The Labours of Hercules
The greatest and most famous of all the Greek heroes was Hercules, the strongest man who had ever lived upon the earth, whose mighty deeds are even now looked upon…
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“The Labours of Hercules” from Wonder Tales from the Greek & Roman Myths by Gladys Davidson, 1920.
The greatest and most famous of all the Greek heroes was Hercules, the strongest man who had ever lived upon the earth, whose mighty deeds are even now looked upon as being symbolic of the tremendous difficulties which beset the path of all seekers after true greatness, which can only be achieved by battling with, and overcoming, the giants and terrible monsters of vice and wickedness.
By means of his mighty strength and power to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Hercules, by his own efforts, actually attained to divinity. He was not at first a god, and, therefore, entitled to immortality by birth, for though his father was Jupiter, the mighty King of Olympus, his mother, Alcmene, was only a mortal maiden of the earth; but he longed from his earliest days to dwell forever in Olympus, and to be worshipped as the mighty god of strength, who had secured immortality by means of his own great deeds.
Jupiter also greatly desired that his noble son should join the immortals in Olympus; and knowing of the earnest wish of Hercules, he said to him in his early youth: "It is within thine own power to become as one of the gods, my son, but only by going through much pain and tribulation; for the way to greatness and glory is not easy, and he who would attain to the best must give of his best. Thou hast the mightiest strength and greatest powers of endurance of all my children; and if thou wouldst become one of the gods of Olympus, thou must perform many severe tasks, and not be afraid."
"I wish for the best, and will gladly give of my best," cried young Hercules. "Tell me what I must do, oh my father, and I will not be afraid to obey thy will."
Then Jupiter told his son that he must be ready to overcome every evil thing sent against him, and to rid the earth of many terrible monsters that preyed upon mankind, and that, later on, he would have to serve as a slave a certain greedy and powerful king, Eurystheus of Mycenae, for twelve years, and to perform whatever seemingly-impossible tasks his royal master might choose to set him; but the stout heart of Hercules never quailed for an instant at the prospect before him.
Most of the gods were eager for the brave young Hercules to be their companion in Olympus, for they hoped that his wonderful strength of body and mind would add to their own glory; and therefore they presented him with many useful gifts to aid him in the performance of his tasks. He received from Minerva a helmet and coat of mail; from Apollo a bow and arrows; from Jupiter a shield; from Vulcan a golden cuirass, brazen buskins, and a brazen club; from Mercury a sword; from Neptune a horse.
But although so greatly favoured by the gods, Hercules had one powerful enemy in Olympus, whom he had to contend with throughout his entire life. This was Juno, the goddess-wife of Jupiter, who was so exceedingly jealous of her lord's love for Hercules that she constantly endeavoured to harm the latter, hoping thus to prevent him from attaining to immortality; and instead of assisting him to overcome his difficulties, she compelled the greedy Eurystheus to set the dauntless hero such terrible tasks that no one would have thought it possible for a mortal to perform them. In spite of this opposition from the powerful Queen of Olympus, Hercules, nevertheless, did not fear to undertake any task that was set him; for he felt that his mighty strength, stout heart, and tireless powers of endurance would help him to overcome all, if only he used patience and wisdom.
Even when still but an infant he had been able to prove his strength and courage; for when, one day, two fierce serpents attacked him as he lay in his cradle having been sent thither to destroy him by the jealous Juno he caught them both in his little chubby hands and crushed the life out of them.
The more that Juno sought to do harm to the infant hero, however, the more persistently did Jupiter endeavour to assist his growth towards glory. In order that Hercules might be prepared for the difficulties he would have to contend with later, he was given the usual training of a hero of old, and was taught by the best teachers how to fight fearlessly, to shoot an arrow straight, to drive a chariot, and to excel in all athletic games and warlike pursuits, being also taught the gentle arts of music and singing; and he went to the school of the famous centaur, Chiron, and had as friends and companions the greatest heroes of his time, of whom he himself eventually became the mightiest. He afterwards joined his fellow pupils in some of their future enterprises, being one of the bold heroes who sailed with Jason on the quest of the Golden Fleece. It is said also that when his hero training was over, he retired to a solitary district for a time, where he was put under severe temptations, being visited by the spirits of Pleasure and Virtue, both of whom appeared before him as lovely maidens. The ravishing Pleasure enticed him with alluring smiles to follow in her flowery paths; but Virtue earnestly invited him to choose a life of labour and self-control, promising him the crown of honour and immortality as his reward. After a mighty struggle, Hercules decided to follow in the paths of Virtue; and forthwith he applied himself to the performance of noble deeds for the benefit of mankind.
The hero first of all slew a terrible lion that had long ravaged his own native district on the outskirts of Thebes; and after this deed, on his entry into Thebes he found the people suffering under an unjust and heavy tax imposed upon them by a neighbouring tyrant king, whom he promptly made war upon and overcame in battle. For these splendid services, the King of Thebes gave him his daughter, the Princess Megara, as his wife, and permitted him to govern his kingdom for several years.
Then Eurystheus, King of Mycenae, sent an insolent message to the already-renowned hero, bidding him to present himself at Mycense to serve the twelve years of slavery appointed by the gods; but Hercules at first resented the tyrant's command, and haughtily declined to serve one whom he regarded as ignoble. This refusal, however, enraged the goddess Juno, who was eager for his time of trial and suffering to commence; and as a punishment she caused him to become mad for a while, in which unnatural state of mind he had the misfortune to kill his own children, whom he dearly loved.
Upon recovering his reason, Hercules was filled with grief and remorse for his terrible deed, and hid himself away from all his friends for some time; but at length he received comfort and forgiveness from the gods, and realizing at last that part of his trial of strength and character must be to serve one whom he despised as his inferior, he now went boldly to Mycenae, ready to perform every stupendous task and to endure with fortitude whatever suffering might be imposed upon him by gods and men.
Then Eurystheus, encouraged thereto by the still jealous Juno, seeing so mighty a warrior and hero coming thus to him as a slave, and fearful lest he might prove an enemy in years to come, commanded him to perform certain arduous tasks, requiring such superhuman powers to achieve that they have since become known as the Labours of Hercules.
The story of these famous labours is as follows:
(1) Hercules was first of all commanded to kill the Nemean lion, a terribly fierce and huge beast which dwelt in the wild woods of Nemea, and which roamed forth at dusk to devour the shepherds and other country folk of the district.
This lion was believed to have dropped out of the moon, and therefore could not be harmed by any weapon made on earth. Hercules, having received weapons from the gods, might have used these with effect; but when he came face to face with the ramping lion, he found it necessary to grapple with it at once, and, flinging away his sword and club, he strangled the king of beasts with his own powerful hands. When he had thus slain the fierce lion by means of his own mighty strength, he stripped off its fine skin, which he afterwards wore as his chief garment He then carried the huge carcass of the beast back to Mycenae; and King Eurystheus was so amazed at the sight of it, and at the wonderful strength and courage of Hercules, that he commanded him never to enter the gates of the city when he returned from his adventures, but to await his further orders without the walls. The craven King even made himself a huge brazen vessel into which he retired whenever Hercules returned.
(2) The Fight with the Lernean Hydra. This monster was a frightful dragon which had nine heads; and it dwelt in the swamps bordering the Lake of Lerna, in a dismal and lonely district known as the Field of Argos. Hercules took his friend lolaus with him on this adventure; but when they arrived at the Lake of Lerna, and the horrible hydra came crawling out of the slimy black swamp where it lived, his companion's courage vanished, and he ran away at once to hide behind a bush, so that the hero was left alone in his hour of need.
The scaly body of the dragon was as huge as the largest haystack ever seen; and each of its nine fearful heads had a gaping mouth full of pointed teeth, and a sinuous neck as long as the longest serpent and the sight of it made even brave Hercules tremble. But the noble son of great Jupiter would not shrink from the task that had been set him; and when the first long snaky neck of the hydra stretched out its fierce head to snap at him with its fearful jaws, he boldly attacked it and struck it off with one mighty stroke of his brazen club.
Then, to his horror and amazement, two more heads sprang out upon the severed neck of the one he had just struck off; and the same thing happened every time he aimed a blow. For each head of the hydra he struck off two more sprang out to take its place; and Hercules began to lose heart, as he felt that his great strength would be of no avail in this impossible task, with so many frightful heads hissing, snarling, and bellowing around him.
Then, in his agony, he called upon Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, who caused a sudden bright idea to come into his mind; and he called out to his concealed friend to come forth and build up a fire of wood and make his sword red hot in the flames, promising to protect him from the monster. lolaus, encouraged once more, quickly came forth to do his bidding, whilst the hero kept the monster at bay; and when the sword had been made red hot, Hercules struck off another of the hydra's heads and passed the glowing steel over the wound, thus preventing any more new heads from springing forth. In this manner he was able to strike off all the heads of the hydra, one by one, until at last the terrible monster rolled over, dead; and after having dipped all the arrows in his quiver into the poisonous gall of the dragon, to render fatal the wounds they should afterwards inflict, Hercules returned victorious to his taskmaster, who now commanded him to perform a third labour.
(3) Capture of the Arcadian Stag. He was to bring alive into the presence of Eurystheus the fleet-footed stag of Diana, the goddess of hunting, a stag famous for its golden antlers, its brazen feet, and its incredible swiftness, and which no mortal had ever yet been known to draw nigh unto. The animal dwelt in the district of Œnoe; and Hercules spent a whole year in its pursuit. But though the hero grew weary many times, he would not give up his quest; and at last, by slightly wounding it, he was able to capture the stag, and brought it alive to the palace of Eurystheus.
(4) Capture of the Erymanthian Boar. This was a wild beast so big and fierce that no one had ever dared to hunt it before; and Hercules not only chased the boar through deep snow, and at last caught it in a net, but held it tightly bound in his own iron grasp, and brought it thus, alive, to show to his royal master, who was so terrified at the sight of it that he hid himself in his brazen vessel for several days in fear and trembling, and refused to venture out until the hero had slain his prize.
(5) Cleansing the Augean Stables. Augeas, King of Elis, had a herd of three thousand oxen, the stalls of which had not been cleansed for thirty years; and Hercules was now commanded to cleanse them in one day. This stupendous task he succeeded in performing by altering the courses of the Rivers Alpheus and Peneus, so that their waters rushed through the Augean stables and washed them clean in one day.
(6) Destruction of the Stymphalian Birds. There were a flock of fierce vultures, dwelling near Lake Stymphalus, which ate human flesh, and employed their own brazen feathers as arrows which they could shoot down upon their intended victims; and no one had yet succeeded in slaying any of them. When Hercules was bidden to destroy these fearful birds, he took out his bow and quiver, and shot at his foes with his poisoned arrows, which, by means of his great strength and skill, he was able to shoot with such wonderful swiftness that he killed most of the flock before the creatures could swoop down upon him.
(7) The Capture of the Cretan Bull. A large and beautiful bull had long ravaged the island of Crete, being a terror to the people, and Hercules was commanded to capture and tame the creature; and the hero not only performed the task, but carried the great bull away on his shoulders.
(8) Capture of the Mares of Diomedes. The wicked tyrant King Diomedes of Thrace kept a herd of man-eating mares; and Hercules was ordered to bring these unnatural steeds to Eurystheus and to destroy their wicked owner. The hero first flung the tyrant King into the midst of the herd to be devoured by them this having been the sad fate to which he had himself condemned many unhappy strangers to his land and then with the aid of a few of his friends, he captured the fierce mares and led them to Eurystbeus, who sent them to Mount Olympus, where they were devoured by other wild beasts.
(9) Seizure of the Girdle of the Queen of the Amazons. The Amazons were a race of fierce, warlike women, who lived near the river Thermodon; and Hercules was bidden to make war upon their queen, Hippolyta, whom he defeated and from whom he succeeded in taking the famous jewelled girdle she wore, which was the finest in the world.
(10) The Capture of the Oxen of Geryon. Geryon, King of Gades, was a terrible, three-bodied monster who kept a flock of oxen which he fed upon human flesh; and by means of his mighty strength, Hercules slew the monster and brought away the flocks, as he had been commanded to do.
(11) Fetching the Golden Apples of the Hesperides. The Hesperides were three fair nymphs who dwelt in a beautiful garden at the foot of Mount Atlas, in North-west Africa, where they were the guardians of a wonderful tree which bore golden apples; and to assist them in their charge, a terrible fiery dragon lay coiled at the foot of the tree. Hercules was bidden to gather the golden fruit of this magic tree and bring the spoils to Eurystheus; but as he was given no information as to the whereabouts of the Garden of the Hesperides, he spent a long time upon this labour. As he rested one evening in a quiet valley, however, he beheld a number of pretty dryads and other nymphs sporting at a little distance; and making friends with these dainty beings, he learned from them that the only person who could tell him of the whereabouts of the Hesperides' abode was Nereus, one of the chief marine divinities who, because he dwelt at the bottom of the ocean, was known as the Wise Old Man of the Sea. Before he could hope to secure any information from Nereus, however, Hercules was told that he would have to bind him fast with thongs, since, otherwise, he would reveal nothing; and the hero continued his journey with renewed hope, ready for the struggle in store for him. At length he came to a cave on the seashore, where he found the Old Man of the Sea asleep on the sands, having been lulled into a deep slumber by the sweet singing of the pretty mermaids who danced in the shallow waves or sat upon the rocks combing out their long hair.
Quickly Hercules sprang upon Nereus and bound him with the thongs he had brought; and immediately the Old Man of the Sea awakened and began to practise the magical gifts he possessed, by changing himself first into one wild beast and then into another, hoping thus to terrify his captor into flight. But Hercules remained undaunted, and clung fast to his captive, no matter what alarming shape he assumed; and at length Nereus owned himself conquered and gave the hero the information he demanded.
Then Hercules set free the Old Man of the Sea; and by following the directions given him by the latter, he at length came to Mount Atlas and entered the Garden of the Hesperides. No sooner did he approach the tree with the golden apples than the monster dragon rushed out upon him breathing forth fiery flames and gnashing its terrible teeth; but after a mighty struggle, Hercules slew the monster and gathered the golden apples, which he took to his royal master. Eurystheus, however, returned the fruit to his mighty slave, and Hercules gave the golden apples to the goddess Minerva, who afterwards replaced them upon the tree in the Garden of the Hesperides.
(12) Fetching Cerberus from the Under-world. For his twelfth labour, Hercules was commanded to bring the three-headed dog Cerberus from the under-world. This was the most difficult task of all; for the way to the Land of Shades was full of dangers, and the fierce Cerberus, the guardian of the palace gates of the King of the Underworld, was the most terrifying and the strongest beast ever known. Pluto, however, was so astonished at the dauntless courage of Hercules in making the journey to his gloomy abode that he not only permitted him to release two of his hero friends who were captives in the under-world Theseus and Ascalaphus but gave him leave also to take away Cerberus for a short time, on condition that he used no weapons but only force in binding him, and that he brought him back safely after showing him to the King of Mycenae. Hercules cheerfully agreed to the conditions imposed upon him; and after a terrible struggle with the three-headed dog, he succeeded in binding him. Then he took the fearful beast away from the Land of Shades and showed him to Eurystheus, who, full of terror, bade him take the fierce dog back again at once.
With the return of Cerberus to the underworld, Hercules had now completed his twelve mighty labours, and his service with Eurystheus thus came to an end.
In addition to these famous tasks, Hercules also performed many other wonderful deeds of strength and met with strange adventures in many distant lands, always overcoming all the difficulties he encountered with fearless courage and endurance, as became a mighty man of valour. Once or twice, however, he yielded to temptations, and acted unworthily; and for a short time he fell a victim to the wiles of Omphale, Queen of Lydia, who enticed him to forget the constant duties of a hero, and instead to waste his hours in idleness and soft pleasures. Happily, however, his better nature triumphed in the end, and he returned to his splendid exploits with renewed zest.
Hercules was married to a princess of Calydon, named Deianira, whom he greatly loved, but by whose fault his marvellous career came to an end; for, during one of his absences from home, she sent him a tunic which she believed to possess the magic power of preserving his love to her for ever, but which, in reality, was soaked with a deadly poison.
When Hercules received this tunic, he was about to offer up a sacrifice of thanksgiving to Jupiter in celebration of one of his victories; but immediately he donned the fatal garment he became so convulsed with agony that he flung himself upon the burning pyre and perished in the flames.
Because of the mighty deeds he had done in ridding the earth of so many monsters and tyrants, and because he had faithfully fought with evil and conquered, Hercules, the mightiest of all the heroes of ancient times, had gained for himself immortality; and he was carried away in great glory amidst thunder and lightning, to dwell amongst the gods in Olympus forever.
Davidson, Gladys. Wonder Tales from the Greek & Roman Myths. Blackie and Son Limited, 1920.
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