Hercules is a hero of myths and legends of Ancient Greece, descriptions of his exploits, life and death are reflected in some works of ancient authors. Like many other mythological Greek characters, he was a demigod - the son of the thunderer Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene. At birth, he received the name Alcides, and only later the soothsayer-pythia named him Hercules.
Birth of Hercules
When Alcmene was to give birth to Hercules and his brother Iphicles, Zeus gathered the gods on Olympus and said that on this day his son should be born, a warrior who would command all the descendants of Perseus. His jealous wife tricked him into swearing that the first born child would become the ruler of the Perseus clan. She accelerated the birth of another woman, and the sick and weak king Eurystheus was born first. Zeus was angry with his wife and the goddess of deception Atu and concluded a treaty with the Hero, according to which Hercules would be under the rule of Eurystheus until he accomplished twelve labors.
Nemean lion
The first command of the weak king was to kill a huge monstrous lion - the offspring of Echidna and Typhon, who lived near the city of Nemea. Hercules found the beast's den and filled the entrance with a huge stone. When the lion returned from the hunt, Hercules shot him, but the arrows bounced off the thick skin of the monster, then Hercules hit the lion with a club and stunned him. Seeing that the enemy fell, Hercules pounced on him and strangled him.
Lyrnean hydra
After defeating the Nemean lion, Eurystheus sent Hercules to kill another offspring of Echidna and Typhon, a nine-headed hydra that lived in a swamp near the city of Lyrna. To lure the hydra out of the swamp cave, Hercules red-hot his arrows and began firing into the den. When the monster crawled out, the hero began to knock her heads off with a club, but two heads grew in place of each severed head. A giant cancer came to the aid of the hydra and grabbed Hercules in the leg. Hercules summoned the hero Iolaus, who killed the cancer and began to burn the places of the heads cut down by Hercules to the hydra. After cutting off the last immortal head, Hercules cut the hydra's body in two.
Stymphalian birds
A flock of birds lived near the city of Stymphala, whose claws, beak and feathers were made of bronze, they attacked people and animals and tore them apart. Eurystheus sent Hercules to exterminate these birds. Pallas Athena came to the aid of the hero, she gave Hercules tympanes, hitting which, Hercules frightened off the birds and began to shoot them with arrows, the frightened flock flew far from the city and never returned.
Kerinean fallow deer
The doe, sent by the goddess Artemis to people as punishment, Hercules was supposed to deliver Eurystheus alive. Her horns were gold, and her hooves were copper. He pursued her for a whole year, until he overtook her in the far north. There he wounded the doe in the leg and, carrying it on his shoulders, brought it alive to Mycenae.
Erymanth boar
A huge boar lived on Mount Erimanth, this boar killed all living things in the vicinity, giving people no peace. Hercules drove the boar out of the den with a loud cry and drove it high into the mountains. When the tired animal got stuck in the snow, Geeracles tied him up and brought him alive to Eurystheus.
Augean stables
The sixth feat of Hercules was the command of Eurystheus to cleanse the huge cattle yard of King Avgius. Hercules promised Avgius that he would do all the work in one day, in exchange the king had to give the son of Zeus a tenth of his flock. Hercules broke the walls of the courtyard on both sides and sent the waters of two rivers to the stables, which quickly carried away all the manure from the barnyard.
Cretan bull
Poseidon sent a beautiful bull to the king of Crete to be sacrificed to the king of the seas, but Minos took pity on such a handsome man and sacrificed another bull. The enraged Poseidon sent rage on the bull so that the bull rushed around Crete and did not give its inhabitants peace. Hercules tamed him, climbed the bull on his back, swam on it to the Peloponnese and brought Eurystheus.
Horses of diomedes
After the return of Hercules with the bull, Eurystheus ordered the hero to bring the wonderful horses of Diomedes, which the Thracian king fed with human flesh. Hercules and his companions stole the horses from the stall and brought them to their ship. Diomedes sent an army after, but Hercules and his friends won and returned to Mycenae with horses.
Hippolyta's Belt
The god Ares gave a magnificent belt to his favorite mistress of the Amazons, as a symbol of strength and power. Eurystheus sent Hercules to bring this belt to Mycenae. Theseus went on this campaign together with the Hercules army. The Amazons met Hercules with interest, and their queen liked the son of Zeus so much that she was ready to voluntarily give her belt to him. But Hera took the form of one of the Amazons and turned all of them against Hercules. After a bloody battle, Hercules captured two Amazons, one of them was ransomed by Hippolyta for his belt, the other Hercules gave to his friend Theseus.
Geryon's cows
After returning from the Amazons, Hercules received a new task - to drive the cows of the two-headed giant Geryon. In the battle with the giants, Pallas Athena helped Hercules, taking possession of the herd, he returned to Mycenae and gave the cows to Eurystheus, who sacrificed them to Hera.
Cerberus
On the eleventh feat, Eurystheus sent Hercules to the underworld of Hades to bring him the three-headed guardian of the world of the dead - the huge dog Cerberus. Hercules saw many miracles and horrors in the underworld, finally, he appeared before Hades and asked to give him his dog. The king agreed, but Hercules had to tame the monster with his bare hands. Returning to Mycenae, Hercules gave Cerberus to Eurystheus, but the king, frightened, ordered to return the dog back.
Apples of the Hesperides
The last feat was the campaign of Hercules to the titan Atlas for apples, which were guarded by the daughter of Atlas - Hesperis. Hercules came to the titan and asked him for three golden apples, the titan agreed, but in return Hercules had to keep the firmament on his shoulders instead of Atlas. Hercules agreed and took the place of the titan. Atlas brought apples, and Hercules went to Eurystheus, gave the apples and freed himself from his power.
