The Twelve Labors Heracles cartoon

The Twelve Labors 1. Nemaean Lion 7. The Cretan Bull 2. Lernaean Hydra 8. Horses of Diomedes 3. Ceryneian Deer 9. Girdle of Hippolyta 4. Erymanthian Boar 10. Cattle of Geryon 5. Augean Stables 11. Apples of the Hesperides 6. Stymphalian Birds 12. Cerberus

Other tasks interspersed with them: the Side-Deeds

Side-Deeds Labor Side Deeds 4. Erymanthian Boar Pholus, Chiron 8. Horses of Diomedes Alcestis and Admetus 10. Cattle of Geryon Erythia Cacus Helius Cup 11. Hesperides Nereus Antaeus Busiris Prometheus || Altas

1. Nemean Lion No weapon could pierce its hide, so Heracles wrestled it and snapped its neck. He used the lion’s claws to pierce the hide. Heracles wore the lion’s skin from that day on.

Nemean Lion

Eurystheus was terrified!! He never wanted Heracles let into the city again! Eurystheus had a bronze jar constructed and set in the ground so he could hide from Heracles.

2. Lernaean Hydra Hydra was a serpent whose very breath was toxic. Heracles forced it from its lair with flaming arrows, but every time he cut off a head, two more grew. The middle head was immortal

Hydra A giant crab attacked Heracles, but he smashed it. Constellation cancer Iolaus cauterized each neck after the head was cut off. Heracles buried the immortal head under a rock. He tore open the body and dipped his arrows in the deadly poisonous black blood.

Hydra

3. Ceryneian Deer Golden antlers and brazen hoofs, belonged to Artemis Wounded the deer and threw it over his shoulder to take back.

Ceryneian Deer Heracles apologized to Artemis and Apollo. Heracles showed the deer and then released it.

4. Erymanthian Boar drove the boar from a bush and carried it to Eurystheus to saw it from his jar

Erymanthian Boar

Side Deed/ Pholus and Chiron

Pholus and Chiron Visiting Pholus and wanted wine. Pholus warned Heracles that the wine was for all centaurs. Took some anyway and all centaurs came with stones and trees as weapons. Heracles threw torches and fired arrows. Arrow wounded Chiron who was tortured by the venom, but could not die (immortal.) Prometheus traded his mortality with Chiron’s anguished immortality so Chiron could eventually die. Pholus was impressed with the arrows, but dropped it on his hoof so he died.

Pholus and Chiron

5. Augean Stables Heracles diverted a river through the stables to clean them out. Several feet deep in poop.

Augean Stables

6. Stymphalian Birds These birds had arrow firing wings and armor-piercing beaks. Heracles drove them out of the forest with bronze castanets (maybe from Athena who got them from Hephaestus) and then shot them down with his arrows as they flew.

Stymphalian Birds

7. Cretan Bull Seized the bulls by the horns and tossed it in the sea and then rode it to Mycenae. Showed Copreus, Eurystheus’ servant,. The bull got away and wandered until Theseus killed it.

Cretan Bull

8. Horses of Diomedes Horses of Diomedes (son of Ares) ate human flesh. Heracles captured them and fed them Diomedes. Showed them to Copreus and they ran away to Mt. Olympus and were eaten by wolves.

Diomedes devoured by horses

Aclestis and Admetus Aclestis gives her life in place of her husband King Admetus. Heracles wrestles death and brings Aclestis back. Because Apollo who was treated so well by Admetus said he did not have to die if he found someone else to take his place.

9. The Girdle of Hippolyta

The Girdle of Hippolyta The girdle was actually a belt women wore above their hips. If loosen,it meant to offer oneself sexually, to take it off forcible was rape. Hippolyta offered him the belt no problem. Hera disguised as an amazon ran thru the town yelling that Heracles had kidnapped Hippolyta. Amazons attacked and Heracles thought Hippolyta had betrayed him so he strangled her and took the girdle. Gave the girdle to Eurystheus.

The Girdle of Hippolyta

10. The Cattle of Geryon Geryon-a monster had three bodies joined together at waist. As Heracles traveled across Africa, he became so hot he shot an arrow at Helius. Helius lent Heracles the cup he traveled in. killed herdsmen minding the cattle and put them in the cup to cross the river. Geryon attacked and Heracles shot him with arrows. landed in Spain and gave the cup back to Helius. Brought cattle to Mycenae and Eurystheus sacrificed them to Hera.

The Cattle of Geryon

Cacus Cacus a three headed fire breathing monster. Heracles took a tree and parted the river exposing the cave. Cacus hid under cover of smoke, but breathed fire and Heracles grabbed him and strangled him dead. Got the cattle back.

Cacus

Antaeus

Antaeus Antaeus-Heracles kept throwing him to the ground and he would get stronger because he was a son of Gaea and would get stronger every time he touched the earth. Heracles held him in the air and strangled him.

Busiris Busiris was told to restore abundance he must sacrifice a foreigner. Was going to sacrifice Heracles, but Heracles burst his bonds and killed Busiris and all his sons by slitting their throats over the alter. Death is overcome.

Prometheus

Prometheus Saved Prometheus by killing the eagle and breaking Prometheus’ chains.

11. The Apples of Hesperides The apples of Hesperides grew on a magical tree with golden bark and leaves, a wedding gift to Hera from Zeus. Nymphs like to steal the fruit so Hera placed a 100-heade serpent Ladon to guard it.

The Apples of Hesperides Too dangerous for even Heracles, so he held the world while Atlas went and got the apples. Atlas wanted Heracles to hold the sky and he would take the apples to Eurystheus, but Heracles would stay holding the sky. Heracles agreed but asked that Atlas take the sky for a moment so he could place a pad on his head to cushion the weight. Altlas set down the apples and took the sky. Heracles left. The apples were too dangerous to keep so after showing Eurystheus, Heracles gave them to Athena to restore to Hesperides.

12. Cerebus Went to the underworld and captured Cerebus with the permission of Hades so long as Heracles did not use any weapons. He chained Cerebus and took it snarling and foaming to Eurystheus and then set it free back into the underworld. His lion pelt protected him.

Cerebus

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