First Fall Of Troy
There was once when Heracles rescued Hesione, daughter of Laomedon, king of Troy. But when he sent for the two magic horses which the king promised him, he received two steeds of ordinary breed instead. Heracles vowed vengeance against Laomedon, and it was only after he came to settle at Trachis that he was able to gather followers for this expedition.
Leaving his wife Deianira safely at Trachis, Heracles set out, accompanied by his nephew Iolaus. He gathered Telamon and Peleus afterwards, and just before they set sail for Troy, Oicles and Deimachus joined them. Telamon built six ships, and with each of them in command of a ship, they sailed towards the land of Troy, and anchored their ships. Old Oicles volunteered to guard the ships, while the others marched towards the city. However, when King Laomedon heard of the sudden invasion, he attacked Oicles, and after a desperate battle, the latter was killed.
Pleased, Laomedon returned to Troy via a secret route, where he found Heracles and his armies just outside the city. Laomedon managed to enter the city, but only after a brief battle with Heracles. Heracles was unable to enter the city, however, for the city was surrounded by great walls, built by Telamon's father Aeacus, with the aid of the Immortals Poseidon and Apollo. But Telamon knew from his father where the weakest place was to be found, and through that, he and Heracles with their armies stormed in. The battle raged fiercely, and not soon after, Laomedon was struck by one of Heracles' poisonous arrows, and was killed. All his sons were also killed, except Podarces, who was spared because he had tried to persuade his father.
Podarces' name was changed to Priam, and after Heracles and his followers sailed away, he gathered all the Trojans together and rebuilt the great city. He also married Hecuba, and they had many sons, the most famous of whom were Hector and Paris.
Meanwhile, while Heracles and the others were sailing back to Greece, his old enemy Hera attempted to kill him once again. Casting a sleep spell on Zeus, Hera let loose a mighty storm, rocking the ships. Heracles almost met his end, if Zeus had not awoken in time. The King of the Immortals calmed the storm, and later tortured Hera so terribly that when Hephaestus tried to free her, he was flung out of Olympus.
Their ships wrecked, Heracles and his companions, tired and exhausted from the storm, landed on the rocky island of Cos, but were captured by King Eurypylus, who ruled the land. For Eurypylus was a worshipper of Hera, and by her command, he was forced capture the heroes. Heracles, however, managed to escape, and gathering his scattered followers, attacked the armies of King Euryplus. The king was eventually killed.
Heracles and his companions rested on the island for some time, repairing their ships and healing their wounds. This was because many of them were wounded in the battle, including Heracles himself.
But one day, the Immortal Goddess of Wisdom, Athena, came to Heracles.
"Rise, most mighty of mortals! The day has come for which you were born! For the Giants are loosed upon the earth, and without the aid of the mortal Hero appointed, even the Immortals cannot withstand them!" She cried.
Then Athena carried Heracles to the fiery plains of Phlegra, where the ground smokes and trembles like the crater of a volcano.