The Labours of Herakles
See also Herakles Ideological Analysis
One hero stands both literally and metaphorically head and shoulders above all the others: Herakles (Hercules in Latin). Yet he can be a difficult character to pin down: he certainly lives up to his stereotyped image as a mighty performer of astonishing feats, yet he can also appear at the heart of Greek tragedies, take the stage as a gluttonous comic buffoon or be a philosophical role model. His heroism finally wins him the ultimate prize, since his accomplishments lead to immortality.
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Herakles - Before the Labours
Apollodoros relates a strange chronology and geneology. During the reign of the King of Mycenae, Elektryon the six sons of Pterelaos claimed the nearby kingdon of Tiryns. Likymnios was the sole surviving son of Elektryon who swore revenge on the sons and entrusted his daughter Alkmena and his kingdom to Amphitryon. He died and his brother Sthenelos used the pretext to take over the throne and banish Amphitryon who took refuge with Alkmena and Likynnios with Kreon at Thebes.
After ridding Thebes of a giant Vixen, Amphitryon sails to Taphos to ravage them. But Poseidon had made Pterelaos immortal by putting gold in his hair and while he was alive Taphos could not be taken. His daughter Komaitho falls in love with Amphitryon and takes out her father's golden hair and he dies. Despite her help Amphitryon executes her for treason.
Before Amphitryon returns, Zeus assumes the likeness of Amphitryon and sleeps with Alkmena. When Amphitryon actually returns there is confusion and Teiresias has to reveal the truth. Twon sons are born of Alkmena. Iphikles by Amphitryon and Herakles by Zeus. Zeus declared that this decendent of Perseus would reign over Mycenae. This irritaed Hera who tied to postpone the birth and persuaded Eileityiai,the goddess of childbirth to bring forward the birth Sthenelos' son Eurystheus
Herakles first major event was when he strangled tow serpents aged one. Later when Linos brother of Orpheus chastised Herakles, he killed him with his lyre. At 18 he was nearly 7 foor tall.
Feats of Herakles
He slays the lion of Kithairon 9his attributes include him wearing lionskin) and a thankful Thespios King of Thespiai and wife Megamede gives him 50 daughters on 50 nights (though he thinks its the same daughter every night). These daughters have sons.
At this time there is an event called the Choice of Herakles At a road junction he is met by vice who offers him an easy path of pleasure, and virtue who offers him a hard road of duty. He chooses the path of virtue.
On his way back he cuts the noses, hands and ears of heralds belonging to Erginos. He is incensed, marches on Thebes but Herakles kills him with a weapon given to him by Athena. As a reward Kreon gives him his daughter Megara and his given a sword by Hermes, bows and arrows by Apollo and a cloak from Athena.
Hera is still angry and drives Herakles mad and he throws Megara's children and others into a fire. He recovers his sanity and see the Delphic Oracle. Up until now he had been called Alkaios. The Oracle renames him Herakles (Hera's Glory) and told him to go to Tiryns and serve his uncle Eurystheus for 12 years and perform labours. For this he will become immortal.
The Labours of Herakles
The twelve labours are the accepted number although Pausanias had 11 possibly after he visits and sees the labours depicted at the temple of Zeus in Olympia. he leaves out Kerebos. We see Herakles transform from a freash faced young man to a mature hero, often helped by Athena. The labours do come in any definitive order.
The first 6 take place in the Pelopennese
- 1. Killing the Nemean lion. After this Eurystheus is so frighened he forebades Herakles from entering Mycenae and communicate through Kopreus
- 2. Killing the Hydra of Lerna. This was a progeny of Typheous and Ekhidna. This labour is disqualified becuase he got help from Iolaos
- 3. Killing the Kerynitian hind. This was sacred to Artemis. After killing it he runs into Artemis, Athena and Apollo and persuades them to keep it
- 4. Capturing the Erymanthian boar
- 5. Cleaning the stables of Augeias
- 6. Chasing away the Stymphalian birds by using a bronze rattle
The next two on the outskirts of the Greek world
The final four are at the ends of the world
- 9. Getting the belt of Hippolyte
- 10. Stealing the cattle of the tribodied Greyon
- 11. Fetching the golden apples of Hesperides
- 12. Bring the Kerberos from Hades
Capturing the Erymanthian boar
On his way he meets friendly Centaur Pholos who gives him meat and wine from Dionysos. The smell attracts other Centaurs. Herakles fights them off and they seek refuse with another friendly centaur Kheiron. Herakles accidentally shoots him and Kheiron goes away to die but he is immortal until Prometheus offers to become immortal in his place. Pholos dies as well as he accidentally extracted a poison arrow that falls on his foor.
Cleaning the stables of Augeias
Herakles agrees to clean the stables of the Argonaut Augeias in return for 10% of his cattle. Later when Augeias hears that he was doing this labour for Eurystheus he refuses to pay up. When Eurystheus hears that Herakles did the labour for hire he refuses to accept it. This is why the two disqualifications make it the 12 labours of Herakles
Capturing the Cretan bull
Minos promised to sacrifice a bull to help his claim of kingship. He substituted the bull because it was beautiful. Poseidon made his wife Pasiphae fall in love with it and it became father to the Minotaur. Posiedon made the bull feral, whereapon Herakles captures it. Eurystheus lets it go and harried the population until Theseus kills it.
Fetching the man eating horse from Thrace
He goes north to Thrace where the Bistones own some man-eatig mares. Herakles overpowers the grooms and drives the Mares of Diomedes into the sea and left them in the care of Abderos. However, while Heracles was away, the horses devoured Abderus. In revenge, Heracles fed Diomedes alive to his own mares
Getting the belt of Hippolyte
Herakles sails to the Amazon land and sets down at Thermiskyra. Hippolyte had been given the belt by Ares and promised him the belt. Hera assumed the likeness of an Amazon and spread rumours that Hippolyte would be abducted. The Amazons attacked and suspecting treachery kills Hippolyte, takes the belt and sails away to Troy.
Troy was built by Poseidon and Apollo and helped by the mortal Aiakos. Troy was destined to be captured so having a mortal build it would not make it impregnable. King Laomedon refused to pay and Apollo sent a plague and Poseidon a sea monster. Laomedon now had to expose his daughter Hesioneon the rocks to the sea monster as a remedy. (much like Perseus and Andromeda story )). Herakles saves the daughter and kills the monster.
Fetching the golden apples of Hesperides
On his way Herakles shoots an arrow at the eagle that has been devouring Prometheus' liver for 30,000 years. Prometheus was freed in return for revealing the secret that Thetis would bear Zeus a son greater than him. he abandons her and she later marries Peleus father of Akhilleus.
Prometheus advised Herakles to get Atlas to get the apples while he holds up the sky for him. Atlas agrees and then decides he no longer wants to hold up the sky and takes the apples for himself. Herakles agrees and asks Atlas to hold the sky once more while he outs a cushion on his head. This is a trick. He picks up the apples and walks off. Herakles gives the apples to Eurystheus who gives them back to Herakles who passes them to Athena, who in turn returns them to the Hesperides.
Bring the Kerebos from Hades
The Kerberos was an offspring of Typhoeus and Ekhidna. Here Herakles came across Thesues and Peirithoos who tried to free Persephone daughter of Zeus and Demeter. After freeing Theseus he asks Hades for the dog who says he can have him if he can wrestle him into submission, which he does. See also Capturing the Kerberos from an Ideological and Comparatist Perspective
After the Labours
Herakles give his wife to his companion and nephew Iolaos and was attracted to Iole daughter of Eurytos prince of Oikhalia. He gives his daugher away in an archery contyect that Herakles wins but fearing a repeat of what happened with Megara and his children he refuses to hand her over. In revenge Hearkles throws his son Iphitos over the walls of Tiryns.
Herakles seeks purification for this from Neleus King of Pylos. He refuses being a friend of Eurytos. He gets a disaease and goes to the Delphic Oracle. Not getting a response he takes the sacred tripod that Apollo needs to wrestle from him. The Oracle then decides he should be sold into slavery
Hermes sells him to Omphale Queen of Lydia to rid her of trouble makers
- 1. He catches the two Kerkopes brothers but releases them
- 2. Slays a massive snake
- 3. Defeats her enemies ay Itonoi
- 4. Kills Syleus with his own hoe as well as her daughter Xenodike
On the island of Dolikhe he finds the body of Ikaros buries him and renames the island Ikaria and sails with the Argonauts. He falls in love with Omphale and she bears him a son Agelos and she releases him.
Free he goes to Troy with Telamon to fight Laomedon and gives his daughter Hesione to Telamon as a prize. Hesione is allowed to release a prisoner and choose Podarkes who is renamed Priam.
Herakles moves to Phlegrai in Thrace and helps the Gods defeat the Giants in the Gigantomachy. After that he goes to Augeias for payment for cleaning the stables. Augeias is helped by Eurytos and Kteatos, sons of Poseidon by Molione (siamese twins). They kill Iphikles but Herakles kills the twins and then kills Augeias and his sons.
Next he attacks and kills Neleus for refusing to purify him and slays his shape chnaging son Peroklymenos. Nestor escapes being elsewhere at the time. Herakles wounds Zeus, Hades and Hera.
Then he has revenge on Hippokoon at Sparta. He recruits Kepheus and his sons at Arkadia. They win but Kepheus dies along with Herakles' brother Iphikles according to one tradition.
Is he now entertained character:King Aleus where he rapes his daughter Auge. The Delphic Oracle warned Aleus that he would be killed by his son. Finding that Auge was pregnant he had Nauplios down her but on their way to do that she gave birth to Telephos and he sold her instead to King Teuthras who married her and adopted Telephos.
Herakles moved on to Kalydon and courted Deianeira daughter Oineusand wrestled the shape changing Akeloos and married Deianeira.. He is immediately unfaithful with Phylas's daughter and father's Tlepolemos and accidentally kills Oineus.
He goes into exile and at the River Euenos he meets the centaur Nessos and entrusts Deianeira to him. He tries to rape her and Herakles shoots him with posioned arrow from the bllod of the Hydra. As he dies he presents his blood soaked cloak to Deianeira saving it will server to excite the love of her husband.
Finally, Herakles raises a force to claim his bride prize Iole from Eurytos. Herakles demise his now taken up in Sophokles' tragedy The Women of Trakhis. Deineira discovers Iole and thinking the cloak was a love potion gives it to Herakles. The venom attacks his skin and tears it off. Unconsolable Deianeira kills herself. Meanwhile Herakles builds himself a pyre and climbs on to it and it is lit by Philoktetes. He is taklen up to Olympus and is reconciled with Hera and marries her daugher Hebe
