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Oct 14, 2019 · Hercules' Journies Into the Underworld. It is not entirely clear how many times Hercules went to the Underworld. As the 12th Labor Eurystheus assigned for Hercules' penance, Hercules was to fetch the hound of Hades, Cerberus (usually shown with 3 heads). Hercules was initiated into the Eleusinian mysteries in order to engage in this act, so he ...
- The Nemean Lion
- The Lernaean Hydra
- The Golden Hind
- The Erymanthean Boar
- The Augean Stables
- The Stymphlaian Birds
- The Cretan Bull
- The Horses of Diomedes
- Hippolyte’s Belt
- The Cattle of Geryon
First, Apollo sent Hercules to the hills of Nemea to kill a lion that was terrorizing the people of the region. (Some storytellers say that Zeus had fathered this magical beast as well.) Hercules trapped the lion in its cave and strangled it. For the rest of his life, he wore the animal’s pelt as a cloak.
Second, Hercules traveled to the city of Lerna to slay the nine-headed Hydra—a poisonous, snake-like creature who lived underwater, guarding the entrance to the Underworld. For this task, Hercules had the help of his nephew Iolaus. He cut off each of the monster’s heads while Iolaus burned each wound with a torch. This way, the pair kept the heads ...
Next, Hercules set off to capture the sacred pet of the goddess Diana: a red deer, or hind, with golden antlers and bronze hooves. Eurystheus had chosen this task for his rival because he believed that Diana would kill anyone she caught trying to steal her pet; however, once Hercules explained his situation to the goddess, she allowed him to go on ...
Fourth, Hercules used a giant net to snare the terrifying, man-eating wild boar of Mount Erymanthus.
Hercules’ fifth task was supposed to be humiliating as well as impossible: cleaning all the manure out of King Augeas’ enormous stables in a single day. However, Hercules completed the job easily, flooding the barn by diverting two nearby rivers.
Hercules’ sixth task was straightforward: Travel to the town of Stymphalos and drive away the huge flock of carnivorous birds that had taken up residence in its trees. This time, it was the goddess Athena who came to the hero’s aid: She gave him a pair of magical bronze krotala, or noisemakers, forged by the god Hephaistos. Hercules used these tool...
Next, Hercules went to Crete to capture a rampaging bull that had impregnated the wife of the island’s king. (She later gave birth to the Minotaur, a creature with a man’s body and a bull’s head.) Hercules drove the bull back to Eurystheus, who released it into the streets of Marathon.
Hercules’ eighth challenge was to capture the four man-eating horses of the Thracian king Diomedes. He brought them to Eurystheus, who dedicated the horses to Hera and set them free.
The ninth labor was complicated: stealing an armored belt that belonged to the Amazonqueen Hippolyte. At first, the queen welcomed Hercules and agreed to give him the belt without a fight. However, the troublemaking Hera disguised herself as an Amazon warrior and spread a rumor that Hercules intended to kidnap the queen. To protect their leader, th...
For his 10th labor, Hercules was dispatched nearly to Africa to steal the cattle of the three-headed, six-legged monster Geryon. Once again, Hera did all she could to prevent the hero from succeeding, but eventually, he returned to Mycenae with the cows.
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Antique fresco from Pompeii. Heracles ( / ˈhɛrəkliːz / HERR-ə-kleez; Greek: Ἡρακλῆς, lit. "glory/fame of Hera "), born Alcaeus [2] ( Ἀλκαῖος, Alkaios) or Alcides [3] ( Ἀλκείδης, Alkeidēs ), was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon. [4]
Jun 30, 2020 · Hercules was one of many Greek heroes who was the son of Zeus, the king of the gods. While Zeus was married to Hera, he was notorious for his many affairs with both goddesses and human women. One of these women was Alcmene, the human princess of Tiryns and Mycenae and the granddaughter of Perseus.
- To Kill the Nemean Lion. The Nemean Lion was a vicious predator who no hunters had been able to kill. Its hide was virtually impenetrable, so it destroyed anyone who tried to get close to it.
- To Defeat the Lernean Hydra. The Hydra was a many-headed serpent that was impossible to kill. The central head was immortal and the others, whose numbers varied by writer, were capable of rejuvenation.
- To Capture the Cyrinithian Hind. The golden-horned deer was sacred to Artemis. It was elusive and said to be so fast that it could outrun even an arrow.
- To Subdue the Erymanthian Boar. The enormous boar descended from Mount Erymanthus to destroy the nearby farmlands. Hercules was ordered to bring the beast back alive, so he could not risk wounding it.
Labor 3: Capturing the Elusive Ceryneian Hind. The third labor required Hercules to demonstrate patience and stealth. Hercules was tasked with capturing the Ceryneian Hind, a magnificent creature with bronze hooves and golden antlers. The hind was considered sacred to the goddess Artemis.
Jul 14, 2023 · Heracles, the son of Zeus and Alcmene (a mortal woman), was a Greek hero and demigod. Because he was the product of one of Zeus’ many affairs, Heracles was hated and hounded by Zeus’ jealous wife Hera. Hera ensured that Heracles’ life was filled with hardship and tragedy. Of all Heracles’ heroic deeds, the most important were the Twelve ...
