Hercules is a hero in ancient Greek mythology, the son of the god Zeus and Alcmene, the wife of the hero Amphitryon. Among the numerous myths about Hercules, the most famous cycle of legends about 12 exploits performed by Hercules when he was in the service of the Mycenaean king Eurystheus. The cult of Hercules was very popular in Greece, through the Greek colonists it spread early in Italy, where Hercules was revered under the name of Hercules.

Once the evil Hera sent a terrible illness to Hercules. The great hero lost his mind, madness took possession of him. In a fit of rage, Hercules killed all his children and the children of his brother Iphicles. When the seizure passed, deep sorrow seized Hercules. Having cleansed himself of the filth of his involuntary murder, Hercules left Thebes and went to the sacred Delphi to ask the god Apollo what to do. Apollo ordered Hercules to go to the homeland of his ancestors in Tiryns and serve Eurystheus for twelve years. Through the lips of the Pythia, the son of Latona predicted to Hercules that he would receive immortality if he performed twelve great deeds at the behest of Eurystheus. Hercules settled in Tiryns and became a servant of the weak, cowardly Eurystheus ... In the service of Eurystheus, Hercules performed his 12 legendary deeds, for which he needed all his strength, as well as ingenuity and good advice from the gods.

12 labors of Hercules

The canonical scheme of 12 labors was first established by Pisander of Rhodes in the poem "Hercules". The order of exploits is not the same for all authors. In total, Pythia ordered Hercules to perform 10 feats, but Eurystheus did not count 2 of them. I had to do two more and it turned out 12. In 8 years and one month, he completed the first 10 feats, in 12 years - everything.

1. Smothering the Nemean Lion
2. Lernaean Hydra Kill (not credited due to Iolaus' help)
3. Extermination of Stymphalian birds
4. Capture of the Kerinean fallow deer
5. Taming the Erymanth Boar
6. Cleaning of the Augean Stables (not counted due to a fee requirement)
7. The taming of the Cretan bull
8. Abduction of the Horses of Diomedes, victory over King Diomedes (who threw foreigners to be devoured by his horses)
9. The Abduction of the Belt of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons
10. The kidnapping of the cows of the three-headed giant Geryon
11. Stealing golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides
12. The taming of the guardian of Hades - the dog of Cerberus

The first feat of Hercules (summary)

Hercules strangled a huge Nemean lion, which was born by the monsters Typhon and the Echidna and caused devastation in Argolis. Hercules' arrows bounced off the lion's thick skin, but the hero stunned the beast with his club and strangled it with his hands. In memory of this first feat, Hercules established the Nemean Games, which were celebrated in the ancient Peloponnese every two years.

The second feat of Hercules (summary)

Hercules killed the Lernaean hydra - a monster with a snake body and 9 dragon heads, which crawled out of a swamp near the city of Lerna, killed people and destroyed whole herds. In place of each hydra's head cut off by the hero, two new ones grew, until Hercules' assistant, Iolaus, began to cauterize the hydra's neck with burning tree trunks. He also killed a giant cancer, which came out of the swamp to help the hydra. In the poisonous bile of the Lernaean hydra, Hercules soaked his arrows, making them deadly.

The third feat of Hercules (summary)

Stymphalian birds attacked people and livestock, tearing them apart with copper claws and beaks. In addition, they dropped deadly bronze feathers from a height like arrows. The goddess Athena gave Hercules two tympans, with the sounds of which he scared the birds. When they flew up in a flock, Hercules shot some of them with a bow, and the rest flew in horror to the shores of the Pontus Euxine (Black Sea) and never returned to Greece.

The fourth feat of Hercules (summary)

The Kerinean doe with golden horns and copper legs, sent as punishment to people by the goddess Artemis, never knowing fatigue, rushed through Arcadia and devastated the fields. Hercules pursued the doe at a run for a whole year, reaching in pursuit of her the sources of the Istria (Danube) in the far north and then returning back to Hellas. Here Hercules wounded the doe with an arrow in the leg, caught it and brought it alive to Eurystheus in Mycenae.

The fifth feat of Hercules (summary)

The Erymanthian boar, possessing monstrous strength, terrified all the surroundings. On the way to fight him, Hercules visited his friend, the centaur Fall. He treated the hero with wine, angering the rest of the centaurs, since the wine belonged to all of them, and not to Foul alone. The centaurs rushed at Hercules, but with archery he forced the attackers to hide near the centaur Chiron. In pursuit of the centaurs, Hercules burst into the cave of Chiron and accidentally killed this wise hero of many Greek myths with an arrow. Finding an Erymanthian boar, Hercules drove him into deep snow, and he got stuck there. The hero took the tied boar to Mycenae, where the frightened Eurystheus hid in a large jug at the sight of this monster.

The sixth feat of Hercules (summary)

The king of Elis, Augeas, the son of the sun god Helios, received from his father numerous herds of white and red bulls. His huge stockyard has not been cleaned for 30 years. Hercules proposed to Augius to clear the stall in a day, asking in return for a tenth of his flocks. Considering that the hero would not be able to cope with the work in one day, Augeas agreed. Hercules dammed the rivers Alpheus and Penae and diverted their water to the cattle yard of Avgius - all the manure was washed away from it in a day.

The greedy Augeas did not give Hercules the promised payment for the work. A few years later, having already freed himself from service with Eurystheus, Hercules gathered an army, defeated Avgius and killed him. After this victory, Hercules established the famous Olympic Games in Elis, near the city of Pisa.

Seventh feat of Hercules (summary)

God Poseidon gave the Cretan king Minos a beautiful bull to sacrifice to himself. But Minos left a wonderful bull in his herd, and sacrificed another to Poseidon. The angry god sent rage on the bull: he began to rush all over Crete, destroying everything along the way. Hercules caught the bull, tamed it and swam on its back across the sea from Crete to the Peloponnese. Eurystheus ordered the release of the bull. He, again enraged, rushed from Mycenae to the north, where he was killed in Attica by the Athenian hero Theseus.

Eighth feat of Hercules (summary)

The Thracian king Diomedes owned horses of wondrous beauty and strength, which could only be kept in a stall with iron chains. Diomedes fed the horses with human meat, killing foreigners who came to him. Hercules took the horses away by force and defeated Diomedes, who rushed in pursuit in battle. During this time, the horses tore apart Hercules' companion, Abder, who guarded them on the ships.

The ninth feat of Hercules (summary)

The queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta, wore a belt given to her by the god Ares as a sign of her power. This belt wanted to have the daughter of Eurystheus, Admet. Hercules with a detachment of heroes sailed to the kingdom of the Amazons, to the shores of the Pontus Euxine (Black Sea). Hippolyta, at the request of Hercules, wanted to give the belt voluntarily, but other Amazons attacked the hero and killed several of his companions. Hercules killed seven of the strongest warriors in battle and put their army to flight. Hippolyta gave him the belt as a ransom for the captured Amazon Melanippa. On the way back from the country of the Amazons, Hercules rescued at the walls of Troy Hesione, the daughter of the Trojan king Laomendont, who, like Andromeda, was doomed to a sacrifice to the sea monster. Hercules killed the monster, but Laomedont did not give him the promised reward - the horses of Zeus belonging to the Trojans. For this, Hercules a few years later made a trip to Troy, took her and killed the entire family of Laomedont, leaving only one of his sons, Priam, alive. Priam and ruled Troy during the glorious Trojan War.

Tenth feat of Hercules (summary)

On the westernmost edge of the earth, the giant Geryon, who had three bodies, three heads, six arms and six legs, grazed cows. On the orders of Eurystheus, Hercules went after these cows. The very long journey to the west was already a feat, and in memory of him, Hercules erected two stone (Hercules) pillars on both sides of a narrow strait near the shores of the Ocean (modern Gibraltar). Geryon lived on the island of Erythia. So that Hercules could reach him, the sun god Helios gave him his horses and a golden canoe, on which he himself daily floats across the sky.

Having killed the guards of Geryon - the giant Eurytion and the two-headed dog Orfo - Hercules captured the cows and drove them to the sea. But then Geryon himself rushed at him, covering his three bodies with three shields and throwing three spears at once. However, Hercules shot him with a bow and finished off with a club, and the cows were transported on the boat of Helios across the Ocean. On the way to Greece, one of the cows fled from Hercules to Sicily. To free her, the hero had to kill the Sicilian king Eriks in a duel. Then Hera, hostile to Hercules, sent rabies to the herd, and the cows that fled from the shores of the Ionian Sea were barely overfished in Thrace. Eurystheus, having received Geryon's cows, sacrificed them to Hera.

Eleventh feat of Hercules (summary)

Hercules had to find a way to the great titan Atlas (Atlanta), who holds the firmament on his shoulders at the edge of the earth. Eurystheus ordered Hercules to take three golden apples from the golden tree of the Atlas garden. To find out the way to Atlas, Hercules, on the advice of the nymphs, watched the sea god Nereus on the seashore, grabbed him and held him until he showed the necessary road. On the way to the Atlas through Libya, Hercules had to fight the cruel giant Antaeus, who received new powers by touching his mother - Earth-Gaia. After a long fight, Hercules lifted Antaeus into the air and strangled him without lowering him to the ground. In Egypt, King Busiris wanted to sacrifice Hercules to the gods, but the angry hero killed Busiris along with his son.

Twelfth feat of Hercules (summary)

By order of Eurystheus, Hercules descended across the Tenar abyss into the dark kingdom of the god of the dead, Hades, to take away his guard from there, the three-headed dog Cerberus, whose tail ended with the head of a dragon. At the very gates of the underworld, Hercules freed the Athenian hero Theseus, who was adhered to the rock, who, together with his friend, Periphous, the gods punished for trying to steal his wife Persephone from Hades. In the kingdom of the dead, Hercules met the shadow of the hero Meleager, to whom he promised to become the protector of his lonely sister Deianira and marry her. The ruler of the underworld, Hades, himself allowed Hercules to take Cerberus away - but only if the hero is able to tame him. Having found Cerberus, Hercules began to fight him. He strangled the dog, pulled him out of the ground and brought him to Mycenae. The cowardly Eurystheus, at one glance at the terrible dog, began to beg Hercules to take her back, which he did.

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Report on Hercules

Hercules is a mythological hero, whose father was the great Zeus, the main one among the main ones. His mother was a mere mortal. Zeus had to deceive Alcmene, and in the guise of a husband, he appeared to the beauty in the middle of the night. Nine months later, Zeus had an illegitimate son - Hercules.

When Hera, who was the legal wife of the God of Olympus, found out about her husband's betrayal, she decided to destroy that child. The goddess was the patroness of marriage bonds, and tried to protect the legal marriage with Zeus, so she had to fight with the illegitimate children of her husband.
Two monstrous snakes were sent by her to the lullabies of Hercules and his brother. But the baby, who had the power, managed to get rid of them. He strangled them. Then everything was like everyone else - Hercules studied, performed several feats, got married and had offspring. But Hera could not calm down. She sent an attack of madness to Hercules, as a result of which his own children and beloved brother were killed.

In atonement for this, according to the Delphic Pythia, he must perform ten labors. But he did 12 of them - and the whole world heard about them.

Feats of Hercules

1. Smothering the Nemean Lion
2. Lernaean Hydra Kill (not credited due to Iolaus' help)
3. Extermination of Stymphalian birds
4. Capture of the Kerinean fallow deer
5. Taming the Erymanth Boar
6. Cleaning of the Augean Stables (not counted due to a fee requirement)
7. The taming of the Cretan bull
8. Abduction of the Horses of Diomedes, victory over King Diomedes (who threw foreigners to be devoured by his horses)
9. The Abduction of the Belt of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons
10. The kidnapping of the cows of the three-headed giant Geryon
11. Stealing golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides
12. The taming of the guardian of Hades - the dog of Cerberus

Hercules' life was eventful, but the journey was not so long, he died at fifty. And there are different versions of his death. The most likely next option: Hercules realized that his forces were leaving him, and he could not pull the string of his own bow. And then he decides to end his journey at the stake. This is a worthy end to the hero's life.

Hercules (Heraclius, Alcides), Greek, lat. Hercules- the son of Zeus and, the greatest hero of Greek legends. By the way, the name of Hercule Poirot, for example, is also from "Hercules".

His name (usually in Latinized form) is usually used when they want to emphasize the enormous height or enormous physical strength of a person. But Hercules was not only a hero. He was a man with human weaknesses and positive qualities, who without hesitation entered into a struggle with fate and used his abilities not only for his own glory, but also in order to benefit mankind, save him from troubles and suffering. He accomplished more than other people, but he also suffered more, which is why he was a hero. For this he received a reward, which his Babylonian predecessor Gilgamesh or the Phoenician Melqart had vainly sought; for him the most impossible dream of man came true - he became immortal.

Hercules was born in Thebes, where his mother Alcmene fled with her husband, who killed his father-in-law Electrion and feared revenge from his brother Sfenel. Of course, Zeus knew about the upcoming birth of Hercules - not only because he was an omniscient god, but also because he was directly related to his birth. The fact is that Zeus really liked Alcmene, and he, having assumed the form of Amphitryon, freely entered her bedroom. On the day Hercules was supposed to be born, Zeus recklessly declared in the assembly of the gods that today the greatest hero will be born. immediately realized that we were talking about the consequences of another love adventure of her husband, and decided to take revenge on him. Allegedly doubting his prediction, she provoked him to swear that the one born on that day would command all his relatives, even if they were from the clan of Zeus. Then, with the help of Ilithia, Hera accelerated the birth of Nikippa, Sphenel's wife, although she was only seven months old, and delayed the birth of Alcmene. And so it happened that the mighty Hercules, the son of the almighty Zeus, had to serve the wretched pre-born Eurystheus, the son of the mortal Sphenel, - a sad fate, but a true hero is able to overcome this injustice of fate.

Shot from the film "Hercules"

Alcmene's son was named Alcides at birth in honor of his step-grandfather,. Only later was he called Hercules, because he, they say, "thanks to Hera attained glory" (this is the traditional, although not entirely conclusive interpretation of his name). In this case, Hera turned out to be the hero's benefactor against her will: she built all kinds of intrigues for him to avenge her husband's betrayal, and Hercules, overcoming them, performed one feat after another. To begin with, Hera sent two monstrous snakes to his cradle, but the baby Hercules strangled them. Shocked by this, Amphitryon realized that such a child would eventually be able to accomplish great things, and decided to give him a proper upbringing. The best teachers were engaged with Hercules: the son of Zeus, Castor, taught him to fight with weapons, the Echali king Euryth taught him archery. He was taught wisdom by the just Radamanth, music and singing - the brother of Orpheus himself, Lin. Hercules was a diligent student, but playing the cithara was given to him worse than other sciences. When one day Lin decided to punish him, he hit him back with a cithara and killed him on the spot. Amphitryon was horrified at his strength and decided to send Hercules away from people. He sent him to graze the cattle on Mount Kiferon, and Hercules took it for granted.

Hercules lived excellently on Kiferon; there he killed a formidable lion that killed people and livestock, and made himself an excellent cloak from his skin. In the eighteenth year, Hercules decided to look at the white light and at the same time look after his wife. He made a club for himself from the trunk of a huge ash tree, threw the skin of a Kiferon lion (whose head served as his helmet) over his shoulders, and set off for his native Thebes.

On the way, he met strangers and from their conversation learned that they were the tribute collectors of the Orkhomenian king Ergin. They went to Thebes to receive a hundred oxen from the Theban king Creon - an annual tribute imposed on him by Ergin by right of the strongest. It seemed unfair to Hercules, and when the collectors, in response to his words, began to mock him, he dealt with them in his own way: he cut off their noses and ears, tied their hands and ordered them to return home. Thebes enthusiastically greeted their fellow countryman, but their joy did not last long. Ergin with an army appeared at the gates of the city. Hercules led the defense of the city, defeated Ergin and ordered him to return to Thebes twice as much as he managed to get from them. For this, King Creon gave him his daughter Megara and half of the palace to be his wife. Hercules remained in Thebes, became the father of three sons and considered himself the happiest man in the world.

But the hero's happiness is not in a peaceful life, and soon Hercules had to be convinced of this.

In the illustrations: the exploits of Hercules, reconstruction of the metopes of the temple of Zeus at Olympia, 470-456. BC. Upper row: Nemean lion, Lernaean hydra, Stimphalia birds; second row: Cretan bull, Kerinean doe, belt of Queen Hippolyta; third row: Erymanthian boar, horses of Diomedes, giant Geryon; bottom row: golden apples of the Hesperides, Kerberos, cleaning of the Augean stables.

While he was a shepherd, Hera believed that everything was going as it should. But as soon as he became the royal son-in-law, she decided to intervene. She could not deprive him of his power, but what could be worse than power not controlled by reason? So, Hera sent madness on him, in a fit of which Hercules killed his sons and two children of his half-brother Iphicles. Even worse, Hera then restored his sanity. Heartbroken, Hercules went to Delphi to find out how he could cleanse himself from the filth of involuntary murder. Through the lips of the Pythia, God told Hercules that he should go to the Mycenaean king Eurystheus and enter into his service. If Hercules completes the twelve tasks that Eurystheus entrusts to him, shame and guilt will be removed from him, and he will become immortal.

Hercules obeyed. He went to Argos, settled in his father's castle of Tiryns near Mycenae (truly this dwelling was worthy of Hercules: with its walls 10-15 m thick, Tiryns remains to this day the most indestructible fortress in the world) and expressed his readiness to serve Eurystheus. The powerful figure of Hercules instilled such fear in Eurystheus that he did not dare to personally entrust him with anything and transmitted all orders to Hercules through his herald Koprey. But the more fearless he came up with tasks for him: one is more difficult than the other.

Nemean lion

Eurystheus did not make Hercules bored for a long time while waiting for work. Hercules was ordered to kill a lion who lived in the neighboring Nemean mountains and instilled fear in the whole area, since it was twice the size of an ordinary lion and had an impenetrable skin. Hercules found his lair (this cave is still shown to tourists), stunned the lion with a blow of his club, strangled it, threw it on his shoulders and brought it to Mycenae. Eurystheus was numb with horror: the incredible strength of the servant frightened him even more than a dead lion thrown at his feet. Instead of gratitude, he forbade Hercules to appear in Mycenae: henceforth, let him show "material evidence" in front of the city gates, and he, Eurystheus, will control them from above. Now let Hercules immediately go on a new assignment - it's time to kill Hydra!

Lernaean Hydra

It was a monster with a snake body and nine dragon heads, one of which was immortal. lived in the swamps near the city of Lerna in Argolis and devastated the surrounding area. People were powerless in front of her. Hercules found out that Hydra has an assistant, Karkin, a huge cancer with sharp claws. Then he also took with him an assistant, the youngest son of his brother Iphicles, the brave Iolaus. First of all, Hercules set fire to the forest behind the Lernaean swamps in order to cut off the retreat for the Hydra, then heated arrows in the fire of the fire and began the battle. Fire arrows only teased Hydra, she rushed to Hercules and immediately lost one of her heads, but two new ones grew in her place. In addition, cancer hastened to help Hydra. But when he grabbed Hercules in the leg, Iolaus killed him with an accurate blow. While Hydra looked around in bewilderment in search of her assistant, Hercules uprooted a burning tree and burned one of its heads: a new one did not grow in its place. Now Hercules knew how to get down to business: he cut off heads, one by one, and Iolaus burned the necks before new heads could grow from the embryos. The latter, despite desperate resistance, Hercules chopped off and burned the immortal head of the Hydra. Hercules immediately buried the charred remains of this head in the ground and rolled it over with a huge stone. He cut the dead Hydra into pieces, just in case, and tempered his arrows in her bile; since then, the wounds inflicted by them have become incurable. Accompanied by the inhabitants of the liberated land, Hercules and Iolaus returned to Mycenae with a victory. But the herald Koprey was already standing in front of the Lion's Gate with a new order: to clear the land of the Stymphalian birds.

Stymphalian birds

These birds were found near Lake Stymphalian in and devastated the surroundings worse than locusts. Their claws and feathers were made of solid copper, and these feathers they could throw off a raid like their current distant relatives - bombers. Fighting against them from the ground was a hopeless affair, as they immediately rained down their killer feathers on the enemy. Therefore, Hercules climbed a tall tree, scared the birds with a rattle and began to shoot them down from a bow one after another, while they circled around the tree, dropping copper arrows to the ground. Finally, in fear, they flew far over the sea.

Kerinean fallow deer

After the expulsion of the Stymphalian birds, Hercules faced a new task: to catch a doe with golden horns and copper legs, which lived in Kerineas (on the border of Achaea and Arcadia) and belonged to Artemis. Eurystheus hoped that the powerful goddess would be angry with Hercules and force him to calm down. Catching this doe was no trivial matter, since she was shy and fast like the wind. Hercules chased her for a whole year until he managed to get close to the distance of a shot. Wounding the doe, Hercules caught it and brought it to Mycenae. He asked Artemis for forgiveness for his act and made a rich sacrifice to her, appeasing the goddess.

Erymanthian Boar

The next task was of the same kind: it was necessary to catch the Erymanthian boar, which ravaged the vicinity of the city of Psophis and killed many people with its huge fangs. Hercules drove the boar into deep snow, tied it up and brought it to Mycenae alive. Eurystheus, out of fear of the monstrous beast, hid in a barrel and from there he begged Hercules to get out as soon as possible with the boar - for this he, they say, will entrust him with a less dangerous task: to clean out the stable of the Elide king Augeus.

Augean stables

What is true, it is true, the work of Hercules was to be safe, but they were huge, and so much manure and all kinds of dirt accumulated in the barn ... no wonder this barn (or stable) has become proverbial. To cleanse this stable was a superhuman task. Hercules, however, offered the king to put things in order in one day, if he received a tenth of the royal cattle for this. Augeas agreed, and Hercules immediately got down to business, relying not so much on his strength as on quick wit. He drove all the cattle to pasture, dug a canal leading to and Penei, and diverted the water of these two rivers into it. The gushing water cleared the barn, after which it only remained to close the channel and drive the cattle back into the stalls. However, King Augeas, meanwhile, learned that this work had previously been entrusted to Hercules by Eurystheus, and under this pretext he refused to reward Hercules. In addition, he insulted the hero, saying that, they say, the son of Zeus should not earn money by cleaning other people's cowsheds. Hercules was not one of those who forgets such grievances: a few years later, having freed himself from service with Eurystheus, he invaded Elis with a large army, destroyed the possessions of Augeus, and killed him. In honor of this victory, Hercules founded the Olympic Games.

Cretan bull

The next assignment led Hercules to Crete. Eurystheus ordered the delivery of a wild bull to Mycenae, who escaped from the Cretan king Minos. It was the best bull in the royal herd, and Minos promised to donate it to Poseidon. But Minos did not want to part with such a magnificent specimen, and instead he sacrificed another bull. Poseidon did not let himself be fooled and, in revenge, sent rabies to the hidden bull. Hercules not only caught the bull that ravaged the island, but also tamed him, and he obediently transported him on his back from Crete to Argolis.

Horses of diomedes

Then Hercules sailed to Thrace (but already on a ship) to bring Eurystheus fierce horses, which the king of the Bistones, Diomedes, fed with human flesh. With the help of several of his friends, Hercules got horses and brought them to his ship. However, there he was overtaken by Diomedes with an army. Leaving the horses in his care, Hercules in a fierce battle defeated the Bistons and killed Diomedes, but the wild horses meanwhile tore Abder to pieces. When the deeply grieved Hercules brought the horses to Mycenae, Eurystheus set them free, just as he had previously released the Cretan bull.

But neither grief nor disregard for the results of his labors broke Hercules. Without hesitation, he went to the island of Erythia to bring from there a herd of cattle that belonged to the three-body giant Geryon.

Giant Geryon

This island was far to the west, where the land ended in a narrow isthmus. With his mighty club, Hercules divided the isthmus in half and placed two stone pillars along the edges of the strait that emerged (in the ancient world, today's Gibraltar was called the Pillars of Hercules). He came to the western end of the world just at the time when in his solar chariot to the Ocean. To escape from the unbearable heat, Hercules was ready to shoot an arrow at Helios. The reaction of the gods is unpredictable: delighted with the courage of the hero who directed his bow at him, Helios not only did not get angry, but even lent him his golden boat, on which Hercules sailed to Erythia. There the two-headed dog Orph and the giant Eurytion, who were guarding Geryon's herds, attacked him. Hercules had no choice - he had to kill both, and then Geryon himself. Having endured many misadventures, Hercules drove the herd to the Peloponnese. On the way, he defeated the strong man Eriks, who stole one cow from him, and the giant Kaka, who stole part of the herd from him. When Hercules was already hoping that he would safely reach Mycenae, Hera infuriated the cows, and they fled in all directions. Hercules had to work hard to drive off the whole herd again. Eurystheus sacrificed the cows to the eternal enemy of Hercules - Hera.

Belt of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons

The next feat of Hercules was an expedition to the country of female warriors - the Amazons, from where he was supposed to bring Hippolyta's belt to Admete, the daughter of Eurystheus. Hercules went there with a small detachment of his friends, and on the way stopped in Mysia, where King Lycus, known for his hospitality, ruled. During a feast arranged by Lik in their honor, warlike bebriks invaded the city. Hercules got up from the table, together with his friends drove out the bebriks, killed their king, and gave all their land to Lika, who named her in honor of Hercules Heraclea. With his victory, he gained such fame that Queen Hippolyta herself came out to meet him in order to voluntarily give him her belt. But then Hera began to spread rumors about Hercules that he intended to take Hippolyta into slavery, and the Amazons believed her. They attacked the detachment of Hercules, and the Greeks had no choice but to take up arms. In the end, they defeated the Amazons and took many of them prisoner, including the two leaders, Melanippe and Antiope. Hippolyta returned freedom to Melaniepe, giving Hercules his belt for this, while Hercules presented Antiope to his friend Theseus as a reward for his bravery. In addition, he knew that Theseus and wanted to marry her (as Theseus did when he returned to Athens).

Hell Dog Kerber

So, Hercules performed ten labors, although Eurystheus at first refused to count the murder of the Lernean Hydra (under the pretext that Hercules used Iolaus' help) and the cleaning of the Augean barn (since Hercules demanded payment from Augeus). The eleventh mission led Hercules to the underworld. Eurystheus demanded to introduce him to Cerberus himself - no more and no less. It was truly a hellish dog: three-headed, snakes wriggling around its neck, and its tail ended in a dragon's head with a disgusting mouth. Although until then no one returned from the afterlife alive, Hercules did not hesitate. The gods were impressed by his courage, and they decided to help him. Hermes, the guide of the souls of the dead, took him to the Tenar gorge (at the present Cape Matapan, in the extreme south of the Peloponnese and the entire European continent), where there was a secret entrance to the kingdom of the dead, and then Athena accompanied him. After a terrible journey, in which he met the shadows of dead friends and slain enemies, Hercules appeared before the throne. Hades listened favorably to the son of Zeus and without anything allowed him to catch and take away Cerberus, provided that he did not use the weapon. True, Kerber himself has not yet said his word. The guardian of the underworld fought back with teeth and nails (more precisely, with claws), beat with a tail with a dragon's head and howled so terribly that the souls of the dead rushed in confusion throughout the afterlife. After a short struggle, Hercules squeezed him with such force that the half-strangled Cerberus calmed down and promised to follow him unquestioningly to Mycenae. At the sight of this monster, Eurystheus fell to his knees (according to another version, he again huddled into a barrel or into a large earthen vessel for grain) and begged Hercules to do mercy: to return this hellish creature to its rightful place.

Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini "Hercules in the Garden of the Hesperides"

Golden apples of the Hesperides

The last task remained: Eurystheus ordered to convey to Hercules that he should bring him three golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides, daughters who, for rebellion against the gods, were doomed to forever support the firmament. No one knew where these gardens were. It was only known that the way to them was guarded by the vigilant dragon Ladon, who did not know defeat in the struggle and was killing all the defeated, and finally Atlas himself. Hercules went to Egypt, passed Libya and all the lands familiar to him from the time of his trip to Erythia, but he never found the gardens of the Hesperides. Only when he came to the very far north, to the endless waters of Eridan, the nymphs there advised him to turn to the sea god Nereus - he knows and can tell everything, but he needs to be forced to do it. Hercules lay in wait for Nereus, attacked him and after a stubborn struggle (all the more difficult because the sea god kept changing his appearance) tied him. He let him go only when he knew everything he needed to know. The Gardens of the Hesperides were in the far west, somewhere between today's Morocco and southern France. Again Hercules had to go through Libya, where he was met by Antaeus, the son of the earth goddess Gaia. According to his custom, the giant immediately challenged Hercules to single combat. Hercules escaped defeat only because during the struggle he guessed where the giant draws his strength from: feeling tired, he fell to mother earth, and she poured new strength into him. Therefore, Hercules tore him off the ground and lifted him into the air. Antaeus was exhausted, and Hercules strangled him. Continuing the journey, Hercules again and again overcame obstacles and traps that robbers and rulers are preparing for travelers. He also avoided the fate that the Egyptian intended to all foreigners, who sacrificed them to the gods. Finally, Hercules came to Atlanta and explained to him the purpose of the visit. With suspicious readiness, Atlas volunteered to personally bring apples to Hercules, if in the meantime he would hold the firmament on his shoulders. Hercules had no choice - he agreed. Atlas kept his promise and even offered to deliver apples directly to Mycenae, promising to return immediately. The trick can only be interrupted by trick: Hercules apparently agreed, but asked Atlant to hold the firmament while he made himself a substrate so that his shoulders would not crush. As soon as Atlas took his usual place, Hercules took the apples, kindly thanked for the service - and stopped only in Mycenae. Eurystheus could not believe his eyes and in confusion returned the apples to Hercules. He donated them to Athena, and she returned them to the Hesperides. The twelfth task was completed, and Hercules was freed.

Life and death of Hercules after completing twelve labors

Soon Hercules became free in another sense: he generously yielded to his wife Megara to Iolaus, who in his absence as a faithful friend consoled her and was so used to her that he could no longer live without her. After which Hercules left Thebes, with which now nothing connected him, and returned to Tiryns. But not for long. There, new intrigues of the goddess Hera awaited him, and with them new sufferings and new deeds.

It is not known for sure whether Hera inspired him with a desire for a new wife or awakened in him an ambitious desire to defeat the best shooter in Hellas, the Echali king Evryta. However, both were closely interconnected, since Evryth proclaimed that his daughter, the fair-haired beauty Iola, would give in wife only to the one who defeated him in archery. So, Hercules went to Echalia (most likely she was in Messinia, according to Sophocles - on Euboea), appeared at the palace of his former teacher, at first sight fell in love with his daughter, and the next day he defeated him in a competition. But Eurythus, stung by the fact that his own disciple had put him to shame, declared that he would not give his daughter to the one who was a slave to the cowardly Eurystheus. Hercules was offended and went to look for a new wife. He found her in distant Calydon: it was the beautiful Deianira, the daughter of King Oineus.

She did not come easily to him: for this, Hercules had to defeat her former fiancé in single combat, a mighty one, who, moreover, could turn into a snake and a bull. After the wedding, the newlyweds stayed in Oineya's palace, but Hera did not leave Hercules alone. She darkened his mind, and he killed the son of his friend Architel at a feast. Actually, Hercules just wanted to give him a slap on the head for pouring water on his hands, intended for washing his feet. But Hercules did not calculate his strength, and the boy fell dead. True, Architeles forgave him, but Hercules did not want to stay in Calydon and went with Deianira to Tiryns.

On the way, they came to the river Even. There was no bridge across it, and the centaur Nessus transported those wishing to cross for a moderate fee. Hercules entrusted Deianir with Ness, and he himself overcame the river by swimming. Meanwhile, the centaur, captivated by the beauty of Deianira, tried to kidnap her. But he was overtaken by the deadly arrow of Hercules. The bile of the Lernaean hydra poisoned the centaur's blood, and he soon died. And yet, before his death, he managed to take revenge: Nessus advised Deianira to save his blood and rub Hercules 'clothes with it if he suddenly fell out of love with Deianira - and then Hercules' love would immediately return to her. In Tiryns, Deianir seemed to never need the "love blood". The couple lived in peace and harmony, raised their five children - until Hera again intervened in the fate of Hercules.

By a strange coincidence, simultaneously with the departure of Hercules from Echalia, a herd of cattle disappeared from the king of Evryta. It was stolen by Autolycus. But this one, in order to distract suspicions, pointed to Hercules, who, they say, wanted to take revenge on the king for the insult. All Echalia believed this libel - with the exception of the eldest son of Evritus, Iphit. To prove the innocence of Hercules, he himself went in search of the herd, which brought him to Argos; and since he got there, he decided to look into Tiryns. Hercules greeted him heartily, but when, during the feast, he heard what Evritus suspected him of, he became angry, and Hera instilled such indomitable anger in him that he threw Iphit from the city wall. This was no longer just a murder, but a violation of the sacred law of hospitality. Even Zeus was angry with his son and sent a serious illness to him.

The tormented Hercules, straining his last strength, went to Delphi to ask Apollo how he could atone for his guilt. But the Oracle-Oracle did not give him an answer. Then Hercules, losing his temper, took the tripod from her, from which she announced her prophecies, - they say, since she does not fulfill her duties, then she does not need a tripod. Apollo immediately appeared and demanded the return of the tripod. Hercules refused, and the two powerful sons of Zeus started a fight like little children, until the thundering father separated them with lightning and forced them to make peace. Apollo ordered the pythia to give advice to Hercules, and she announced that Hercules should be sold into slavery for three years, and the proceeds should be given to Euryth as a ransom for the murdered son.

Thus, Hercules again had to part with freedom. He was sold to the Lydian queen Omphale, an arrogant and cruel woman who humiliated him in every possible way. She even made him weave with her maids, while she herself walked in front of him in his skin of a Kiferon lion. From time to time she let him go for a short while - not out of kindness, but so that upon his return he would be the more burdened by the slave lot.

Hercules at Omphale. Painting by Lucas Cranach

During one of these vacations, Hercules participated in, on another time he visited the king of Aulids Sileus, who forced every stranger to work in his vineyard. Once, when he fell asleep in a grove near Ephesus, the dwarfs Kerkopa (or Dactyl) attacked him and stole his weapon. At first, Hercules wanted to thoroughly teach them a lesson, but they were so weak and funny that he released them. Hercules himself invariably returned to his slave service.

Finally the last day of the third year came, and Hercules received his weapon and freedom from Omphale. The hero parted with her without anger and even satisfied her request to leave her a descendant in memory (born of Hercules later ascended to the Lydian throne). Returning to his homeland, Hercules gathered his faithful friends and began to prepare to pay off the old accounts. The first to pay for the long-standing insult was King Augeas, then it was the turn of the Trojan King Laomedont.

After all these deeds, is it any wonder that the glory of Hercules reached the snowy peaks of Olympus? But this was far from all that he did. For example, he freed the titan Prometheus, snatched Alkestida from the hands of the god of death Thanatos, defeated many enemies, robbers and proud people, for example, Kikna,. Hercules founded a number of cities, the most famous of them being Heraclea (Herculaneum) at Vesuvius. He made many wives happy with offspring (for example, after the first night spent by the Argonauts on Lemnos, no less than fifty Lemnian women named him the father of their sons). Ancient authors had doubts about some of his other accomplishments and deeds, so we will not dwell on them. However, all authors unanimously admit that an honor fell to his lot, which none of the mortals was honored - Zeus himself asked him for help!

A shot from one of the many TV series and films about Hercules (Hercules). Kevin Sorbo plays Hercules.

This happened during the gigantomachy - the battle of the gods with giants. In this battle on the Phlegrean fields, the Olympian gods had a hard time, as the giants possessed incredible strength, and their mother, the earth goddess Gaia, gave them a magical herb that made them invulnerable to the weapons of the gods (but not mortals). When the scales were already tipping on the side of the giants, Zeus sent Athena for Hercules. Hercules did not take long to persuade; hearing his father's call, he readily rushed to the battlefield. The most powerful of the giants was crushed first - and then, with exemplary interaction with the Olympic team of the gods, all other rebels were killed. With this, Hercules won the gratitude of not only the gods, but also people. For all his faults, Zeus was still much better than his predecessors Kronos and Uranus, not to mention the original Chaos.

Upon his return from the Phlegrean fields, Hercules decided to return the last of his old debts. He set out on a campaign against Echalia, conquered her and killed Evritus, who had once offended him. Among the captives, Hercules saw the fair-haired Iola and again inflamed with love for her. Upon learning of this, Deianira immediately remembered the dying words of Ness, rubbed Hercules's tunic with blood and, through the ambassador Lichas, handed the tunic to Hercules, who was still in Echalia. As soon as Hercules put on the tunic, the poison of the Lernaean hydra, which poisoned the blood of Ness, penetrated into the body of Hercules, causing him unbearable torment. When they brought him on a stretcher to the palace to Deianira, she was already dead - when she learned that her husband was dying in agony through her fault, she pierced herself with a sword.

Unbearable suffering led Hercules to the idea of ​​parting with life at will. Submitting to Hercules, his friends built a huge fire on Mount Ete and put the hero on it, but no one wanted to light the fire, no matter how Hercules pleaded with them. Finally, the young Philoctetes decided, and as a reward, Hercules presented him with his bow and arrows. A fire flared up from the torch of Philoctetes, but the lightning of Zeus the Thunderer shone even brighter. Together with lightning, Athena and Hermes flew to the fire and carried Hercules to heaven on a golden chariot. All Olympus welcomed the greatest of heroes, even Hera overcame the old hatred and gave him her daughter as his wife, forever. Zeus called him to the table of the gods, invited him to taste nectar and ambrosia, and as a reward for all his exploits and suffering proclaimed Hercules immortal.

Shot from the cartoon "Hercules and Xena: The Battle for Olympus"

Zeus's decision remains in force to this day: Hercules really became immortal. He lives in legends and sayings, he is still an example of a hero (and as a true hero, he inevitably has negative traits), the Olympic Games are still held, which he allegedly founded in memory of his victory over Augeus or upon his return Argonauts from Colchis. And he still lives in heaven: on a starry night, the constellation of Hercules can be seen with the naked eye. The Greeks and Romans honored him as the greatest of heroes and dedicated cities, temples and altars to him. The creations of ancient and modern artists glorify him. Hercules is the most often depicted image of ancient myths and any legends in general.

The oldest known sculptural image of Hercules - "Hercules fighting the Hydra" (c. 570 BC) - is kept in Athens, in the Acropolis Museum. Among the numerous other works of Greek sculpture, metopes from the temple "C" at Selinunte (c. 540 BC) and 12 metopes depicting the exploits of Hercules from the temple of Zeus at Olympia (470–456 BC) are known. The most preserved Roman sculptures are copies of "Hercules" by Polycletus and "Hercules in the fight with the lion" by Lysippos (one of them is in St. Petersburg, in the Hermitage). Several wall images of Hercules have survived even in the Christian catacombs of Rome (mid-4th century AD).

Of the architectural structures traditionally associated with the name of Hercules, the oldest Greek temple in Sicily, in Akragant (6th century BC) is usually named in the first place. In Rome, two temples were dedicated to Hercules, one under the Capitol, the second behind the Circus Maximus near the Tiber. Altars of Hercules stood in almost every Greek and Roman city.

Plots from the life of Hercules were depicted by numerous European artists: Rubens, Poussin ("Landscape with Hercules and Cacus" - in Moscow, at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts), Reni, Van Dyck, Delacroix and many others. A huge number of statues of Hercules by European sculptors, some of the best works as a result of the Thirty Years War and dynastic divisions migrated to Sweden and Austria from Czechoslovakia.

Hercules Farnese and the statue of Hercules in the Hermitage

In the literature, the earliest mentions of the exploits of Hercules (but not all) are contained in Homer; in the future, almost none of the ancient authors did not bypass Hercules. Sophocles dedicated the tragedy of the Trakhine girls to the last period of Hercules' life. Perhaps a little later, the tragedy "Hercules" was created by Euripides on the basis of an unconventional version of the myth (which actually has many variants) - it still remains the best literary monument to Hercules. From the works of modern times we will name "The Choice of Hercules" by K. M. Wieland (1773), "Hercules and the Augean Stables" by Durrenmatt (1954), "Hercules" by Matkovich (1962).

And finally, about the fate of Hercules in music. He was honored with their attention by J.S.Bach (cantata "Hercules at the Crossroads", 1733), G.F. "," The Spinning Wheel of Omphale ", the opera" Deianira ").

Hercules (Hercules) is a synonym for a strong man:

“What a giant he is here!
What shoulders! What a Hercules! .. "
- A. Pushkin, "The Stone Guest" (1830).

3 - Stymphalian birds. They killed people and animals with their copper feathers, tore them apart with copper claws and beaks, then devoured them. They lived in the vicinity of the town of Stymphala. Hercules was able to kill the birds with the help of Pallas Athena, who gave him two copper tympans forged by Hephaestus. From the deafening ringing that rose from the tympans, the birds flew over the forest, and Hercules was able to shoot them with a bow.

4 - Kerinean fallow deer. She had golden horns and brass hooves. Belonged to the goddess of the hunt Artemis. She was sent by the goddess as punishment to people and devastated the fields. Hercules was ordered to capture her alive. He chased the doe for a year and was only able to catch it after he wounded her in the leg.

5 - Erymanthian boar (wild boar) and the battle with the centaurs. The boar, possessing monstrous strength, lived on Mount Erimanth and devastated the surroundings of the city of Psophis. Hercules drove the monster into deep snow and carried it bound to Mycenae.

6 - Augean stables. Hercules had to clear dung from the stables of Avgius, the king of the Epean tribe in Elis, in one day. Augeas had innumerable herds of cattle, which were donated to him by his father (Helios or Poseidon). The barnyard has not been cleaned for 30 years. To carry out the assignment, Hercules blocked off the Alpheus River and directed its waters to the barnyard.

7 - Cretan bull. The fire-breathing bull was sent by Poseidon to the king of Crete Minos, who was supposed to sacrifice the bull to the god of the seas. Minos left the bull in his herd and sacrificed another. Poseidon was angry and sent rabies on the donated bull. Hercules had to catch the bull and bring him to Mycenae. To accomplish this, Hercules sat on the broad back of the bull and swam across the sea on it.

8 - Horses of King Diomedes. Horses of wondrous beauty and strength. They lived in Thrace with King Diomedes, who fed them with human flesh, throwing them to be devoured by all strangers. Hercules tamed the man-eating horses and brought them to Eurystheus, who set them free. In the mountains, the horses were torn to pieces by wild animals.

9 - Belt of Hippolyta. The belt was presented to the queen of the Amazons Hippolyta by the god of war Ares and served as a symbol of power over the Amazons. This belt Hercules was supposed to bring Eurystheus for his daughter, a priestess of the goddess Hera.

10 - Geryon's cows. The giant Geryon had three bodies, three heads, six arms and six legs. Hercules had to drive the cows of the giant Geryon to Mycenae. To reach the island of Erifeia, where Geryon grazed his flocks, Helios helped Hercules by delivering him on his golden boat, and Pallas Athena helped to defeat Geryon.

11 - Kerber. Cerberus (Cerberus) was the guardian of the underworld of Hades. It had three heads, snakes wriggled around its neck, and its tail ended with the head of a dragon. Hercules was supposed to go down to Hades and lead Kerberus to Eurystheus. According to the condition of Hades, Hercules could take Kerberus only if he could tame him without weapons.

12 - Apples of the Hesperides. It was considered the most difficult feat. The Hesperides, daughter of the titan Atlas, looked after the golden apples in their father's orchards. Apples, giving eternal youth, grew on a golden tree grown by the goddess of the earth Gaia as a gift to Hera on the day of her wedding to Zeus, and the garden was guarded by a dragon. Hercules was ordered to bring three golden apples. The difficulty was that no one, except the sea prophetic elder Nereus, knew the way to the gardens. Nereus was forced to reveal the secret of the path so that Hercules who bound him would release him.

Hercules- the name by which Hercules was known in ancient Rome and had the glory of a fighter against injustice. Due to his willingness to serve people and endurance, he was the ideal for the Stoics.

The Burgundian royal lineage was descended from Hercules and Queen Eliza.

A source: Myths and legends of Ancient Greece

Among the numerous myths about Hercules, the most famous cycle of legends about 12 exploits performed by Hercules when he was in the service of the Mycenaean king Eurystheus.

The cult of Hercules was very popular in Greece, through the Greek colonists it spread early in Italy, where Hercules was revered under the name of Hercules. In the northern hemisphere of the sky is located
constellation Hercules.

Myths about Hercules

Birth and childhood

To conceive Hercules, Zeus took the guise of Alcmene's husband. He stopped the sun, and their night lasted three days. The soothsayer Tiresias tells Amphitryon about what happened.

On the night he was supposed to be born, Hera made Zeus swear that the one of the Perseus clan who is born today will be the supreme king. Hercules was from the Perseid family, but Hera detained
the birth of his mother, and the first born (premature) was his cousin Eurystheus, the son of Sfenela and Nikippa, also a Perseid.

Zeus concluded an agreement with the Hero that Hercules would not be under the rule of Eurystheus all his life. He will perform only ten labors on behalf of Eurystheus, and after that he will not only be freed from his power, but even receive immortality.

Athena tricks Hera into breastfeeding Hercules. The baby hurts the goddess, and she tears him away from her breast. The splashing stream of milk turns into the Milky Way. (Having tasted this milk, Hercules becomes immortal). Hera turned out to be the adoptive mother of Hercules, even if for a while. (Option - the myth was about Zeus and Rhea).

Jealous Hera sent two snakes to kill the child. Infant Hercules strangled them. (Option, Amphitryon sent harmless snakes to figure out which of the twins is a demigod). The myth of the infant Hercules is first encountered in Pindar.

Youth

As a child, he was a Daphnor and brought a tripod to Apollo Ismenius.

Amphitryon invites the best teachers for his sons: Castor (sword), Autolycus (wrestling), Euryth (bow).

Hercules accidentally kills Lynus, Orpheus's brother, with his lyre. Forced to retire to the wooded Kiferon, into exile.

Two nymphs (Depravity and Virtue) appear to him, offering him a choice between the easy path of pleasures and the thorny path of labors and deeds. (the so-called "choice of Hercules"). Virtue
convinced Hercules to go his own way in the following words: Of what is useful and glorious in the world, the gods do not give people anything without labor and care: if you want the gods to be merciful to you, you must honor the gods; if you want to be loved by your friends, you have to do good to your friends; if you want to be honored in some city, you need to benefit the city, if you want to excite the delight of all Hellas with your merits, you must try to do good for Hellas. My friends enjoy eating and drinking without hassle, because they are waiting for them to have a need for it. Their sleep is sweeter than that of the idle; it is not difficult for them to leave him, and because of him they do not neglect their duties. Young people rejoice in praise
elders, the elderly take pride in the respect of the young; they love to remember their old deeds, they are happy to perform well the real ones, because thanks to me they are useful to the gods, dear to friends, honored by the fatherland. And when the end appointed by fate comes, they are not forgotten and inglorious, but those that remain in memory forever bloom in songs. If you do such work, child of good parents, Hercules, then you can find this blissful happiness! (Xenophon. Memories of Socrates. Book 2, Chapter 1)

In the mountains Kiferona kills a lion; skinning him. Since then, wears it constantly.

When Hercules was about to hunt a lion, King Thespius welcomed him for 50 days and every night he sent one of his daughters to him, who later bore 50 sons from him. On the other
version, the hero combined with all his daughters in one night, except for one who did not wish, then he condemned her to remain a girl and a priestess in his temple. According to another version, he was combined with everyone, and the oldest and the youngest gave birth to twins. Gregory Nazianzus ironically said that Hercules accomplished his "thirteenth feat" that night.

Defeats the king Orchomen Ergin, to whom Thebes paid tribute. Amphitryon dies in this battle. Heracles cut off the noses of the messengers from Orchomenes, which is why there was a statue of Hercules Rinokolust (The Nose Clipper) in Thebes. When the Orhomenians came with the army, he tied their harness horses, which is why the temple of Hercules Hippodetus (the Horse Binder) was erected. Having defeated the Orhomenites, he dedicated the marble lion to the temple of Artemis Eucleia in Thebes.

The king of Thebes, Creon, gives him his daughter Megara as his wife. In a fit of madness sent by the Hero, Hercules kills his children and the children of his brother Iphicles. (In atonement for this, according to the Delphic pythia, he must perform ten labors in the service of Eurystheus).

When he came to Delphi, the priestess of Xenoclea did not want to broadcast to him because of the murder of Iphit (according to the version, after the murder of his children), then Hercules took the tripod and carried it out, but then returned it. There is a story that Hercules and Apollo quarreled over the tripod, when they reconciled, they together built the city of Gythion in Laconia, in Delphi there was a sculptural group depicting the struggle: Summer and Artemis calm Apollo, Athena holds Hercules. The fight for the tripod between Hercules and
Apollo is believed to be depicted on a relief from Olympia around 720 BC. NS. Either Zeus reconciled them. According to a rare version, Hercules took the tripod to Feney (Arcadia).

The Pythia gives Alcides the name "Hercules" ("Hero glorified by the goddess"), by which he will be known in the future. "Alcides" - "descendant of Alkeus" (Alkeus is the father of Amphitryon, stepfather of Hercules). Also Alkyd before
name change was known as Palemon.

12 labors of Hercules

The canonical scheme of 12 labors was first established by Pisander of Rhodes in the poem "Heraclea".

The order of exploits is not the same for all authors. In total, Pythia ordered Hercules to perform 10 feats, but Eurystheus did not count 2 of them and gave a new one, he had to perform two more and it turned out 12. In 8 years and one month he completed the first 10 feats, in 12 years - everything. According to
Diotima of Adramittius, Hercules accomplished his feats, for he was in love with Eurystheus.

1. Strangulation of the Nemean lion
2. The murder of the Lernaean hydra. Not valid.
3. Extermination of Stymphalian birds
4. Capture of the Kerinean fallow deer
5. The taming of the Erymanthian boar and the battle with the centaurs
6. Cleaning of the Augean stables. Not valid.
7. Taming the Cretan bull
8. Victory over king Diomedes (who threw foreigners to be devoured by his horses)
9. The abduction of the belt of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons
10. The abduction of the cows of the three-headed giant Geryon
11. Stealing golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides
12. The taming of the guardian of Hades - the dog of Cerberus

Other myths

During the 5th feat, he accidentally wounds the centaur Chiron, his teacher, with an arrow poisoned in the Lernaean poison. The immortal centaur cannot die and is terribly tormented.