Chapter 11: Hercules Molly Devine

The Birth Of Hercules Hercules was the son of Zeus and the wife of a distinguished Theban general, Alcmena. His first heroic act was choking two snakes to death. They were sent by Hera in outrage for the latest of Zeus’ love affairs. Modern day Thebes Hercules killing the snake

Adult Hercules As he grew up, Hercules, he became the strongest man in the world. His bravery and strength made him a hero in the eyes of all of Greece with the exception of Athens. They were not taken by him because he possessed little intelligence.

Adult Hercules By the time he was 18, he had already killed the great lion of Cithaeron by himself. Next, he conquered the Minyans, who were pestering Thebes. As a gift for his assistance, the King of Thebes gave his daughter Megara to Hercules.

To punish this son of her husband, Hera made Hercules go mad. As a result, he killed Megara and their children. The goddess Hera

The 12 Labors of Hercules Hercules, distraught by the fact he murdered his family, went to Athens to ask Theseus for help. The two embarked on a journey to Delphi where they consulted the oracle. Theseus

The 12 Labors of Hercules The oracle instructed Hercules to go to his cousin Eurysthes, King of Mycenea, and do what every he tells him to. That will purge him of his sins. Hercules went to Eurystheus, and the King instructed him to complete 12 impossible tasks, thinking they would kill him. He was Hera’s side and wanted Hercules dead, as she did.

The First Labor: Kill the Lion of Nemea The first labor was to kill the lion of Nemea. The lion was immune to weapons, so Hercules used his brute strength to strangle it to death. He carried it back to Eurysthes.

The Second Labor: Kill the Hydra The Hydra was a monster with 8 mortal heads and 1 immortal one. Every time Hercules would cut off one head, 2 would re-grow in its place. He killed it, with the help of his nephew Iolaus, by burning the head with a burning brand before an other could re-grow. After he had killed the mortal heads, he crushed the immortal one under some rocks.

The Third Labor: Capture the Stag of Artemis The stag was white with golden horns and was the pet of the goddess Artemis. Hercules chased for a year and finally injured it without killing it.

The Forth Labor: Capture the Erymanthus Boar. Hercules chased the boar to exhaustion. Finally, he trapped it in a snow bank and killed it.

The Fifth Labor: Clean the Augean stables Hercules diverted two rivers to clean out the filthy stables.

The Sixth Labor: Drive Away the Styphalian Birds He was sent to rid the Styphalian people of the birds that plauged their land. He completed this with the help of Athena. She drove them out of their nests and Hercules shot them.

: The Seventh Labor: Catch the Cretan Bull Hercules was next instructed to capture the bull that belonged to Minos of Crete. He yoked it and sailed it back to Eurystheus.

The Eight Labor: Retrieve the Man Eating Mares of Diomedes Hercules slew King Diomedes of Thrace and drove the mares back to his master.

The Ninth Labor: Bring back the Girdle of Hyppolyta Hercules next went to the home of the Amazons, a race of fierce warrior women. Hyppolyta ,the queen ,treated him kindly but the other women thought that he had come to steal her away. A battle shortly followed, which resulted in Hyppolyta’s death.

The Tenth Labor: Retrieve the Cattle of Geryon Geryon was a monster with 3 heads who lived in Erythia. It is said Hercules just took the oxen. As a memorial of his journey, Hercules set up the Pillars of Hercules (two great rocks) in the Medditeraninain Sea. They are now know as the rock of Gibraltar and Cetua.

The Eleventh Labor: Bring Back the Golden Apples The apples belonged to Hesperides, a daughter of Atlas. Hercules being mortal could not take the apples himself, he persuaded Atlas to do it for him. In return he would hold the sky for a while. Atlas tried to trick Hercules into holding the heavens forever, but Hercules was smarter. He asked Atlas to hold the sky for a moment so he could put a lion skin on his back to make it more comfortable. Atals obliged and Hercules left with the apples. Atlas

The Twelfth Labor: Bring Cerberus up from the Underworld The final labor of Hercules was to bring up the guard dog of Hades, Cerberus, to the upper world. Hades agreed, but on the condition he use no weapons to tame him. And so he did. His labors were complete.

After the Labors The Labors of Hercules were not the end of his heroic deeds. He proceeded to defeat the giant, Anteas, in a wresting match. Anteas, a son of Mother Earth, was invincible as long as he was rooted to his mother. Hercules held him in the air until he died. Hercules and Anteas

After the Labors Hercules continued on to conquered the River god Achelous. Achelous was in love with a girl Hercules wanted to marry. The fought for her hand and our hero won. Hercules defeats Achelous

After the Labors He went on the free the titan Prometheus from his eternal punishment. After defeating the river god, Hercules finally settled down with a princess named Dianira. Prometheus

Although he had many brave deeds to his name, Hercules still had some skeletons in his closet. He killed a youth who was pouring water on his hands at a feast. The father of the boy was King Eurytus. Under Hera’s guidance the King, forced Hercules to be the slave of the Queen of Lydia. The time period he served is unclear. It is between one and three years.

After the Labors At first the king did not tell Hercules of this. Hercules became outraged that he withheld this information. After his time was served, he finds the king of Thessaly in mourning. He was told he was going to die and that someone could take his place. His wife, Alcestis, died for him. Hercules went to the Underworld and retrieved her himself.

The Beginning of the End Hercules and his wife Deianira were on a ferry crossing a river when a centaur attacked their vessel. He ran off with Deianira but Hercules shot him before he could get too far. The centaur told Deianira to take his blood and if Hercules was ever unfaithful, his blood would charm him back to her.

Deianira heard that Hercules may be in love with another woman named Iole. She anoints a robe with the centaur’s blood, and sends it to Hercules. It was not a charm, but a poison. He put it on and his body was instantly inflamed, but it was unable to kill him. Before she had even heard of this, Deianira killed herself.

The End Now Hercules felt there was no purpose to life. He asked Philoctetes, his young follower, to set fire to his own funeral pire. Hercules died when flames consumed him. Death was not the end of Hercules. He went to Heaven where Hera reconciled with him by letting him marry her daughter, Hebe, goddess of youth.

Sources Hamilton, Edith. Mythology. New York, New York. Warner Book Company. 1942. Pictures Thebes.http://www.flickr.com/photos/feuilllu/156527203/ Baby Hercules.http://www.flickr.com/photos/h_savill/537238528/ Roaring Lion. http://www.flickr.com/photos/tambako/494118044/ Hercules and Megara. http://www.flickr.com/photos/princessashley/3456869230/ Hera. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Neustrelitz-goetter2-hera.jpg Theseus. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Theseus-SW.jpg Killing the Lion of Nema. http://www.flickr.com/photos/33917831@N00/1555857544 Killing the Hydra. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hercules_slaying_the_Hydra.jpg

Statue of Artemis. http://www.flickr.com/photos/81592379@N00/194323443 An Archaistically-styled Herakles carrying the Erymanthian Boar Roman Augustan or Julio-Claudian 27 BCE-68 CE. http://www.flickr.com/photos/mharrsch/999969659/ Ancient stables, Tel Megiddo, Israel. http://www.flickr.com/photos/14835556@N00/541106387 File:Herakles Stymphalian BM B163.jpg. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Herakles_Stymphalian_BM_B163.jpg Hercules Beats Up the Cretan Bull. http://www.flickr.com/photos/44124403241@N01/2909468829 File:Mosaico Trabajos Hércules (M.A.N. Madrid) 08.jpg. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mosaico_Trabajos_H%C3%A9rcules_(M.A.N._Madrid)_08.jpg File:Deruet-Departure of the Amazons-1620.jpg. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Deruet-Departure_of_the_Amazons-1620.jpg File:Heracles Geryon Louvre F55.jpg. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Heracles_Geryon_Louvre_F55.jpg

Golden apple fountain. http://www. flickr Atlas Statue. http://www.flickr.com/photos/fkehren/2287975280/ Hercules and Cerberus. http://www.flickr.com/photos/nostri-imago/3393244734/ Hercules and Antaeus?. http://www.flickr.com/photos/44124403241@N01/2910328576 File:Herakles Achelous Louvre G365.jpg. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Herakles_Achelous_Louvre_G365.jpg File:Prometheus 2.jpg. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prometheus_2.jpg 'Alcestis' cover. http://www.flickr.com/photos/74838321@N00/3310245276 Hercules beating the Centaur Nesso / Херкулес бие кентавъра Несос. http://www.flickr.com/photos/mitko/3734985114/ Fig leaf. http://lingni-net.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html