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== '''The 12 Labours of Hercules''' ==
== The 12 Labours of Hercules ==
One of the most famous names in Greek mythology is Hercules.  
Hercules, a legendary figure in Greek mythology, was known for his extraordinary strength and daring adventures. Born to Zeus, the king of gods, and Alcmene, a mortal princess and granddaughter of Perseus, Hercules' lineage made him a demi-god. Hera, Zeus's wife, harbored resentment towards Hercules for being Zeus's illegitimate son and constantly sought to undermine him.


Hercules was born a demi-god. His father was Zeus, and his mother was the mortal princess Alcmene, the granddaughter of the hero Perseus who beheaded the snake-haired Gorgon Medusa. Zeus’s infidelity would enrage Hera having tried to kill Heracles ever since he was born, determined to make trouble for Hercules, Hera had once before tried unsuccessfully to kill Hercules, proof of Zeus’s (the father of Hercules) infidelity when he was 8 months old by sending two snakes to poison him. Hercules strangled them in his crib, saving both his own life and the life of his twin brother Iphicles.  
As an infant, Hercules displayed his remarkable strength by strangling two serpents sent by Hera to kill him in his crib. This event foreshadowed the numerous challenges he would face due to Hera's vengeance.  


But Hera kept up her dirty tricks. When Hercules was a young adult, she cast a kind of spell on him that drove him temporarily insane and caused him to murder his beloved wife Megara and six their children. When he awakened from his temporary insanity, was shocked and upset by what he'd done.  
In his youth, Hera's machinations led Hercules to a temporary state of madness, during which he tragically killed his wife Megara and their children. Upon regaining his sanity, Hercules sought redemption and consulted the Oracle of Apollo. The Oracle decreed that Hercules must serve King Eurystheus of Tiryns and Mycenae for twelve years as penance, undertaking a series of near-impossible tasks known as the Labours of Hercules (Greek: άθλοι, athloi).


He prayed to the god Apollo for guidance, and the god's oracle told him he would have to serve as part of his sentence, Eurystheus, the king of Tiryns and Mycenae, for twelve years, in punishment for the murders. The Labours of Heracles (Greek: άθλοι, athloi) are a series of twelve tasks, Labors, carried out by Heracles, in the service of King Eurystheus.  
These twelve labours, steeped in danger and heroism, were linked by a continuous narrative that showcased Hercules' resilience and strength. Throughout his trials, Hercules received occasional assistance from the gods Hermes and Athena, embodying the Greek concept of pathos - the experience of virtuous struggle leading to greatness.


The episodes were later connected by a continuous narrative. Hercules had to perform twelve Labors, seemed impossible.  
== Hercules' Twelve Labours as Cataloged by Apollodorus ==
1. '''The Nemean Lion:''' Tasked to slay a fearsome lion in Nemea, Hercules used his immense strength to trap and strangle the beast, later wearing its pelt.


Fortunately, Hercules had the help of Hermes and Athena, deities who showed up when he really needed help.  
2. '''The Lernaean Hydra:''' In Lerna, Hercules faced the Hydra, a multi-headed serpent. With his nephew Iolaus' help, he cut off the Hydra's heads, preventing them from regenerating.


His struggles made Hercules the perfect embodiment of an idea the Greeks called pathos, the experience of virtuous struggle and suffering which would lead to fame and, in Hercules' case, immortality.
3. '''The Ceryneian Hind:''' Hercules captured the sacred deer of goddess Diana, known for its golden antlers and bronze hooves.


== '''The order of the labours given by the mythographer Apollodorus''' ==
4. '''The Erymanthian Boar:''' He captured a fearsome boar on Mount Erymanthus using a giant net.
1) Slaying the Nemean lion


2) Lernaean Hydra
5. '''The Augean Stables:''' Hercules cleaned King Augeas' stables in a single day by rerouting two rivers.


3) Capturing the Ceryneian Hind
6. '''The Stymphalian Birds:''' Hercules dispersed a flock of carnivorous birds in Stymphalos using magical bronze krotala given by Athena.


4) Capturing the Erymanthian Boar
7. '''The Cretan Bull:''' He tamed a bull in Crete, later becoming the father of the Minotaur.


5) Cleaning the Augean stables in a single day
8. '''The Mares of Diomedes:''' Hercules captured the man-eating horses of King Diomedes of Thrace.


6) Slaying the Stymphalian birds
9. '''Hippolyte’s Belt:''' Tasked with obtaining the armored belt of Amazon queen Hippolyte, Hercules faced Hera's deceitful interventions but succeeded.


7) Capturing the Cretan Bull
10. '''The Cattle of Geryon:''' He overcame numerous obstacles set by Hera to steal the cattle of the monster Geryon.


8) Stealing the Mares of Diomedes
11. '''The Apples of Hesperides:''' Hercules retrieved golden apples from Hera's garden with the assistance of Prometheus and Atlas.
 
9) Obtaining the girdle of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazon
 
10) Obtaining the cattle of the three-bodied giant Geryon
 
11) Stealing three of the golden apples of the Hesperides
 
12) Capturing and bringing back Cerberus
 
== 1) The Nemean Lion   ==
First, Eurystheus sent Hercules to the hills of Nemea to kill a lion that was terrorizing the people of the region. Hercules trapped the lion in its cave and strangled it.
 
For the rest of his life, he wore the animal’s pelt as a cloak.
 
== 2) The Lernaean Hydra ==
Second, Hercules traveled to the city of Lerna to slay the nine-headed Hydra—a poisonous, snake-like creature who lived underwater, guarding the entrance to the Underworld.
 
For this task, Hercules had the help of his nephew Iolaus. He cut off each of the monster’s heads while Iolaus burned each wound with a torch.
 
This way, the pair kept the heads from growing back.
 
== 3) Capturing the Ceryneian Hind ==
Next, Hercules set off to capture the sacred red deer of the goddess Diana, with golden antlers and bronze hooves. Eurystheus had chosen this task for his rival because he believed that Diana would kill anyone she caught trying to steal her animal however, once Hercules explained his situation to the goddess, she allowed him to go on his way without punishment.
 
== 4) The Erymanthean Boar ==
Hercules used a giant net to snare the terrifying, man-eating wild boar of Mount Erymanthus.
 
== 5) The Augean Stables ==
Hercules task was supposed to be humiliating as well as impossible: cleaning all the manure out of King Augeas’ enormous stables in a single day. However, Hercules completed the job easily, flooding the barn by diverting two nearby rivers, of Pinios and Alpheios.
 
== 6) The Stymphlaian Birds ==
Hercules’ sixth task was straightforward: Travel to the town of Stymphalos and drive away the huge flock of carnivorous birds that had taken up residence in its trees.
 
This time, it was the goddess Athena who came to the hero’s aid: She gave him a pair of magical bronze krotala, or noisemakers, forged by the god Hephaistos.
 
Hercules used these tools to frighten the birds away.
 
== 7) The Cretan Bull ==
Next, Hercules went to Crete to capture a rampaging bull that had impregnated the wife of the island’s king.
 
(She later gave birth to the Minotaur, a creature with a man’s body and a bull’s head.) Hercules drove the bull back to Eurystheus,
 
who released it into the streets of Marathon.
 
== 8) The Horses of Diomedes ==
Hercules’ eighth challenge was to capture the four man-eating horses of the Thracian king Diomedes.
 
He brought them to Eurystheus, who dedicated the horses to Hera and set them free.
 
== 9) Hippolyte’s Belt ==
The ninth labor was complicated: stealing an armored belt that belonged to the Amazon queen Hippolyte.
 
At first, the queen welcomed Hercules and agreed to give him the belt without a fight. However, the troublemaking Hera disguised herself as an Amazon warrior and spread a rumor that Hercules intended to kidnap the queen. To protect their leader, the women attacked the hero’s fleet; then, fearing for his safety, Hercules killed Hippolyte and ripped the belt from her body.
 
== 10) The Cattle of Geryon ==
For his 10th labor, Hercules was dispatched nearly to Africa to steal the cattle of the three-headed, six-legged monster Geryon.
 
Once again, Hera did all she could to prevent the hero from succeeding, but eventually, he returned to Mycenae with the cows.
 
== 11) The Apples of Hesperides ==
Next, Eurystheus sent Hercules to steal Hera’s wedding gift to Zeus: a set of golden apples guarded by a group of nymphs known as the Hesperides.
 
This task was difficult—Hercules needed the help of the titan Prometheus and the god Atlas to pull it off—but the hero eventually managed to run away with the apples.
 
After he showed them to the king, he returned them to the gods’ garden where they belonged.
 
== 12) Cerberus ==
For his final challenge, Hercules traveled to Hades to kidnap Cerberus, the vicious three-headed dog that guarded its gates.
 
Hercules managed to capture Cerberus by using his superhuman strength to wrestle the monster to the ground.
 
Afterward, the dog returned unharmed to his post at the entrance to the Underworld.


12. '''Cerberus:''' His final labor involved capturing Cerberus, the three-headed guard dog of Hades.


== Conclusion ==
The tale of Hercules' twelve labours is not just a story of brute strength, but also a narrative of resilience, repentance, and the quest for redemption. Hercules' journey from a troubled hero to an immortalized figure in Greek mythology underscores the themes of struggle and triumph that resonate through centuries.


{{Marianthi-Signature}}
{{Marianthi-Signature}}

Latest revision as of 12:23, 20 December 2023

Aposymvolismos-ton-athlon-tou-irakli-kerveros.jpg

The 12 Labours of Hercules[edit | edit source]

Hercules, a legendary figure in Greek mythology, was known for his extraordinary strength and daring adventures. Born to Zeus, the king of gods, and Alcmene, a mortal princess and granddaughter of Perseus, Hercules' lineage made him a demi-god. Hera, Zeus's wife, harbored resentment towards Hercules for being Zeus's illegitimate son and constantly sought to undermine him.

As an infant, Hercules displayed his remarkable strength by strangling two serpents sent by Hera to kill him in his crib. This event foreshadowed the numerous challenges he would face due to Hera's vengeance.

In his youth, Hera's machinations led Hercules to a temporary state of madness, during which he tragically killed his wife Megara and their children. Upon regaining his sanity, Hercules sought redemption and consulted the Oracle of Apollo. The Oracle decreed that Hercules must serve King Eurystheus of Tiryns and Mycenae for twelve years as penance, undertaking a series of near-impossible tasks known as the Labours of Hercules (Greek: άθλοι, athloi).

These twelve labours, steeped in danger and heroism, were linked by a continuous narrative that showcased Hercules' resilience and strength. Throughout his trials, Hercules received occasional assistance from the gods Hermes and Athena, embodying the Greek concept of pathos - the experience of virtuous struggle leading to greatness.

Hercules' Twelve Labours as Cataloged by Apollodorus[edit | edit source]

1. The Nemean Lion: Tasked to slay a fearsome lion in Nemea, Hercules used his immense strength to trap and strangle the beast, later wearing its pelt.

2. The Lernaean Hydra: In Lerna, Hercules faced the Hydra, a multi-headed serpent. With his nephew Iolaus' help, he cut off the Hydra's heads, preventing them from regenerating.

3. The Ceryneian Hind: Hercules captured the sacred deer of goddess Diana, known for its golden antlers and bronze hooves.

4. The Erymanthian Boar: He captured a fearsome boar on Mount Erymanthus using a giant net.

5. The Augean Stables: Hercules cleaned King Augeas' stables in a single day by rerouting two rivers.

6. The Stymphalian Birds: Hercules dispersed a flock of carnivorous birds in Stymphalos using magical bronze krotala given by Athena.

7. The Cretan Bull: He tamed a bull in Crete, later becoming the father of the Minotaur.

8. The Mares of Diomedes: Hercules captured the man-eating horses of King Diomedes of Thrace.

9. Hippolyte’s Belt: Tasked with obtaining the armored belt of Amazon queen Hippolyte, Hercules faced Hera's deceitful interventions but succeeded.

10. The Cattle of Geryon: He overcame numerous obstacles set by Hera to steal the cattle of the monster Geryon.

11. The Apples of Hesperides: Hercules retrieved golden apples from Hera's garden with the assistance of Prometheus and Atlas.

12. Cerberus: His final labor involved capturing Cerberus, the three-headed guard dog of Hades.

Conclusion[edit | edit source]

The tale of Hercules' twelve labours is not just a story of brute strength, but also a narrative of resilience, repentance, and the quest for redemption. Hercules' journey from a troubled hero to an immortalized figure in Greek mythology underscores the themes of struggle and triumph that resonate through centuries.

Author[edit source]

➡ Marianthi

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  • Contribution bénévole visant à aider les personnes, partout dans le monde, qui sont engagées dans l'apprentissage de la langue grecque !
  • Voluntary contribution aimed at helping people, all over the world, who are committed to learning the Greek language! 
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