The Twelve Labours of Heracles
Twelve Impossible Tasks for One Mighty Hero
Heracles was the strongest hero in Greece. He could wrestle monsters, lift enormous weights and probably open jars that had defeated everyone else in the house. But strength did not protect him from every problem. The goddess Hera disliked Heracles because he was a son of Zeus. She sent a terrible madness that caused him to harm the people he loved. When his mind cleared, Heracles was filled with sorrow. Wanting to make amends, he visited the oracle at Delphi.The oracle told him to serve King Eurystheus and complete a series of tasks. Eurystheus was not brave, but he was excellent at inventing jobs for other people. The first labour was to defeat the Nemean Lion. Its hide could not be pierced by weapons, so Heracles wrestled it with his bare hands. Afterwards, he wore the lion’s skin as armour.
For the second labour, he faced the Hydra, a snake-like monster with many heads. Each time Heracles cut one off, two grew back. This is exactly the sort of problem that makes you want to go home. His nephew Iolaus helped by sealing each neck with fire, stopping new heads growing. Heracles buried the immortal final head beneath a rock and dipped his arrows in the Hydra’s venom.Next, Heracles had to capture the Ceryneian Hind, a swift deer sacred to Artemis. He chased it for a whole year and finally caught it without seriously hurting it. When Artemis appeared angrily, Heracles explained the task and promised to release the deer. She allowed him to continue.
The fourth labour was capturing the Erymanthian Boar. Heracles drove it into deep snow, trapped it and carried it back alive. Eurystheus was so frightened that he hid inside a large storage jar. The fifth labour sounded less heroic: clean the stables of King Augeas in one day. Thousands of cattle had lived there for years. The stables had not been cleaned for many years. Instead of using a tiny broom, Heracles redirected two rivers through the stables. The rushing water cleaned everything before sunset.⬅ Back
Meet Jocelyn
The curious mind behind Mythfits Society
Hi! I’m Jocelyn, and I created Mythfits Society to make discovering ancient myths easier, more interesting and much more fun.
Read My Story