Hercules Before his Ten Labors
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A man named Amphitron was a great warrior
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He was in line to be the prince of Sparta
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He married a woman named Alcmene
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He went out to war for a long time and came back and had sex with her
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But it turns out that Amphitron had not returned yet and that it was Zeus who turned into Amphitron
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Then Amphitron came back for real and had sex with her
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She was now pregnant with twins (one of Zeus and one of Amphitron)
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The first child was Alcides and the second was Iphicles
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Everything was normal until one day a giant snake made its way into the nursery
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The snake was sent by Hera as revenge for Hercules’s existence because Zeus slept with Alcmene
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Alcides tied the two snakes together
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The oracle said that Alcides was a son of a God and that the Gods will be forever against him
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He was renamed Heracles to put Hera’s importance into his name
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Heracles went through many adventures and became very strong
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He grew up as a successful noble, had a wife, and two children
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His wife was Madara
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One day he came home and two monsters attacked him
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He killed them both and then another monster attacked him and he killed it too
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It was actually his family that he killed because Hera made him see his wife and kids as monsters
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His life immediately changed and he resolved to commit suicide
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His life was saved by Theseus who raced from Athens to comfort him
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Theseus said the least heroic thing was to commit suicide
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Theseus took Hercules’s bloody hands in his own and said they would get through it together
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Theseus came up with a plan that involved King Eurystheus
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Eurystheus was known to be loved by Hera and was very loyal to her
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He said that Hercules should go to Eurystheus and ask him to give him tasks to make up for his crime
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Hercules went to him and Eurystheus talked to Hera
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They decided that Hercules would need to complete ten labors
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The Gods would forgive him and leave him alone if he finished them all and he would also be able to forgive himself
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Labor 1: Nemean Lion
The Nemean Lion was a large lion that had a coat of fur that was impenetrable. To attract attention of men, the lion screamed like a girl. Hercules's labor was to bring the lion's coat back to King Eurystheus. He quickly tracked down and killed the lion. However, Hercules struggled to skin the lion because of its' impenetrable fur. He soon discovered that the lion's own claws were the only way to cut the coat, as none of his weapons were able to. Hercules then presented the coat to the king and wore it for the rest of his life.
Hercules in the process of killing the lion in its' cave.
Hercules battling the Hydra.
Labor 2: Hydra
The Hydra was a giant and immortal reptilian beast. Because of its' immortality, Hercules obviously could not slay it, so his instructions were to subdue it. At his first attempt he cut off the Hydra's head, but two grew back. He kept cutting off more heads until he retreated to create a more structured plan. One of his nephews recommended that they cauterized the area where a head had been cut off in order to stop two heads from emerging. Hercules and his nephew constantly bombarded the Hydra, with Hercules cutting off heads and his nephew dashing in to cauterized the wound. They were able to cut off all of the heads, thereby subduing the Hydra for good. They then buried the head and Hercules returned to King Eurystheus. However, the king declared that this labor did not count because Hercules received help from his nephew.
Labor 3: Golden Hind
The Golden Hind, also known as the Deer of Artemis, was the fastest creature on earth and prized by Artemis. Hercules was ordered to bring the deer back to King Eurystheus. This put Hercules in a difficult position because if he caged or killed the deer, Artemis would be furious and punish him. The king was proud of creating this labor because he thought it would be impossible for Hercules to catch the deer without angering Artemis. Hercules located the Golden Hind and chased it across Europe, up into Hyperbernia and Norse land. The locals asked him why he was chasing the deer north when he really needed it to go south into Italy. So, Hercules started chasing the deer south and aligned himself perfectly with King Eurystheus's yard. Once the deer was on the king's property, Hercules hurried to fetch the king and show him the deer on his lawn. The deer ran off shorlty after the king saw it and Hercules succeeded in bringing the deer to him without harming it.
Hercules chasing after the Golden Hind.
http://baringtheaegis.blogspot.com/2013/06/labour-three-capture-golden-hind-of.html
Hercules wrestling the Erymanthian Boar.
Labor 4: Erymanthian Boar
The existence of the Erymanthian Boar was unknown but it was rumored to live in the mountains near Greece. King Eurystheus hoped that Hercules would attempt to find the boar even though he believed that it did not exist. On his way to find the boar, Hercules payed a visit to the centaurs which were lusty, emotional, and uncivilized creatures. Chiron was the oldest and wisest of the centaurs and was the teacher to many heroes. He told Hercules where to find the boar and Hercules gives Chiron some wine in return. However, all of the other centaurs wanted some wine as well. They got drunk and started fighting Hercules who was forced to kill them in self defense. He accidentaly shot Chiron with a poison-tipped arrow and gave him great pain. He was immortal and was forced to live with the pain until he finally asked the Gods to let him die. His offer was accepted by the Gods and he died. With the help of Chiron, Hercules found the boar, drove it into a snowbank, and killed it.
Labor 5: Augean Stables
The Augean Stables were owned by a man named Augeus. He was a respectable man who was given one hundred immortal cattle as a gift from the Gods. It was a great gift except for the fact that with immortal animals comes an infinite amount of poop. The stable had been overwhelmed with manure and Hercules's task was to clean the massive stable in only one day. After working for an hour, Hercules had barely made a dent in cleaning the stable and needed a new strategy. He damned the nearby rivers to flow through the stable and flushed the stables very quickly. Augeus was so happy to have the stable cleaned that he gave Hercules one of his immortal cattle. Although he completed the task successfuly, King Eurystheus said that this labor did not count because Hercules was paid in return for his work.
Hercules watching the rivers flow through the stable.
Hercules shooting Stymphalian Birds with his arrow.
Labor 6: Stymphalian Birds
The Stymphalian Birds were intelligent birds that settled in the province of Phalia. They were considered pests by the locals because they decimated fields and killed animals such as cattle. Hercules's job was to rid Phalia of the birds. At first, he shot one bird and the rest of the flock dove into their underground nests. Then he had to wait until the birds reemerged to shoot another. Snakes were the main predator of the Stymphalian Birds so he decided to use this weakness against them. He got a large rattle which sounded like a rattlesnake to the birds. He shook the rattle, the birds thought there was a snake nearby, and flew into the air. Hercules would then be ready to shoot them down and was able to kill many at a time with the bird's confusion. The birds eventually got tired of Hercules and left Phalia.
Labor 7: Cretan Bull
The Cretan Bull was a divine bull that was sacred to Poseidon. It resided on the island of Crete and was the father of the minotaur. King Minos, the king of Crete, was known to be a brutal and unpredictable ruler. King Eurystheus hoped that King Minos would kill Hercules when he arrived on the island, but instead he welcomed Hercules and supported his labor to capture the bull. The bull was a troublemaker and slept with King Minos's wife, so the king was more than happy to learn that someone had come to capture it. Hercules successfuly subdued the bull and brought it back to King Eurystheus. Eurystheus was so scared of the bull that Hercules gave it to Theseus as a gift.
Hercules capturing the Cretan Bull.
http://greek-history.annourbis.com/labours-of-hercules/t-0017-1.html
Hercules in the stable of Diomedes.
Labor 8: Mares of Diomedes
The Mares of Diomedes were owned and bred by Diomedes. They were known for their strength and aggressiveness and people would travel great distances to purchase one. Hercules was tasked with obtaining all of Diomedes's horses. Diomedes agreed to the deal under one condition: that neither Hercules nor his squires enter the stables. Later that evening when he was having dinner with Diomedes, Hercules noticed the absence of one of his squires and went to search for him. He soon found a trail of blood leading to the stable and saw his missing squire being fed to the horses. After he saw this, Hercules killed Diomedes and his farmhands in order to end their brutality. The horses broke free and Hercules rounded them onto a peninsula in order to surround them. He then broke the peninsula off from the mainland and created an island for the horses to reside on.
Labor 9: Girdle of Hippolyta
Hippolyta was the queen of the Amazons, the mightiest Amazon, and the daughter of Ares. Hercules's labor was to bring back her girdle (belt), but King Eurystheus hoped that she would just kill him. Hercules brought Theseus along for this mission because he had expereince dealing with the Amazons. Instead of killing him, it turns out that Hippolyta had heard of Hercules and was fond of him. She treated his group well and gave him the belt he had come seeking. However, Hera was angered by how easily the labor was going for Hercules and transformed herself into an Amazon. She then came down to earth and spread the rumor that Hercules had kidnapped Hippolyta and was holding her hostage on his boat. The Amazons rushed to attack Hercules and his group and Hercules believed he had been tricked by Hippolyta. He instantly killed her and dumped her body overboard. When the Amazons reached her body in the water, they stopped pursuing the boat and from that day forward would never let another foreigner onto their land. Hercules escaped with the girdle and presented it to King Eurystheus.
Amazon warriors on their horses.
http://nicolequinnnarrates.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-legacy-of-amazons.html
Hercules battling Geryon.
Labor 10: Cattle of Geryon
Geryon was a large, two-headed man who lived in North America. Hercules's labor was to steal Geryon's cattle. He traveled west as far as he could but was stopped by the Atlantic Ocean. Crossing the Atlantic was an issue for Hercules no mater how strong or brave he was. He eventually decided to speak with Helios, the sun Titan, who travels across the ocean (and the earth) every day. Hercules asked Helios how he was able to travel across the water and learns that he uses a golden goblet. Helios allows Hercules to borrow the goblet to journey to North America where he finds Geryon, kills him, and steals his cattle. On his way back to Greece, he sails through the Mediterranean Sea, rather than trek across Europe or Northern Africa, and stops to make a rock formation at Gibraltar.
Labor 11: Golden Apples of the Hesperides
The golden apples of immortality were tended to by the Hesperides. The Hesperides were the daughters of Atlas. The apples and Hesperides lived in another dimension that was impossible for Hercules to get to himself. So, Hercules traveled to Atlas who was busy holding up the earth. He asked Atlas to ask his daughters for some apples because Atlas was able to travel to the Hesperides's dimension. However, Atlas could not move because he was busy holding up the world. Hercules said that he could hold the world for a short while while Atlas went to fetch some apples from his daughters. (This is one of the reasons why Hercules is the most important hero. He is the only hero to have held the weight of the world on his shoulders.) Atlas finally returns with golden apples and Hercules asks Atlas to take over holding the earth. But Atlas is tired of holding the world and almost abandons Hercules to continue holding the world. However, Hercules manipulates Atlas and escapes with the golden apples while Atlas goes back to holding the earth.
Hesperides standing around a tree with golden apples.
Hercules leading Cerbus to King Eurystheus.
Labor 12: Cerberus
For his final labor, King Eurystheus wanted Hercules to bring Cerberus from the underworld to him. The only issue for Hercules was that you had to be dead in order to enter the underworld. So, he went to the Temple of Eleusis and asked to be initiated. During his initiation process he died and arrived before Hades in the underworld. He asked Hades, who is actually a fair and kind God, if he could borrow Cerberus. Hades allowed him to borrow his dog as long as he returned it unharmed. Before leaving the underworld, Hercules spotted Theseus and was allowed to take him back to earth. Cerberus did not want to leave his post at the entrance of the underworld and Hercules was forced to fight the dog in order to take it with him. He managed to get Cerberus to King Eurystheus who then told him to take it straight back to the underworld. He led Cerberus back to the entrance of the underworld, but no further because you may not enter the underworld twice while you are still alive.
Hercules
successfully
completed
his ten labors!
Hercules After hisTen Labors
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When he completed the tasks, he successfully defeated the king
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He gained forgiveness from the Gods and even Hera took her curse off of him
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He was able to forgive himself as well
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He did not allow himself to touch another woman until he finished the tasks
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He met a girl named Deianira and married her
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He had a new family, a new home, and still went on quests
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Sparta got into a war with another city-state
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Hercules and Deianira were walking around and ran in Nessa, a centaur who transported people across a river
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Nessus tried to rape Deianira in the middle of the river and Hercules shot him
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As he died, Nessus told her to take a vile of blood that would keep Hercules loyal to her
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When the war started, a princess was captured
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The princess was very beautiful and Deianira was afraid that Hercules would fall in love with her
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Deianira wove a shirt with the vile of blood into it as Nessus instructed and put it on Hercules
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The shirt burned him when he put it on as it was Nessus’s payback for killing him
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Hercules was in pain, but could not die because he was immortal and had to ask the Gods to allow him to die
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They granted him to die and he lay down on his pyre and died
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The Ten Labors of Hercules