Labours Of Heracles
Electryon, son of Perseus, had a daughter called Alcmena, who was married to Amphitryon, a hero of Thebes. Alcmena was the loveliest woman alive at that time, and for this Zeus desired to marry her himself. For he believed that Alcmena was the mother of the hero Prometheus said, as she was from Thebes, and was also a descendant of Danae. So one night, while Amphitryon was out battling robbers, Zeus had married Alcmena secretly, despite Hera's jealousy.
So Heracles was born, and with him a twin brother named Iphicles. And when he was no more than ten months old, Heracles performed his first feat of valour. It happened on one evening, when Alcmena rocked the twins to sleep in a cradle. Then Alcmena went to sleep herself, and at midnight, Hera sent two snakes to slay the infant Heracles. But Heracles grasped a snake in either hand, and squeezed them to death.
In later years Heracles grew up, learning all the gentle arts from his mother. His father on the other hand taught him how to drive a chariot, the ways of the sword and the spear, boxing and wrestling, and also archery. When he drew near manhood, his father sent him to tend cattle on Mount Cithaeron, far from Thebes. As he sat alone on the hillside one day, he saw a great yellow lion chasing the cows, and he immediately sprang to his feet. He made a club out of an olive wood, and set out to kill the lion. After much struggle, the beast was finally dead, and as its hide was tougher than an armour, Heracles skinned it and wore it afterwards as his clothing.
On his return to Thebes, he learnt that a neighbouring city under the rule of King Eriginus had declared war on Thebes. With his father, Heracles joined the battle, and in the end killed King Eriginus. Eriginus' city was conquered as well, although Amphitryon was killed in the battle. King Creon, ruler of Thebes, offered his daughter Megara to Heracles, and in the later years they had three sons. But Hera was furious, and cast a madness upon Heracles in which he killed all his sons, mistaking them as enemies. His wife Megara died of grief, and he was banished from Thebes. In misery he visited Apollo's oracle at Delphi, and a voice spoke to him, "Heracles, to atone the terrible deeds you had done, you must go to Eurystheus, who rules over Argolis. Serve him faithfully, and at one time Zeus will give you a place on Olympus."
So Heracles set out to Tiryns, capital of Argolis, with his nephew Iolaus, son of Iphicles. Eurystheus was delighted when he saw Heracles, and asked him to perform ten labours. The first was to kill the Nemean Lion.
The Nemean Lion was known to be almost invulnerable, but Heracles had no fear. He went alone to the lion's den, and as soon as he saw the beast, released an arrow. But the arrow rebounded harmlessly from the lion's hide and fell to the ground. Then Heracles drew his sword and hacked the lion, but its hide was so thick hard that the sword was unable to wound it. Realising no weapon could harm it, Heracles wrapped his lion cloak around his arm and seized its neck. The two of them rolled and wrestled on the ground, until the lion finally fell dead, throttled by Heracles' arm about its neck. But in the effort, Heracles lost a finger to the beast as well.
Then he carried the dead beast back to Tiryns, in which Eurystheus said, "The next labour wouldn't be easy. Go and kill the Lernean Hydra!"
With Iolaus, Heracles came to the marsh where the Hydra lived. The Hydra appeared, hissing fiercely, and Heracles leapt forward and shattered the nearest head with a blow of his club. To his astonishment, from the bleeding neck sprang out two new heads! Heracles then shouted to Iolaus to light a torch, and as he crushed each of the Hydra's head, Iolaus burnt the shattered neck so that no new heads would grow. In time, the Hydra was dead, and Heracles dipped his arrows in the Hydra's blood, thus making them deadly poisonous.
But Eurystheus cried, "You have cheated! Your labours must be performed by you alone, but Iolaus helped you. This one does not count. Go now and bring me the Hind of the Golden Horns!"
The creature was Artemis' sacred reindeer, and it was the swiftest of all deer. Heracles had to chase it all the way to Arcadia before bringing it back to Tiryns.
Eurystheus was shocked, but said, "Bring me the Erymanthian Boar!"
The Erymanthian Boar was Apollo's sacred boar, and it was so fierce and savage that no one dared go near it. But Heracles found it, chased it into a deep snow-drift, and tied its legs together after a struggle. When he returned to Tiryns with the boar, Eurystheus was so terrified that he jumped into a large brass pot until Heracles took it away. Then, he sent Heracles off on his next labour, "Go to King Augeas at Elis, and clean out his stables in a single day!"
King Augeas had the largest stables in Greece, and they've not been cleaned in thirty years. Heracles was marvelled by his herd of cattle, so when he reached the king, he said, "I can clean your stables in a single day, if you give me a tenth of your herd in payment."
Augeas agreed, and Heracles set to work. He knocked holes in either side of the stable-building, and dug a short channel to the rivers Alpheus and Peneus. Streams of water ran through the stables, and in a very short time, the stables were cleaned. However, Eurystheus did not count this labour, since he said that Heracles worked for hire. He packed him off on his next labour, to chase away the Stymphalian Birds.
The vicious birds were animals of Ares, and they ate human flesh. Before Heracles set to his quest, Athena came to him, and gave him a pair of brazen castanets. When Heracles clashed the castanets at the pool of Stymphalus, the birds flew away in fear, and as they fled, Heracles shot several of them down with his poisonous arrows.
Eurystheus scoffed at this, and sent Heracles to bring him the Cretan Bull. The bull was Poseidon's sacred animal, cast to madness, ravaging the land and causing havoc. Heracles, however, was a match for any mad bull and captured the Cretan Bull without any difficulty. When he returned to Tiryns with the bull, Eurystheus crept into the jar again, coming out from it only after the bull left. Then he sent Heracles to Thrace to bring back the horses of King Diomedes.
The horses were the strongest and fastest of all, fed only on the flesh of man. When Heracles reached the place, he managed to stole four of the horses and even harness them to a chariot. As Heracles was driving them away, Diomedes came after him, and caught up with his chariot, but Heracles threw him over. The horses devoured Diomedes, and were later tamed by Hercules. He then drove them back to Tiryns.
His next labour was to bring back the belt of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. The belt was a gift from Ares, and the Amazons were a race of warrior women. To reach the land of the Amazons Heracles had to travel by sea, so he gathered a band of adventurers, among them Peleus and Telamon, and set sail.
After several days, they arrived at the land of the Amazons. They prepared for a battle, but to their surprise, Hippolyta welcomed them, and even offered the belt as soon as Heracles explained why he had come. But Hera was not pleased, and incited the Amazons to battle. So they attacked Heracles and his companions, and the battle ended only after Heracles captured Melanippe, the queen's sister. In return for her, Hippolyta promised to gave the belt, and also safe passage back to Greece. Thus Heracles returned to Eurystheus with the belt, but was sent off again, this time to fetch the cattle of Geryon.
Geryon was an ogre with three heads, six arms and hands, but only one body from the waist downwards. Heracles had no trouble getting the cattle, but before long Geryon came rushing towards him, brandishing various weapons in his six hands. Heracles knew he was no match if Geryon came up close, so quickly he discharged three arrows one after another, one through each of the ogre's three throats. Geryon was killed.
In time Heracles returned to Tiryns, and handed over the cattle to Eurystheus, saying, "I have accomplished the ten labours you gave me!"
"Not so, remember two labours do not count. So I command you to perform two more labours. Go now and bring me three Golden Apples!" Answered Eurystheus.
Heracles set out, without any idea where the Golden Apples were. So he visited the Nymphs of Illyria and asked them. Their reply was, by the command of Zeus, he must ask Prometheus, freeing him in the process. The way was long and dangerous, but at length Heracles arrived at Mount Caucasus, where Prometheus laid chained. And as he saw the eagle which came to torture the Titan each day, he fitted an arrow to his bow, and loosed it with all his might. The eagle fell down to the thousands of feet below.
"Who are you?" Asked Prometheus.
"I am Heracles. I have come here by Zeus' command, to free you," answered Heracles.
Prometheus smiled, and said, "You are the hero I prophesied. Come, strike off these fetters."
Heracles hacked at the fetters, and while doing so, asked Prometheus about the Golden Apples.
"They grow on a tree in Hesperides, near where my brother Atlas stands supporting the sky. The dragon Ladon curls around that tree, and the garden itself, you cannot enter. Ask Atlas to assist you," said Prometheus.
Heracles continued on his way, and soon came to Mount Atlas, where the Titan Atlas stood.
"I come for your help, Atlas. I am Heracles, and I need three Golden Apples," cried Heracles.
"Heracles, I will do what you ask if you will perform two deeds for me. While I am away you must take my place and hold up the sky, and before that, you must slay the dragon Ladon," answered Atlas.
Heracles looked down from the mountain, and he saw the great tree which bore the Golden Apples. He also saw the dragon Ladon, a great monster with scales of blue and gold. He then drew an arrow and shot it with such an aim that it pierced the dragon's throat. The dragon uncurled from the tree and retreated from the place, to die slowly some place away. With the dragon gone, Atlas shifted his mighty burden to Heracles, and hurried off to get the Golden Apples. Hours passed, before Atlas finally returned, with three Golden Apples in his hand.
"Here are the apples, but I will take them to King Eurystheus myself," said Atlas.
"You deserve your holiday, but can you teach me how to carry the sky more easily? My shoulders can't take it," answered Heracles, knowing Atlas would not return if he had his way.
Then Atlas dropped the Golden Apples, and took the sky, explaining how was the easiest way to hold it up. With that Heracles picked up the Golden Apples, and set off down the mountain, leaving Atlas to lament the loss of his only chance of freedom. Heracles returned to Tiryns, and delivered the Golden Apples to Eurystheus. Eurystheus was angered that Heracles managed to succeed in such a difficult labour, and commanded him to bring him Cerberus, the Hound of Hell.
When Heracles heard this, he was in despair. But Athena and Hermes came to his aid once more, leading him to the river Styx, passage to the Underworld. Charon the boatman ferried Heracles across, and after venturing through the Realm of the Dead, he finally came to Hades. He told him his quest, and Hades answered, "You may take Cerberus, if you can overcome him without the use of weapons."
So Heracles returned to the bank of Styx, where Cerberus rushed at him. Cerberus had three heads, and in place of its tail was a serpent. Heracles seized hold of the hound, as it tried to bite him. Heracles' lion-skin cloak protected him from Cerberus' bites, and his strength finally forced Cerberus to gave way. Soon he reached Tiryns, carrying Cerberus. And when Eurystheus appeared, he cried, "My last labour is achieved! Here is Cerberus!"
After he finished his labours, Heracles was so weary that he went to visit his friend Pitthus. As he entered his house he flung his lion-skin over a chair where it laid in a most life-like fashion. Presently a crowd of children came in laughing and talking, but when they saw the lion-skin, they fled shrieking. All except a boy named Theseus, who snatched an axe from a nearby guard and hacked at the lion-skin, thinking it was a live lion.
Heracles laughed, "We'll have you following my footsteps before long!"
"I ask for no better fate," answered young Theseus.