12 myths about Hercules to read. Hercules - hero of ancient Greek myths

After his marriage to the daughter of the Theban king, Hercules lived for several happy years in a happy family, near a glorious throne, and looked at the future with the brightest hopes. But Hera, who was hostile to him, could not see in such happiness a man she hated. She sent him a mind-disturbing illness; in his madness, he killed to death and threw into the fire three children born to him by Megara, and two little Iphicles. When his illness finally left him, he fell into deep sadness and, in order to punish himself for this murder, went into voluntary exile. His friend Thespius, in the city of Thespiae, cleared him of murder and sent Hercules to Delphi to the Apollonian oracle to ask: where should he live in the future? The Pythia must have then called him Hercules - a hero to whom Hera’s persecution would bring glory; Previously his name was Alcides, that is, the son of strength. The oracle ordered him to retire to Tiryns, the ancient seat of his father, and serve his cousin Eurystheus, who ruled Mycenae, for twelve years; and then, when he happily completes the twelve labors that Eurystheus assigns to him, he will receive immortality.

Hercules, although reluctantly, followed the oracle's orders and went to Tiryns. Here Eurystheus's instructions were conveyed to him by the herald, for the coward was afraid to be near his powerful servant.

The First Labor of Hercules - Nemean Lion

For the first time, Eurystheus instructed Hercules to kill the monsters that lived in the Argive land: the Nemean lion and the Lernaean hydra. Hercules was supposed to bring the skin of the Nemean lion, which came from the fire-breathing monster Typhon and the gigantic snake Echidna and lived in the valley between Nemea and Cleanae. While still in Cleanae, Hercules visited one poor man, Molarchus, who was about to make a sacrifice to Zeus at that time. Hercules persuaded him to postpone the sacrifice for thirty days, because he wanted to bring a sacrifice with him to the savior Zeus upon returning from a dangerous hunt; if Hercules did not return from the hunt, then Molarchus had, according to the condition, to calm his shadow with a sacrifice.

Hercules went into the forest and searched for the lion for several days, finally found him and threw an arrow at him; but the lion was not wounded: the arrow bounced off him as if from a stone. Then Hercules raised his club at the lion; the lion ran away from him into a cave that had two exits. The hero blocked one exit and approached the beast with the other.

Hercules kills the Nemean lion. Copy from the statue of Lysippos

The Second Labor of Hercules – Lernaean Hydra

Hercules also had to kill the Lernaean hydra, a terrible snake with nine heads: eight were mortal, but the middle one was immortal. Hydra was also the offspring of Typhon and Echidna. She grew up in the Lernaean swamp, near the spring of Amymone, and from there she attacked the herds and devastated the country. With courage in his heart, Hercules went to this fight in a chariot driven by Iolaus, the courageous son of Iphicles. When he arrived in Lerna, he left Iolaus with his chariot behind him and began to look for the enemy.

Battle of Hercules with the Lernaean Hydra. Painting by G. Reni, 1617-1620

The second labor of Hercules was the fight against the Lernaean Hydra. Painting by A. Pollaiolo, c. 1475

The Third Labor of Hercules – The Kerenean Hind

The Fourth Labor of Hercules - Kerenean Hind

The Fourth Labor of Hercules – The Erymanthian Boar

When Hercules delivered the hind to Mycenae, Eurystheus instructed him to catch the Erymanthian boar. This boar lived on Mount Erymanthus, between Arcadia, Elis and Achaia, and often invaded the region of the city of Psophis, where it devastated fields and killed people. On the way to this hunt, Hercules crossed the high wooded mountains of Tholos, in which some centaurs lived since they were expelled from Thessaly by Lapithos. Tired, hungry Hercules came to the cave of the centaur Pholus and was warmly received by him, for, although Pholus was also half-man and half-horse, like other centaurs, he was not, like Chiron, as rude and brutally wild as they were. He treated Hercules boiled meat, while he ate his portion raw.

Hercules, who loved to drink after meals after work and worries good wine, expressed a desire to drink; but the owner was afraid to open the vessel with wine, a precious gift to the centaurs from Dionysus, who was in his custody: he was afraid that the centaurs would come and break the hospitality in their wild anger. Hercules encouraged him and opened the vessel himself; Both of them merrily drink full cups, but soon the centaurs appear: hearing the sweet aroma of wine, they rush from all sides to the cave of Thola, in a wild rage they arm themselves with rocks and pine trunks and attack Hercules. He repels the attack, throws hot brands into their chests and faces and drives them out of the cave. Then he pursues them with his arrows and drives the last remaining ones to the Malean Cape, where they seek refuge with Chiron, who was driven here from the Pelion Mountains. While they are crowding around him, seeking refuge, an arrow from Hercules hits him in the knee. Only then did the hero recognize his old friend; with great sorrow, he ran to him, applied healing herbs given to him by Chiron himself to the wounds, and bandaged them, but the wound inflicted by a poisoned arrow was incurable, so Chiron subsequently voluntarily accepted death for Prometheus, Hercules returned to the cave of Thola and, to to his great grief, he found him dead too: Fol took an arrow from the wound of one killed centaur and, looking at it, marveled at how such a small thing could lay such a giant dead; Suddenly an arrow fell out of his hand, wounded him in the leg, and he immediately fell dead.

Hercules and the Erymanthian boar. Statue of L. Tuyon, 1904

The Fifth Labor of Hercules – The Stymphalian Birds

Hercules and the Stymphalian Birds. Statue of A. Bourdelle, 1909

The sixth labor of Hercules - the stall of Augeas

Hercules cleared the Augean stall in one day - this was his sixth labor. Augeas was the son of the radiant sun god Helios and the king of Elis. He became famous for his immeasurable wealth, which he owed to his loving father. Countless as the clouds of heaven were his herds of bulls and sheep. Three hundred bulls had hair on their legs like snow; two hundred were purple; twelve bulls, dedicated to the god Helios, were white as swans, and one, named Phaethon, shone like a star. In the large barnyard where all these animals were gathered, so much manure had accumulated over time that it seemed impossible to clean it out. When Hercules appeared, he offered Augeas to cleanse the court in one day if the king would give him a tenth of his herds. Augeas willingly accepted the condition, for he doubted the feasibility of this matter. Hercules called the son of Augeias as a witness to the treaty, took the rivers Alpheus and Peneus aside and, breaking the wall of the barnyard in two places, led these rivers through it; the pressure of water in one day swept away all the sewage from the yard, and Hercules completed his task. But Augeas does not give the agreed payment and is locked even in his promise. He is even ready to take the case to court.

The sixth labor - Hercules cleans the stables of Augeas. Roman mosaic from the 3rd century. according to R.H. from Valencia

A court was convened, and Filey began to testify against his father.

Then Augeas, before the decision of the court took place, expels Philaeus and Hercules from his country. Philaeus went to the island of Dulilichiy and settled there; Hercules returned to Tiryns.

Subsequently, when Hercules was freed from serving Eurystheus, he took revenge on Augeas: he gathered a large army and attacked Elis. But Augean’s nephews, the twin sons of Actor and Molion, therefore called Aktorides and Molionides, ambushed his army and defeated it. Hercules himself was sick at this time. Soon afterwards he himself waylaid the Molionids at Kleon while they were setting off for the Isthmian Games, and killed them. Then he again went to Elis and betrayed her to fire and sword. Finally, he killed Augeas with his arrow. And when he gathered all his army in Pis and brought there rich booty, then he measured out a sacred plot of land for his father Zeus and planted olive trees on it. Then he made a sacrifice to the twelve Olympian gods and the god of the river Alpheus and established Olympic Games. After the finest of his troops had tested their strength in various competitions, in the evening, under the enchanting moonlight, they celebrated a wonderful feast and sang songs of victory.

The Seventh Labor of Hercules – The Cretan Bull

Seventh labor - Hercules and the Cretan bull. Roman mosaic from the 3rd century. according to R.H. from Valencia

The Eighth Labor of Hercules - Horses of Diomedes

Diomedes devoured by his horses. Artist Gustave Moreau, 1865

The ninth labor of Hercules - the belt of Hippolyta

Once warlike people The Amazons were ruled by Queen Hippolyta. The sign of her royal dignity was the belt given to her by the god of war Ares. Eurystheus's daughter Admeta wished to have this belt, and Hercules instructed Eurystheus to get it. Hercules sailed along the Euxine Pontus [Black Sea] to the capital of the Amazons, Themiscyra, at the mouth of the Fermodon River, and camped near it. Hippolyta came to him with her Amazons and asked about the purpose of his arrival.

The tenth labor of Hercules - the bulls of Geryon

From far away eastern countries Hercules arrived in the far west. Eurystheus ordered him to drive the herds of the three-headed giant Geryon, who were grazing on the island of the western ocean Erythia, to Mycenae. The purple, shiny bulls were guarded by the giant Eurytion and the terrible dog Orth. To Erithia lay Hercules distant and hard way through Europe and Libya, through barbarian countries and deserts. Having reached the strait separating Europe from Libya [ Strait of Gibraltar], Hercules, in memory of this longest journey, placed a pillar-shaped rock on both sides of the strait - and since then these rocks have been called the “pillars of Hercules”. Soon afterwards he arrived at the ocean shore, but Erithia - the goal of the journey - was still far away: how to reach it, how to cross the world's ocean-river? Not knowing what to do, tormented by impatience, Hercules sat on the ocean shore until the evening, and then he sees: Helios is rolling towards the ocean from the high sky on his radiant chariot. It was hard for the hero to look at the near sun, and in anger he pulled his bow on the radiant god. God marveled at the courage of the wondrous man, but was not angry with him; he even gave up his cube-shaped canoe, on which he circled the northern half of the earth every night. On this boat Hercules arrived on the island of Erithia. Here the dog Ort immediately rushed at him, but the hero killed him with his club. He killed Eurytion and drove away Geryon's herds. But Menoetius, who was grazing the herds of Hades nearby, saw what was stolen and told Geryon about it. The giant chased the hero, but died from his arrow. Hercules placed the bulls on the boat of the sun and sailed back to Iberia, where he again handed the ship to Helios. And he drove his herds through Iberia and Gaul, through the Pyrenees and the Alps. Having overcome many dangers, Hercules arrived at the Tiber River, to the place where Rome was later built.

Having stopped in the beautiful Tiber valley, Hercules carefreely indulged in sleep, and at this time the two most beautiful bulls from the herd were kidnapped by the fire-breathing giant Kak, who lived in a cave on the Aventine Mountain and caused terrible devastation throughout the surrounding country. The next morning, Hercules was about to drive his bulls further, but he noticed that not all the herd was intact. And he followed the trail of the lost bulls and reached a cave blocked by a huge, heavy rock. The heads and smoldering bones of the killed people were hung on the rock at the entrance and scattered on the ground. Hercules wondered if the inhabitant of the suspicious cave had stolen his bulls, but - a wonderful thing! – the trail led not into the cave, but out of it. He could not understand this and hurried with his flock from the inhospitable country. Then one of Hercules’ bulls roared, as if lamenting about those who were left behind, and the same roar was heard in response to him from the cave. Full of anger, Hercules returns to Kaka’s dwelling, rolls away the heavy entrance stone with his mighty shoulders and bursts into the cave. The giant throws fragments of rocks and tree trunks at him, but can neither intimidate nor deter the enemy. Like a volcano, with a terrible roar it spews smoke and flame at him, but this will not frighten the angry hero. Jumping over the stream of flame, he hit Kak in the face three times, and the terrible monster fell to the ground and gave up his ghost.

While, in gratitude for the victory, Hercules sacrificed a bull to Zeus, the surrounding inhabitants came to him, and among others - Evander, who moved from Arcadia and laid the first foundations here higher culture. They all welcomed Hercules as their savior and benefactor. Evander, recognizing the son of Zeus in Hercules, erected an altar to him, made a sacrifice and forever established a cult to him at the site of the last labor of Hercules - a place that the Romans subsequently considered sacred.

The Eleventh Labor of Hercules - Apples of the Hesperides

Hercules was carried away to the far west by his eleventh labor. Here, at the edge of the earth, on the ocean shore, there was a marvelous, golden-fruited tree, which the Earth once grew and gave to Hera during her marriage to Zeus. The tree was in fragrant garden Atlanta the sky-bearer; The nymphs Hesperides, daughters of the giant, followed him, and he was guarded by the terrible dragon Ladon, whose eye never fell asleep. Hercules had to bring three golden apples from a wonderful tree: a difficult task, especially since Hercules did not know in which direction the Hesperides tree was located. Overcoming incredible difficulties, Hercules wandered for a long time throughout Europe, Asia and Libya and finally arrived in the far north, to the nymphs of the Eridanus River. The nymphs advised him to sneak up on the old man of the sea, the seer god Nereus, attack him and find out from him the secret of the golden apples. This is what Hercules did: he bound the sea god and only then released him when he learned from him the way to the Hesperides. The path went through Libya, and there Hercules attacked the son of the Earth, the giant Antaeus, and challenged him to fight. While Antaeus touched Mother Earth with his feet, his strength was irresistible: but when Hercules, hugging Antaeus, lifted him from the ground, all the power of the giant disappeared: Hercules overpowered him and killed him. From Libya, Hercules arrived in Egypt. Egypt was ruled at that time by Busiris, who sacrificed all foreigners to Zeus. When Hercules arrived in Egypt, Busiris chained him and led him to the altar: but the hero broke the chains and killed Busiris along with his son.

The fight of Hercules with Antaeus. Artist O. Coudet, 1819

Photo - Jastrow

The Twelfth Labor of Hercules - Cerberus

The most difficult and most dangerous feat of Hercules in the service of Eurystheus was the last. The hero had to descend into gloomy Tartarus and get out of there scary dog Cerberus. Cerberus was a terrible, three-headed beast, whose tail had the appearance and ferocity of a living dragon; the mane of the beast was swarming with all kinds of snakes. Before performing the feat, Hercules visited Eleusis, and there the priest Eumolpus initiated him into the Eleusinian mysteries, which freed a person from the fear of death. Then the hero arrived in Laconia, from where, through one gloomy crevice, the path to the underworld lay. Hermes, the guide of the dead, led Hercules along this dark path. The shadows ran in horror at the sight of the mighty husband: only Meleager and Medusa did not move. Hercules had already raised his sword against Medusa, but Hermes stopped him, saying that this was no longer a terrible petrifying gorgon, but only a shadow devoid of life. The hero had a friendly conversation with Meleager and, at his request, promised to marry his sister Dianira. Near the gates of Hades's (Hades') dwelling, Hercules saw Theseus and Pirithous rooted to a rock because they dared to descend into the underworld in order to kidnap the majestic wife of Hades, Persephone. And they stretched out their hands to the hero, begging him to tear them away from the rock and save them from torment. Hercules gave his hand to Theseus and freed him; but when he wanted to take Pirithous away from the rock, the earth shook, and Hercules saw that the gods did not want to free this criminal. To revive the lifeless shadows with blood, the hero killed one of the cows of Hades, which Menoetius was tending.

They started fighting over the cow: Hercules hugged Menoetius and broke his ribs.

Hercules finally reached the throne of Pluto (Hades). As an initiate into the Eleusinian mysteries, the god of the underworld graciously accepted him and allowed him to take the dog with him to earth, if only he could defeat him without weapons. Covered with a shell and a lion's skin, the hero went out to the monster, found it at the mouth of the Acheron and immediately attacked it. With his mighty hands, Hercules clasped the triple neck of the terrible dog, and although the dragon, which served as the monster’s tail, stung him unbearably painfully, the hero strangled Cerberus until, defeated, trembling with fear, he fell at his feet. Hercules chained him and brought him to earth. The dog of hell was horrified when he saw the light of day: poisonous foam poured onto the ground from his triple mouth, and from this foam a poisonous fighter grew. Hercules hastened to take the monster to Mycenae and, showing it to the horrified Eurystheus, took it back to the region of Hades.

Hercules is one of the most famous heroes Greek mythology. True, the exact place where the myths about this hero originated has not yet been precisely established. The first mentions of the mythical personality are found among the ancient pre-Syrian tribes that lived in the north of Epirus. There is also the following opinion among scientists: in the myths about Hercules there are plots associated with more ancient characters in the mythologies of other peoples - Gilgamesh (Akkadian hero) and Melqart (Phoenician hero).

Ancient Greece: 12 Labors of Hercules

At first, Hercules was considered in ancient Greece to be a solar cult, who struck down all evil with his arrows. He was also revered as a patron educational institutions, sports facilities and public baths(term), and also as a symbol that sends diseases and heals them.

But still in ancient greek mythology Hercules is best known as the son of the supreme being Zeus and the earthly woman Alcmene, who accomplished many feats. Why did he do them? Stepmother Hera sent madness to Hercules; in a fit, he killed his children and the children of his brother Iphicles, mistaking them for enemies, and threw their bodies into the fire. When he came to his senses, he avoided meeting people for several days, and then went to the city to find out from the oracle about his future fate. He was ordered by an oracle to settle in the city of Tiryns in the Peloponnese, a little south of Mycenae. And there Hercules had to serve the Mycenaean ruler Eurystheus and perform 12 labors. Let's talk about them briefly.

1. Nemean Lion

To begin with, Eurystheus ordered Hercules to obtain the skin of the terrible Nemean lion (this huge monster was invulnerable to iron, bronze and stone), which lived in the vicinity of Tiryns. On Mount Tret, the hero came into mortal combat with a lion, but he could not be defeated either by arrows, or by a sword, or by a club. Only in hand-to-hand combat did Hercules defeat the Nemean lion.

2. Lernaean Hydra

Hercules' second task was to defeat the Lernaean Hydra, a terrible nine-headed monster. One of her heads was immortal, so when , two or three new ones immediately grew in its place. But the hero was helped by his nephew Iolaus, who set fire to a nearby grove and cauterized the hydra’s fresh wounds with hot branches (its heads stopped growing). Hercules, having cut off the immortal head, cut the monster’s body into pieces.

3. Hind of Artemis

The third feat of the hero was catching the Kerynean fallow deer, which belonged to Artemis - the cult of hunting. The hero pursued the doe for a whole year and only at the Ladon River, when she stopped exhausted, did he catch her.

4. Erymanthian boar

5. Animal Farm of King Augius

The fifth labor of Hercules was to clear the manure from the barnyard. The hero easily broke through two holes in the walls of the livestock premises and diverted the waters of the nearest rivers there. Streams of water quickly washed all the stalls.

6. Stymphalian birds

The sixth feat of the hero was the expulsion of the Stymphalian birds, which lived in the forest in a swamp near the city of Stymphalian in Arcadia. They had sharp iron feathers and bronze beaks with which they killed their victims. Hercules scared the birds away with noise, and then easily killed them.

7. Cretan bull

Eurystheus ordered Hercules to catch the Cretan bull, a ferocious monster that was ravaging the island of Crete. Hercules entered into a duel with a bull, easily defeated it and took it to Mycenae.

8. As his eighth labor, the hero brought Eurystheus the fierce horses of the king of Thrace, Diomedes, who ate human flesh.

9. At the request of Eurystheus’ daughter Admeta, Hercules agreed to complete the ninth labor - he obtained the golden belt of Ares (the god of war), which was worn by the queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta.

10. The tenth labor of Hercules in Ancient Greece there was a catch of the famous cows of Geryon from the island of Erithia.

11. The eleventh labor was a journey to the dark kingdom of Hades to bring Cerberus, a terrible three-headed dog who guarded the entrance to the underworld.

12. And the last feat of Hercules was the extraction of the golden apples of the Hesperides.

Myths about the exploits of one of the greatest heroes ancient Greece are widely reflected in world culture and literature.

One of the most ancient myths of Greece that has survived to this day is the “12 Labors of Hercules,” which both adults and children love to read. After all, feats were accomplished not only thanks to the strength, but also to the ingenuity of Hercules. This is good example for children in search of opportunities to solve any problems. In addition, “The 12 Labors of Hercules” is worth reading to convey such concepts as honor, responsibility and justice, which are held in high esteem at all times. And of course, the adventures of Hercules are worth reading to get acquainted with the culture of the ancient peoples of the world.

The plot of “The 12 Labors of Hercules” briefly

According to legend, Hercules is illegitimate son Zeus and the beautiful Alcmene. In order to seduce the mother of Hercules, the head of the gods, he even had to resort to deception. One night he turned into Alcmene’s husband and spent the night with her. He wanted to raise his future son and make him the ruler of the city of Mycenae. But Zeus’s wife, Hera, found out about this and forever became Zeus’s main enemy. It is at her suggestion that the already adult Hercules completes 12 tasks of King Eurystheus. These tasks were specially selected in such a way that neither a person nor a demigod could complete them. But Hercules coped with all the tests with dignity.

According to legend, it took Hercules just 12 years to complete all 12 labors. And this despite the fact that King Eurystheus did not defend the two feats performed by the hero of the epic, and Hercules had to perform two other feats. At the same time, the 12 labors of Hercules themselves are just the crown of victories of the world-famous half-man, half-god. His other adventures formed the basis of many other myths, and this list continues to grow to this day thanks to cinema. After all, such a character as Hercules is not forgotten, and he often becomes the main character of more and more new stories.

The myth “The 12 Labors of Hercules” on the Top books website

The myth “The 12 Labors of Hercules” is so popular to read that this is not the first time they have been included in our rating. At the same time, the works are rightfully included in our rating. And given the centuries-old popularity of the myth, we assume that in the future “The Twelve Labors of Hercules” will be read with the same interest, and the myth will more than once be included in the ratings of our site.

The myth of Hercules begins with his unusual birth. The thunder god Zeus had a penchant for earthly women. He liked the beautiful Alcmene, the wife of the king of Mycenae. Zeus, with gentle speeches, tried to convince her to cheat on her husband. But Alcmene was adamant. Then the Thunderer decided to cheat. He drove all the animals of Hellas into the forest where the king of Mycenae was hunting. Carried away by hunting, he did not return home to spend the night. And Zeus in the form of a husband appeared to Alcmene.

On the day when Hercules was to be born, the Thunderer swore in the presence of the gods that the boy would become the ruler of Mycenae. But Hera, the jealous wife of Zeus, realized that we were talking about an illegitimate child. She pushed back Alcmene's birth by a day. At the hour appointed by Zeus, Eurystheus was born. It was he who became the ruler of Mycenae, in whose service Hercules accomplished famous feats.

Myths about Hercules: 12 labors

Hera, having learned about the birth of the future hero, vowed to kill him. She sent two poisonous snakes into the cradle. But Hercules showed strength and agility from birth. He strangled the reptiles with his hands.

The myth of Hercules tells that Hera later sent madness to the hero. The man's mind became confused as he played with his sons. He mistook the children for monsters. When the attack of madness passed, Hercules was horrified by his own action. Full of remorse, he decided to go to overseas countries.

Hercules sailed with the Argonauts on a ship to distant Colchis for the Golden Fleece. But his journey did not last long - the god Hermes appeared to the hero near the very shores of Greece. He conveyed the will of the gods: let Hercules humble himself and go into the service of the Mycenaean king Eurystheus.

Jealous Hera, in a desire to get rid of the illegitimate son of Zeus, entered into an agreement with Eurystheus. She advised the ruler of Mycenae to choose the most difficult and dangerous tasks for the hero. The myths about the exploits of Hercules, one might say, appeared thanks to Hera. She herself, unwittingly, contributed to the hero’s centuries-long glory.

First feat

Eurystheus gave the first task to Hercules - to destroy the Nemean lion. The monster was born from the giant Typhon and Echidna, a huge snake. The lion amazed with its size and bloodthirstiness. Its durable skin withstood the blows of swords, and arrows dulled on it.

A lion lived in the vicinity of the city of Nemea, destroying all living things in its path. For a whole month Hercules searched for his lair. Finally he discovered a cave that served as a refuge for the Nemean Lion. Hercules blocked the exit from the lair with a huge boulder, and he himself prepared to wait at the entrance. Finally there was a loud roar and a monster appeared.

The myth of Hercules tells that the hero's arrows bounced off the skin of a lion. The sharp sword did not harm him. Then Hercules with bare hands grabbed the monster by the throat and strangled him.

The hero returned victoriously to Mycenae. When Eurystheus saw the defeated lion, he was afraid of the incredible strength of Hercules.

Second feat

Let's try to retell the second myth about Hercules briefly. Hera came up with a new deadly task for the hero. A terrible monster was lurking in the poisonous swamp - the Lernaean Hydra. She had the body of a snake and nine heads.

The Lernaean hydra lived near the entrance to the world of the dead. She crawled out of her lair and devastated the surrounding area. Being the sister of the Nemean Lion, she had a huge advantage - one of her nine heads was immortal. Therefore, it was impossible to kill the Lernaean Hydra.

Iolaus offered his help to Hercules - he took the hero to the poisonous swamp on his chariot. The hero fought the hydra for a long time. But, having struck down one head of the monster, Hercules saw two new ones appear in its place.

Assistant Iolaus set fire to a nearby grove and began to cauterize the severed heads of the hydra. When Hercules cut off the last, immortal head, he buried it deep in the ground. He laid a huge rock on top so that the monster could never appear on earth again.

Hercules soaked the arrowheads with the poisonous blood of the hydra. And then he returned to Mycenae, where Eurystheus’ new task awaited him.

Third feat

Myths about the exploits of Hercules indicate his strength, agility, and speed. For more than a year the hero chased the Kerynean doe in order to catch it - this was a new task for the ruler of Mycenae.

A beautiful fallow deer appeared in the vicinity of the Kerenean Mountains. Her horns sparkled with gold, and her hooves shone with copper. The animal's skin sparkled in the sun. The Kerynean fallow deer was created by the goddess of the hunt, Artemis. She did this as a reproach to people who exterminated flora and fauna.

The doe ran faster than the wind - she rushed, running away from Hercules, through Attica, Thesprotia, Boeotia. For a whole year the hero tried to catch up with the beautiful fugitive. In desperation, Hercules took out his bow and shot the animal in the leg. Throwing a net over the prey, he carried it to Mycenae.

Artemis appeared in front of him in anger. Ancient myths about Hercules say that the hero bowed to her. He explained how the will of the gods forced him to serve Eurystheus. That he was not chasing the beautiful doe for himself. Artemis had mercy and allowed Hercules to take the animal to Mycenae.

Fourth feat

And Eurystheus has already prepared a new task for the hero. Which one? The fourth myth about Hercules will tell us about this. Its brief content allows us to find out that a wild boar appeared in Arcadia. The Erymanthian boar used its huge tusks to destroy livestock, forest animals, and travelers...

On the way, Hercules visited his acquaintance, the centaur Pholus. They opened the wine, had fun, sang songs. Other centaurs, attracted by the aroma of the wine, armed themselves with stones and stakes and declared that the wine was a gift to the entire community. A fight ensued. Hercules put the centaurs to flight with his poisonous arrows.

Continuing his journey, the hero soon saw the Erymanthian boar. But the blows of the sword did not frighten the animal. Then Hercules raised his shield high. When the sun was reflected in it, the hero directed the beam directly into the eyes of the beast. Then he began to hit the shield with his sword. Blinded, the animal was frightened by the loud noise. He rushed high into the mountains, where he got stuck in deep snow. Then Hercules tied the boar, put it on his shoulders and brought it to Mycenae.

The inhabitants rejoiced at their deliverance from the formidable monster. Eurystheus, seeing the size of the boar, was so frightened that he hid in a bronze pithos.

Fifth feat

King Augeas was famous for his herds and stables. He fenced off the barnyard with a high fence, because he was in fear around the clock that the bulls and horses might be kidnapped. All day long Augeias tried to count the number of horses in the stables. But the herd was in motion, the horses moved, and the count had to start over.

The accumulated sewage from the horses filled all the stables. The smell from them permeated the whole of Arcadia, says the 5th myth. Hercules sent Eurystheus to clear the Augean stables of manure. The king thought that a strong and brave hero would disdain such a task.

Hercules realized that it was necessary to make a hole in the fence. He broke the fence surrounding the stables on both sides. The water flow of the mountain river immediately washed away all the impurities.

The myth of Hercules briefly reports that after this feat, the hero made a sacrifice to the river god for the unpleasant work. Then he restored the fence and returned to Mycenae for a new assignment.

The sixth feat

One day, two huge birds appeared near the city of Stymphalus, the myths about Hercules are told. They had copper beaks and bronze feathers. The Stymphalian birds multiplied over time and formed a flock. They destroyed seedlings in the fields. They dropped their bronze feathers like arrows on everyone who came near them.

Hercules, before entering into battle, studied the habits of the creatures for a long time. He realized that, having shed their feathers, birds become defenseless until new ones grow. The warrior goddess Athena appeared to Hercules and presented him with copper rattles as a gift. Hercules was delighted with the help and made a loud noise with the instrument.

The Stymphalian birds flew up in fear and began to shed their sharp feathers. Hercules took refuge under a shield from their onslaught. After the birds dropped all their feathers, the hero shot them with a bow. And those that I didn’t manage to hit flew away from these places.

Seventh feat

What does the seventh myth about Hercules tell about? The summary indicates that there are no more monstrous animals and birds left in Arcadia. But Eurystheus came up with an idea where to send Hercules - to the island of Crete.

The sea god Poseidon gave King Minos a wonderful bull so that the ruler would sacrifice it to the gods. But the king liked the Cretan bull so much that he hid it in his herd. Poseidon found out about the king's deception. In anger, he struck the bull with madness. The monster ran around for a long time, killing people in a frenzy and scattering herds.

Eurystheus, at the behest of Hera, wished to see the Cretan bull alive. Hercules realized that only force can pacify the animal. He went out to fight, grabbed the bull by the horns, and bent his head to the ground. The animal sensed that the enemy was stronger. The Cretan bull stopped resisting. Then Hercules saddled him and drove him into the sea. So, riding on an animal, the hero returned to Arcadia.

The bull did not even try to throw Hercules off, he calmly entered the stall of King Eurystheus. When the hero, tired after a new feat, went to bed, the ruler was afraid to keep a maddened bull and in fear released him into the wild.

So the bull wandered around the outskirts of Arcadia until he was defeated by another hero of Hellas, Theseus.

Eighth feat

The myths about Hercules also tell about the demonic horses of Diomedes. These carnivorous monsters devoured lost travelers. Shipwrecked sailors were killed. When Hercules and his assistant arrived in the country, he immediately went in search of carnivorous horses. By neighing, he realized where the stables of King Diomedes were.

With a blow to the head, he subdued the first horse and threw a bridle around its neck. When the entire herd was bridled, Hercules and his assistant drove him to the ship. And then King Diomedes and his army stood in the way. Hercules defeated everyone, and when he returned to the shore, he saw that the horses had torn his assistant to pieces and fled.

The hero fed the body of King Diomedes to his own horses, drove them onto a ship and took them to Mycenae. The cowardly Eurystheus, at the sight of the carnivorous horses, in horror, ordered them to be released into the forest. There wild animals dealt with them.

Ninth feat

The 12 myths about Hercules are extremely interesting. They all talk about the strength and courage of the son of Zeus, about the amazing adventures that befell him. The ninth tells about Hippolyta's belt. Eurystheus's daughter Admeta wanted to get it. She heard that the belt was given to the queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta, by Ares himself, the god of war.

Hercules went on a journey with his companions. The Amazons greeted them friendly and asked about the purpose of the trip. Hercules honestly told Queen Hippolyta about how Eurystheus’s daughter wanted to receive her belt as a gift.

Hippolyta agreed to give the jewelry to Hercules. But the goddess Hera interfered. She didn’t like the peaceful solution to the issue - after all, she wanted to destroy the hero. Hera, transforming into one of the Amazons, spread the rumor that Hercules wanted to sell them into slavery.

The militant women believed the evil slander, and a battle ensued. Hercules and his companions defeated the Amazons. The son of Zeus completed this task with a heavy heart. Hercules, the hero of myth, did not want to fight with women, even if they were warriors.

Tenth feat

Our story continues with the tenth myth about Hercules. King Eurystheus thought for a long time before giving the hero a new task. He wanted to send his hated half-brother to a distant country, so distant that it would take a month or more to sail there.

Hercules traveled a long way. He defeated the son of the god Vulcan - the monster Kakus. Later, the city of Rome was founded on the site of their battle.

On the green meadows of Erythia, the cows of Geryon, a giant with three bodies, three heads and three pairs of arms and legs, grazed. They were guarded by a two-headed dog. At the sight of Hercules, he growled and rushed at him. The hero quickly defeated the dog, but then the giant shepherd woke up. The goddess Athena doubled the strength of Hercules, and he knocked the giant down with several blows of his club. The hero won another victory.

Having sailed by ship to Iberia, Hercules lay down to rest, letting the herd go to graze. At first light, he decided to drive the herd overland. Cows traveled through Iberia, Gaul, and Italy. Near the sea, one of them rushed to the water and swam. She ended up on the island of Sicily. The local ruler Eryx did not want to give the cow to Hercules. I had to defeat him too.

The hero returned with the fugitive to the herd and led it to King Eurystheus. The latter sacrificed cows to Hera, hoping to get rid of Hercules.

Eleventh feat

And again a long road awaited the hero. Eurystheus sent Hercules to fetch the golden apples of the Hesperides. They gave immortality and eternal youth. In the garden of the Hesperides, only nymphs guarded the apples. And the garden itself was located at the edge of the earth, where Atlas held the firmament on his shoulders.

On the way to the end of the world, Hercules freed Prometheus in the Caucasus Mountains. He fought with the son of the land of Gaia - Antaeus. Only by tearing the giant off the ground could the hero defeat him. Having reached Atlas, Hercules told him about the purpose of his journey. They agreed that the hero would hold the heavens on his shoulders, and Atlas would ask the nymphs for apples.

Hercules was already exhausted under the weight of the arch, and Atlas returned. The giant really didn’t want to take on an exorbitant burden on his shoulders again. The cunning man invited Hercules to hold the sky for a while until he himself reached Mycenae and gave the apples to the king. But our hero is not so stupid. He agreed, but on the condition that the giant would hold up the heavens, and in the meantime Hercules would make himself a grass pillow - the burden was too heavy. Atlas believed and took his place, and the hero took the apples and returned home.

Twelfth labor

The last task of Eurystheus was the most difficult, says the 12th myth. The Labors of Hercules (a brief summary of them is presented in this article) takes the reader into the amazing world of the mythology of Ancient Greece, a world full of amazing adventures, powerful and treacherous gods and strong, brave heroes. But we digress. So, 12 labors. Hercules had to descend into the kingdom of the dead and kidnap the dog Cerberus. Three heads, a tail in the shape of a snake - at the sight of this fiend of hell, the blood froze in my veins.

Hercules went down to Hades and fought with Cerberus. Having defeated the dog, the hero brought him to Mycenae. The king did not allow the gates to be opened and shouted for Hercules to release the terrible monster back.

But the myths about Hercules do not end there. The 12 feats that the hero performed in the service of Eurystheus glorified him for centuries. Later, he distinguished himself in military campaigns and arranged his personal life.

The Thirteenth Labor and Death of Hercules

Legends of Hellas say that there is also a 13th labor of Hercules. The myth has brought to this day the story of King Thespia. Hercules stayed in his house while hunting the Lion of Cithaeron. Thespius was worried that his daughters would choose unsightly grooms and give birth to ugly grandchildren. The king invited Hercules to impregnate his 50 daughters. So the hero hunted a lion during the day, and spent the night with the king’s daughters.

Many years later, Hercules married Deianira. They had many children. One day the couple were crossing a fast river. Dejanira was transported by the centaur Nessus. He was seduced by the beauty of the woman and wanted to take possession of her. Hercules struck him with a poisonous arrow. Experiencing terrible torment, Ness decided to take revenge on the hero. He persuaded Deianira to draw his blood. If Hercules stops loving her, all he has to do is soak his clothes in the blood of the centaur, and then the husband will not look at any woman again.

Dejanira kept the bottle with Nessus' gift. Returning from a military campaign, Hercules brought a young captive princess to the house. In a fit of jealousy, Dejanira soaked her husband's clothes in blood. The poison quickly took effect and began to cause Hercules severe pain, and there was no way to remove his clothes. The eldest son carried his father in his arms to Mount Etu, where he made a funeral pyre. When the flame flared up, a huge cloud covered Hercules. So the gods decided to accept the hero to Olympus and grant him immortal life.

Lev Vasilievich Uspensky, Vsevolod Vasilievich Uspensky

This book contains legends from ancient times.

They were put together by the ancient Greeks back in those distant times, when people were just beginning to study the world around them, just beginning to explore and explain it.

Combining truth and fiction, they came up with and told amazing stories. This is how many legends about gods, heroes and fantastic creatures arose- legends, naively explaining the structure of the world and the fate of people. We call these legends Greek word"myths".

Infinitely long ago, two and a half thousand years ago, Greek children, sitting on warm sand at the city gates or on the stone slabs of temples, they listened as in a chant, plucking in tune the strings of a quiet cithara, the blind rhapsodist singers began these amazing stories:

LISTEN, GOOD PEOPLE, ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED ONCE!..

Several years before the treacherous Pelias treacherously seized the royal throne in noisy Iolka, wondrous deeds took place at the other end of the Greek land - where among the mountains and valleys of the Argolid lay ancient city Mycenae.

In those days there lived in this city a girl named Alcmene.

She was so beautiful that, having met her on their way, people stopped and looked after her in silent surprise.

She was so smart that the wisest elders sometimes questioned her and were amazed at her reasonable answers.

She was so kind that the timid doves from the temple of Aphrodite, without running wild, descended to coo on her shoulders, and the nightingale Philomela sang his sonorous songs at night near the very wall of her house.

And hearing him sing among rose bushes And grape vines, people said to each other: “Look! Philomela himself praises the beauty of Alcmene and is amazed at her!”

Alkmena grew up carefree in her father's house and did not even think that she would ever have to leave him. But fate decided otherwise...

One day, a dusty chariot drove into the city gates of Mycenae. A tall warrior in shining armor rode four tired horses. This brave Amphitryon, brother of the Argive king Sphenel, came to Mycenae to seek his fortune.

Hearing the rumble of wheels and the snoring of horses, Alkmena went out onto the porch of her house. The sun was setting at that moment. Its rays scattered like red gold through the hair of the beautiful girl, and enveloped her entire body in a purple sheen. And as soon as Amphitryon saw her on the porch by the door, he forgot everything in the world.

Less than a few days later, Amphitryon went to Alcmene’s father and began to ask him to marry his daughter to him. Having learned who this young warrior was, the old man did not object to him.

The Mycenaeans celebrated the wedding feast cheerfully and noisily, and then Amphitryon put his wife on a magnificently decorated chariot and took her away from Mycenae. But they didn't go to hometown Amphitryon - Argos: he could not return there.

Not long ago, while hunting, he accidentally killed his nephew Electrius, the son of the old king Sfenel, with a spear. The enraged Sfenel drove his brother out of his possessions and forbade him to approach the Argive walls. He mourned bitterly dead son and prayed to the gods to send him another child. But the gods remained deaf to his pleas.

That is why Amphitryon and Alcmene settled not in Argos, but in Theivae, where Amphitryon’s uncle, Creon, was king.

Their life flowed quietly. Only one thing upset Alcmene: her husband was such a passionate hunter that in order to chase wild animals He left his young wife at home for whole days.

Every evening she went out to the gates of the palace to wait for the servants loaded with booty and her husband, tired of hunting. Every evening the setting sun, as it happened in Mycenae, again dressed her in its purple clothes. Then one day, on the threshold of the palace, Alcmene, illuminated by the scarlet light of dawn, was seen by the mighty Zeus, the strongest of all. greek gods, and when he saw her, he fell in love with her at first sight.

Zeus was not only powerful, but also cunning and treacherous.

Although he already had a wife, the proud goddess Hera, he wanted to take Alcmene as his wife. However, no matter how much he appeared to her in sleepy visions, no matter how much he persuaded her to stop loving Amphitryon, it was all in vain.

Then the insidious god decided to conquer her with crafty deception. He made sure that all the game from all the forests of Greece came running to those Theban valleys where Amphitryon was hunting at that time. In vain the frantic hunter killed horned deer, fanged boars, light-footed goats: every hour there were more and more of them around him. The servants called their master home, but he could not tear himself away from his favorite pastime and hunted day after day, week after week, getting further and further into the depths of the forest wilds. Meanwhile, Zeus himself turned into a man, exactly like Amphitryon, jumped onto his chariot and rode to the Theban palace.

Hearing the familiar clatter of hooves and the clink of armor, Alkmena ran out onto the porch, rejoicing that she would finally see her long-awaited husband. The wonderful resemblance deceived her. She trustingly threw herself on the neck of the lying god and, calling him her dear Amphitryon, led him into the house. So, with the help of magic and deception, Zeus became the husband of the beautiful Alcmene, while the real Amphitryon hunted animals far from his palace.

A lot of time passed, and a son was to be born to Alcmene and Zeus. And then one night, when Alcmene was sleeping peacefully, the real Amphitryon returned. Seeing him in the morning, she was not at all surprised by this: after all, she was sure that her husband had been home for a long time. That is why this deception, invented by Zeus, remained unsolved. The Lord of the Gods, leaving the Theban palace, returned to his transcendental home on the high Mount Olympus. Knowing that Amphitryon’s elder brother, the Argive king Sthenelus, had no children, he planned to make his son the heir of Sthenelus and, when he was born, give him the Argive kingdom.

Having learned about this, the jealous goddess Hera, the first wife of Zeus, became very angry. She hated Alcmene with great hatred. She never wanted the son of this Alcmene to become king of Argive.

Having planned to destroy the boy as soon as he was born, Hera secretly appeared to Sfenel and promised that he would have a son, Eurystheus.

Knowing nothing about this, Zeus called all the gods to a council and said:

Listen to me, goddesses and gods. On the first day of the full moon, when the moon becomes completely round, a boy will be born. He will reign in Argos. Don't think of doing anything bad to him!

Hearing these words, Hera asked with a sly smile:

And if two boys are born on this day, who will be the king then?

The one who is born first, answered Zeus. After all, he was sure that Hercules would be born first. He knew nothing about Eurystheus, the future son of Sthenel.

But Hera smiled even more slyly and said:

Great Zeus, you often make promises that you then forget about. Swear before all the gods that the king of Argos will be the boy who is born first on the day of the full moon.

Zeus swore willingly. Then Hera did not waste time. She called the goddess of madness and stupidity, Atu, and ordered her to steal Zeus’ memory. As soon as Zeus lost his memory, he forgot about Alcmene and the child who was supposed to be born to her.