| The following text is from yet another book version: Hercules (Herakles in Greek), was the only
hero honored throughout the Greek world and the only human to be granted immortality among
the gods. Hercules was the son of the illicit
liason of Zeus and Alkmene. Zeus’s wife
Hera chose to take her jealousy out on Hercules and persecuted the hero throughout his
life.
The Myth: Hera sent Hercules into a fit of madness, during
which he killed his wife and children. The
oracle at Delphi told him that in penance he must serve Eurystheus, king of Tiryns , for
twelve years. Eurystheus imposed twelve
grueling tasks on Hercules:
1.
The Nemean Lion: Hercules had to kill a monstrous lion whose hide
could not be penetrated by any normal weapon. He
made a huge club and battered the lion before strangling it. He then cut through the lion’s skin with its
own claws, wore the hide, and made himself invulnerable.
2.
The Learnaean Hydra: Hercules had to slay this nine-headed water snake
which lived in a swamp. Whenever he cut off
one head, the snake grew two more in its place. Hercules
was helped by Iolaus who cauterized each decapitated head with a burning torch, preventing
the growth of new heads.
3.
The Cerynean Hind: Hercules had to capture, unharmed, a
bronze-hooved and golden-horned beast that was sacred to Artemis. After a year’s pursuit, he wounded it and
carried it back to Eurystheus, whom he blamed for the hind’s injury, thereby avoiding
the anger of Artemis.
4.
The Erymanthian Boar: A monstrous boar was ravaging the area around Mt.
Erymanthus and Hercules was ordered to bring it back alive.
On the way, he defeated the Centaurs in a battle. He eventually returned to Eurystheus with the
boar, but the king was so frightened he hid in a bronze urn.
5.
The Aegean Stables: Aegeas, son of Helios, owned great herds of
cattle. They were kept in stables that had
never been cleaned out and were piled high with enormous quantities of dung which had
built up over many years. Hercules was given
the task of cleaning out the filth in just one day. He
achieved this by diverting two rivers through the stables.
6.
The Stymphalian Birds: Lake Stymphalos was home to a flock of monstrous
birds that ate humans and had beaks, claws and wings of iron. Hercules was commanded to get rid of them. He frightened them out of their trees by clashing
bronze castanets, and then shot them one by one with his bow.
7.
The Cretan Bull: A giant bull was running wild on the island of
Crete and terrifying the population. On the
orders of Eurystheus, Hercules captured it and brought it back alive to Tiryns.
8.
The Mares of Diomedes: Hercules was commanded to bring back a herd of
mares belonging to the Thracian, Diomedes, who fed the beasts on human flesh. Hercules killed him and fed him to his own mares,
which he tamed and took back to Eurystheus.
9.
The Girdle of Hippolyte: Hippolyte, the queen of the warlike Amazon women
of Asia Minor, possessed a beautiful girdle which was coveted by Eurystheus’
daughter. Hercules fought and defeated the
Amazons, killing Hippolyte and taking the girdle from her corpse.
10. The
Cattle of Geryon: Geryon was a
three-bodied monster who kept red cattle, helped by a giant herdsman and his hound. Hercules borrowed the Cup of Sun to sail the Ocean
to Geryon’s land. He killed Geryon, the
herdsman and the hound, and returned to Eurystheus with the cattle.
11. The
Apples of the Hesperides: The
Hesperides were nymphs and daughters of Atlas.
They tended a tree bearing apples which Hercules was ordered to bring
back. Hercules slew Ladon, a dragon guarding
the tree, and stole the apples.
12. Cerberus: Hercules’ final task was to bring up the
fierce three-headed dog, Cerberus, which guarded the gates of the underworld. He entered the underworld, wrestled with
Cerberus, and dragged him off to show Eurystheus, and then he sent Cerberus back to the
underworld. |
