1. Heracles’ Encounters
with Malicious
Monsters

2. Hercules’ Background

3. Parentage Son of Zeus and a mortal woman named Alcmene
Zeus disguised himself as Alcmene’s husband coming back from war.
After her husband, Amphitryon, returned home the next day, Alcmene knew she had been tricked by Zeus!

4. It’s a Boy!
Heracles
Zeus’ wife, Hera
Zeus
Alcmene gave birth to twins. The son of Zeus was named Alcides, but later called Heracles, or the glory of Hera, in honor of the Queen of the Gods. The other twin, son of Amphitryon, was named Iphicles.
Hera sent two serpents to kill the child while he was asleep in his cradle
Heracles easily strangled them, demonstrating his divine parentage, while his twin half-brother, Iphicles, cried like a little baby!!!

5. Heracles during his rage
The Horror of Hera
Heracles proved to be a magnificent marksmen, wrestler, and superhumanly strong.
Heracles married Megara and the happy couple had three children
Hera was jealous of his happiness and drove him insane, causing him to kill his wife and children
Heracles during his rage

6. Penance
Heracles consulted an oracle which told him that he must be the slave of his cousin Eurystheus, king of Tiryns and Mycenae , in order to be purified for his crime.
Eurystheus had obtained the crown from Heracles with the help from Hera earlier.
Eurystheus and Hera created twelve impossible tasks for Heracles to perform.
Should he complete them all, he would be forgiven by the gods.

7. The XII Labors of Hercules

8. I. Kill the Nemean Lion
The lion was the son of the monsters Typhon and Echidna
Its skin could not be penetrated by arrows or spears
Heracles closed the entrance to the lion’s cave and strangled the lion with his bare hands.
He skinned the lion with its own claws and afterward wore its skin as armor.
Eurystheus was so afraid of Heracles that he hid in a wine jar

9. II. Kill the Lernaean Hydra
Offspring of Typhon and Echidna
The hydra had 9 (or 7 some other number) heads, but if one was cut off, two grew in its place. One head was immortal.
Heracles would cut off one head and his nephew, Iolaus, would place a burning torch to the wound, cauterizing it and preventing new heads from growing back
Heracles then buried the one immortal head under a rock.

10. Hydra (cont.)
When Hera saw that Hercules was winning, she sent a crab, which he crushed with his foot, to claw at his ankles.
Hera, upset at the deaths of her two monsters, honored both of them by playing them in the heavens as the constellations Hydra and Cancer

11. III. Capture the Cerynitian Hind
This deer had bronze hoofs and gold horns and was sacred to Artemis
Heracles couldn’t hurt the deer without angering the goddess (he knew what that was like!) so he stalked it for a year
He finally found it near the Ladon river and shot it with a shot so perfect that it pinned its front legs together without drawing blood.

12. Cerynitian Hind (cont.)
In other versions…
Heracles captured the Hind with a trap while she was sleeping
Artemis told Heracles to tell Eurystheus that the task was complete without his capturing the Hind

13. Cerynitian Hind (cont.)
Eurystheus had Hercules capture the Hind in order to incite the anger of Artemis
Hercules avoided Artemis’s wrath by promising to release the Hind later
Eurystheus, however, wanted the Hind for himself. However, Hercules tricked him by releasing the Hind to Eurystheus, who was too slow to capture the beast.

14. IV. Trap the Erymanthian Boar
Heracles had to bring the boar back alive
Heracles sought the advice of Chiron in order to capture the boar
The Beast was a fierce boar which was terrorizing the countryside. Heracles chased the boar into a snow drift where he wrestled it down and carried it back to Eurystheus on his shoulder.

15. Eurystheus again hid in his wine jar when the hero returned.
The Boar was released, swam to Italy, and its tusks were preserved at the Temple of Apollo at Cumae

16. V. Clean the Augean Stables
Augeas housed ten thousand cattle in his stable and never cleaned it
Heracles had one day to clean the whole stable
The hero did so by diverting two rivers to clean out the stable for him

17. VI. Kill the Stymphalian Birds
These were man-eating birds with metallic beaks and feathers and toxic poop
Heracles shouted (or used a rattle, provided by Athena) to startle the birds
He then shot them with poison tipped arrows once they were in the air. Some, however, escaped.

18. VII. Capture the Cretan Bull
The bull, sent by Poseidon to Minos, was the father to the Minotaur and could breathe fire
The bull had been wreaking havoc upon Crete and Minos was ready for it to disappear
Heracles wrestled with it and sent it back to his cousin from Crete
The Bull was released and became the Bull of Marathon (later killed by Theseus).

19. VIII. Capture the Mares of Diomedes
These horses ate human flesh, breathed fire, and responded only to their master, Diomedes, who would feed travelers to the horses.
Heracles killed and fed Diomedes to his own mares because the horses had eaten Heracles’ armor bearer, Abderus, who was guarding them
Once the mares were calm and full, he brought them back to Eurystheus
Then they were released and lived near Mt. Olympus

20. IX. Fetch Hippolyte's Girdle
Hippolyte was the Queen of the Amazons, who were a race of warrior women
She was happy to give Heracles her belt, but Hera tricked the Amazons into thinking that Heracles was going to kidnap their queen
The women attacked Heracles’ boat and the hero killed Hippolyte, thinking she was betraying him

21. X. Steal the Cattle of Geryon
These cattle were guarded by the two headed dog Orthrus and their master Geryon, who had three bodies
Heracles killed Geryon and Orthrus and stole the cattle
On his way home he built the pillars of Heracles, one on each side of the Straights of Gibraltar
Also on his way home, Hera sent a Gadfly to torment the cattle and vex Hercules

22. Geryon
Son of Chrysaor and Callirhoe, and therefore the grandson of medusa, Geryon was a giant who is often said to have three bodies, three heads, and multiple arms and legs
Geryon, in defense of his territory, with three shields, helmets, and spears, chased Hercules who then slew the giant with arrows poisoned with Hydra Blood

23. Orthus/Orthrus
Brother of Cerberus and son of Typhon and Echidna, Orthus was the two headed dog guardian of Geryon’s Cattle
Heracles killed Orthus with his arrows or wooden club, and also killed his master Eurytion, son of Ares and Erytheia, while defending the cattle from Heracles

24. Cacus
Cacus was a son of Vulcan, a fire breathing giant living on the future site of Rome – the Palatine hill. He ate human flesh and nailed heads to his door
As Heracles was driving the Cattle of Geryone to Greece, Cacus stole some of them and led them backwards by the tail into his cave to leave no trail.
As Hercules was searching, he heard the sound of the cattle, discovered Cacus’ cave, killed him, and retrieved the cattle.

25. XI. Take the Apples of the Hesperides
The Hesperides were nymphs who, along with the dragon Ladon, guarded golden apples
Heracles asked Atlas, the nymphs’ father, to fetch the apples for him (or asked him where the apples were).
Atlas agreed to fetch the apples, but Heracles had to hold up the sky for Atlas while he was gone

26. Ladon
In some versions, Ladon is the offspring of Ceto and Phorcys, in others of Typhon and Echidna, or sometimes of Gaia (Hera)
Ladon, often portrayed with multiple heads, was the serpent (or dragon) who guarded the golden apples of the Hesperides
Ladon was defeated by Heracles in some versions
Ladon became the constellation Draco

27. When Atlas returned with the apples, he decided that he didn’t want to retake the sky
Heracles tricked Atlas into retaking the skies by telling him he was happy to continue holding them up, but could Atlas just hold up the sky for a second while Heracles got a cushion for his shoulders?
Heracles then took the apples and walked away

28. XII. Capture Cerberus
Offspring of Echidna and Typhon. He had three heads and guarded the gates to the underworld.
Hades gave Heracles permission to take the dog as long as he didn’t use any weapons.
The hero grabbed Cerberus and led the struggling dog back to Eurystheus
Then he returned the dog to his place in Hades

29. Remember that Heracles helped the Olympians defeat the Giants in the Gigantomachy.

30. When the battle began, Heracles shot Alcyoneus, but the giant, having fallen on the ground, revived. Athena then told Heracles to drag him outside Pallene, for he was immortal only for as long as he remained in the land of his birth. Heracles then dispatched him.

31. Later, when Porphyrion attacked Heracles, Zeus distracted the giant by inspiring him with lust for Hera, and when the goddess, with torn robes, cried for help, Zeus smote him with a thunderbolt, and then Heracles shot him dead with an arrow.

32. But others have said that Apollo killed Porphyrion, and also Ephialtes, whom the god shot in his left eye and Heracles in his right.

33. It is generally agreed that Zeus destroyed the rest with his thunderbolt, all of them being shot, as they were dying, by Heracles.

34. Heracles on the Quest for the Golden Fleece
Heracles joined the quest for the Golden Fleece and was the strongest of the Argonauts.

35. The six armed giants of Bear Mountain
The Argonauts land at Arctonessus (Bear Island) near the home of King Cyzicus, who warmly welcomes them.
The Argonauts encounter the Gegenees, sons of Gaia who live on Bear Mountain, Mysia.
Heracles slays the giants with his bow and club.

36. Cyzicus and the Doliones
King Cyzicus sends them off with gifts.
They sail away, but are blown back at night by a storm
The Doliones, thinking they are being invaded by pirates, attack the Argonauts and Cyzicus is killed

37. The Loss of Hylas at Cios
The Argonauts land in Bithynia so Heracles can make a new oar
Heracles’ young friend Hylas goes to fetch some water
He is abducted by water nymphs
Heracles leaves the quest to search for Hylas and does not rejoin it, but instead finishes his 12 Labors.

38. After the Labors, and other stuff
Antaeus was a giant and a son of Gaea and Poseidon. He liked to wrestle passersby and kill them. He received strength from his mother, Gaea, whenever he was in contact with her. Heracles therefore held him off the ground and strangled him.

39. Cycnus
Son of Ares
A murderer who tried to build a temple out of the bones skulls of travelers
One day, he saw Heracles near River Echedorus and challenged him
Of course, Cycnus was killed
Ares wants to avenge the death of his son, but Athena stops Ares before he can harm Heracles. Heracles wounds Ares in the thigh.
Phobos and Deimos, sons of Ares, carry him back to Olympus.

40. Syleus
Syleus was an arrogant vine-grower, who forced strangers to work in his vineyards and then put them to death.
After tearing up and burning Syleus’ vines, Heracles killed him and his daughter Xenodice.

41. Heracles later married his second wife, Deianeira
Heracles later married his second wife, Deianeira. Once when they were about to cross a river, the centaur Nessus offered to ferry them across on his back.

42. Nessus took Deianeira across first
Nessus took Deianeira across first. When they reached the other side, overcome by lust he attempted to violate her chastity. Heracles shot him with his arrows which had been dipped in Hydra venom.

43. Nessus knew he was doomed, but he quickly planned his revenge
Nessus knew he was doomed, but he quickly planned his revenge. He told Deianeira that he was sorry, and to take some of his blood which had the power of a love potion, and that she should use it on Heracles if his love for her ever waned.

44. When some time later Heracles’ eye wandered and fell upon the beautiful Iole, Deianeira put Nessus’ blood on a cloak and gave it to Heracles, believing that his love for her would be protected.

45. But the hydra venom in the blood began to eat away at Heracles’ flesh
But the hydra venom in the blood began to eat away at Heracles’ flesh. After long torment, Heracles built a funeral pyre and threw himself upon it.

46. Heracles was taken up to Mt
Heracles was taken up to Mt. Olympus where he was made immortal and where he married Hebe, cupbearer to the gods and daughter of Zeus and Hera.

47. Laomedon Son of Ilus King of Troy
Poseidon and Apollo helped build the walls of his city
He fails to reward them properly, so Poseidon sends a sea monster to attack and Apollo sends a pestilence
Laomedon tries to sacrifice his daughter Hesione to the sea monster to appease Poseidon, but Heracles stops him and kills the sea monster
Laomedon promised Heracles magic horses for his assistance, but he breaks his word. Heracles besieges Troy and kills Laomedon and his sons.

48. Apollodorus’s The Library
Apollodorus, in book II part IV of The Library, depicts the birth of Heracles and the history between Heracles’s family and vengeful Hera
The book depicts the upbringing of Heracles, his immense strength, and his learning of many skills necessary for heroes
In part V-VII of the same book, Heracles’s labors are described in detail along with the events occurring after the wars in the wars of Heracles and the events surrounding the descendants of Heracles, the Heracleidae

50. Euripides’s Herakles
Also known as Hercules Furens or Herakles Mainomenos
The tragedy depicts Hercules capturing Cerberus as one of his labors
During this time, Hercules’s father Amphitryon, his wife Megara, and his children are sentenced to death in Thebes by the king Lycus
Hercules returns to save them, but Iris (and the goddess Madness) cause him kill them in a rage