules still partially killed and partially dispersed the centaurs. At the same time, Chiron and Pholus died by accident; Pholus, surprised by the deadly power of the arrows, pulled one of them from the body of the deceased centaur and accidentally dropped it on his leg, and the hydra’s poison instantly killed him. Hercules was able to catch the Erymanthian boar, driving it into deep snow, and carried it bound to Mycenae.
The sixth labor of Hercules (Cleaning the Augean stables)
The sixth labor of Hercules was the cleansing of manure from the huge barnyard of King Augeas of Elis. Hercules, having previously negotiated with Augeas a tenth of his cattle as payment, made holes in the walls of the room where the cattle were located, and diverted the waters of the rivers Alpheus and Peneus there. The water washed through the stalls. However, when Augeas found out that Hercules was carrying out the order of Eurystheus, he did not want to pay him, and Eurystheus, in turn, declared this feat not counted because Hercules performed it for payment.
The Seventh Labor of Hercules (Taming of the Cretan Bull)
Then the king ordered Hercules to bring the Cretan bull, which was distinguished by its unusual ferocity. With the permission of King Minos, Hercules was able to overpower the bull and delivered it to Eurystheus. Afterwards, Hercules released the bull, and it, having reached Attica, began to devastate the fields in the vicinity of Marathon.
The Eighth Labor of Hercules (The Stealing of the Horses of Diomedes)
Hercules was ordered to bring the fierce mares of the Thracian king Diomedes, who had them chained with iron chains to copper stalls and which he fed human meat. Hercules killed Diomedes and drove the mares to Eurystheus.
The Ninth Labor of Hercules (The Stealing of Hippolyta's Belt)
After the request of his daughter Admeta, Eurystheus ordered Hercules to get the belt of Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazons. Hippolyta agreed to give the belt to Hercules, who arrived on the ship, but Hera, taking the guise of one of the Amazons, frightened the others with the news that strangers wanted to kidnap Hippolyta. with weapons, jumping on horses, they rushed to the aid of their queen. Hercules, deciding that the attack was insidiously staged by Hippolyta, killed her, took possession of the belt and, repelling the attack of the Amazons, boarded the ship.
Sailing near Troy, Hercules saw the daughter of King Laomedon Hesion chained to a rock and given to a sea monster to be eaten by a sea monster. He promised Laomedon to save the princess, demanding a reward for this, divine horses. Hercules killed the monster (option: by jumping into its throat, he ripped open its liver, but at the same time lost his hair from the fire coming from the insides of the beast), but Laomedontne gave the promised horses. Having threatened retribution, Hercules sailed to Mycenae, where he gave Hippolyta's belt to Eurystheus.
The Tenth Labor of Hercules (The Stealing of the Cows of the Giant Geryon)
The tenth feat was to bring Geryon's cows to Mycenae from the island of Erithia, located far to the west in the ocean. Having reached Tartessus, Hercules placed on the northern and southern shores the strait separating Europe from Africa, two stone steles, the so-called Pillars of Hercules (option: he moved apart the mountains that blocked the exit to the ocean, creating the Strait of Gibraltar. Suffering from the scorching rays of the sun during the campaign, he pointed his bow at Helios himself, and he, admiring his courage Hercules, provided him with his golden cup for the journey across the ocean.
After arriving on Erithia, Hercules killed the shepherd Eurytion, and then shot Geryon himself, who had three heads and three fused torsos, with a bow. He loaded the cows into Helios' cup, swam across the ocean, returned his cup to Helios, and drove the cows further overland, overcoming many obstacles along the way. In Italy, the robber Kak was able to steal some of his cows, which he drove into a cave. Hercules could not find them and had already driven the others further, but one of the stolen cows mooed; Hercules killed Kaka and took the stolen cows. Following through Scythia, Hercules met a half-maiden, half-snake and entered into a marriage relationship with her; The sons born from this union became the ancestors of the Scythians. When he drove the cows to Mycenae, the king sacrificed them to Hera.
The Eleventh Labor of Hercules (Theft of Golden Apples from the Garden of the Hesperides)
Then the king ordered Hercules to bring golden apples from the Hesperides. To find out the way to the Hesperides, Hercules went to the Eridanus (Po) River to the nymphs, daughters of Zeus and Themis, who advised him to find out the way from the omniscient sea god Nereus. Hercules captured Nereus sleeping on the shore, tied him up and, although he took on different guises, did not let him go until Nereus agreed to show him the way to the Hesperides.
The road initially led through Tartessus to Libya, where Hercules had the opportunity to engage in single combat with Antaeus. To defeat Antaeus, Hercules tore him off the ground and strangled him in the air, because he remained invulnerable as long as he was in contact with the ground. Tired of the struggle, Hercules fell asleep and was attacked by pygmies. Waking up, he gathered them all into his lion skin. In Egypt, he was captured and carried to the altar of Zeus to be stabbed, because by order of King Busiris, all foreigners were sacrificed. But Hercules was able to break the shackles and kill Busiris.
Having crossed to the Caucasus, he freed Prometheus, killing the eagle that was tormenting him with a bow. Only after this did Hercules, through the Riphean Mountains (Ural), arrive in the country of the Hyperboreans, where Atlas stood supporting the firmament. On the advice of Prometheus, Hercules sent him for the apples of the Hesperides, taking the vault of heaven on his shoulders. Atlas brought three apples and wanted to take them to Eurystheus, so that Hercules would remain to hold the sky.
But Hercules was able to outwit Atlas: he agreed to hold the firmament, but said that he wanted to put a pillow on his head. Atlas took his place, and Hercules took the apples and took them to Eurystheus (option: Hercules himself took the apples from the Hesperides, killing the dragon who was guarding them). Eurystheus gave the apples to Hercules, but Athena returned them to the Hesperides.
The Twelfth Labor of Hercules (Taming the Dog Cerberus)
The last, 12th labor of Hercules in the service of Eurystheus was a journey to the kingdom of Hades for the guardian of the underworld, Cerberus. Before this, Hercules received initiation into the mysteries at Eleusis. He descended underground into the kingdom of the dead through the entrance, which was located near Cape Tenar in Laconia; near the entrance, Hercules saw Theseus and Pirithous rooted to the rock, punished for Pirithous’ attempt to kidnap Persephone (Theseus took part in the abduction out of friendship with Pirithous).
Hercules tore Theseus from the stone and returned him to the earth, but when he tried to free Pirithous, the earth shook and Hercules was forced to retreat. The Lord of the Underworld, Hades, allowed Hercules to take Cerberus away, if only he could defeat him, without weapons. Hercules grabbed Cerberus and began to strangle him. Although poisonous snake, who was with Cerberus instead of a tail, bit Hercules, who was able to tame Cerberus and brought him to Eurystheus, and then, at his command, took him back.
