GCSE Classics: Heracles 12 Labours Summary

Nemean Lion (Hercules First Labour)

• Lion was impenetrable to spears or arrows

• Heracles defeated it by wrestling the lion to the ground

• Heracles wore the lion skin as a cloak and the lions jaws as a helmet

Lernaean Hydra (Hercules Second Labour)

• Hydra - Serpent monster who breathed poisonous gas and had toxic blood

• Every time a head was cut off, two would grow back

• Hydra killed by Heracles who had help from his nephew Iolaus who cauterized the neck stumps after Heracles cut each head off, preventing additional heads from growing back

• Heracles used its venom as poison for his arrows

Ceryneian hind / Golden hind (Hercules Third Labour)

• Cereyneian Hind - Deer bigger than a bull

- Golden from horns to hooves

- Fast

- Sacred to Artemis

• Heracles had to capture the deer - took him a whole year until he caught it

Erymanthian Boar (Hercules Forth Labour)

• Erymanthian Boar - Giant boar ravaging the countryside

• Heracles defeated it by tiring out the boar by chasing it through thick snow

• Heracles tied it up and carried it back to king

• Eurystheus who was scared and hid in a pithos jar

Augean Stables (Hercules Fifth Labour)

• Augean Stables - Task was Heracles to clean the stables in a single day

• Augean Stables - Famous for having large amounts of dung (task appeared to be impossible)

• Solution - Heracles rerouted two rivers to flow through the stables washing away the dung instantly

• Problem - Labour did not count as Heracles was paid for his work

Stymphalian Birds (Hercules Sixth Labour)

• Stymphalian Birds - birds with brass feathers able to pierce human skin

• Solution - Athena helped Hercules by giving him a rattle made by Hephaistos

• Solution - Shaking the rattle, the birds flew into the sky and Hercules shot them down with his arrows or sling shot

Cretan Bull (Hercules Seventh Labour)

• Task - Heracles was to capture the bull

• Solution - Asked permission from King Minos to take the bull and he allowed as it had been causing destruction in Crete

• Solution - Heracles strangled the bull but released his grip before it passed out so he could ride it across the sea back to Greece

Mares of Diomedes (Hercules Eighth Labour)

• King Diomedes - Owned a set of horses who ate limbs of humans

• Heracles defeated the stablemen - Diomedes then attacked Heracles. Heracles left his friend Abediros in charge of horses whilst Diomedes was attacking him but when he returned the boy was eaten.

• In revenge, Heracles fed Diomedes to his own horses and this made the horses calmer so it was easier to bring them back to King Eurystheus

Belt of Hippolyte (Hercules Ninth Labour)

• Hippolyte was the queen of the Amazons, given a magic belt by her father Ares

• Task - Bring the belt back as Eurystheus daughter wanted the belt

• Solution - Hippolyte praised Heracles of his deeds and the gave Heracles the belt.

• Solution - However, Hera disguised herself as an Amazon and shouted to everyone that Heracles was to kidnap the queen. Amazons charged at their ship - Heracles though Hippolyte had betrayed him and so he killed her and ripped the belt of her body.

Cattle of Geryon (Hercules Tenth Labour)

• Task - Heracles to fetch the cattle of Geryon

• Geryon - Fearsome giant who had three heads and three sets of arms and legs. He owned a magnificent herd of red cattle

• Solution - Heracles killed the herdsmen Eurytion and his dog Orthrus with his club. Geryon tried to fight Heracles but he defeated him with his bow and club.

Steal the Apples of Hesperides (Hercules Eleventh Labour)

• Task - Steal the golden apples which took him a long time. Initially he did not know where the gardens were.

• Story - After Heracles reaching his final destination

Mount Caucasus where the Titan Prometheus was. He defied the god Zeus and so Zeus chained him to this mountain where an eagle each day would come and peck on his liver. Heracles killed the eagle and Prometheus told him where the apples were.

• Solution - Heracles tricked Atlas into retrieving the apples by offering to hold up the heavens for a while. Atlas did not want to hold the heavens again and so wanted to deliver the apples but Heracles tricked him to hold up the heavens for a brief moment while Heracles gets a pillow for his shoulders. He went back on the deal and walked away.

Cerberus (Hercules Twelfth Labour)

• Task - Capture Cerberus from the underworld

• Solution - Heracles asked permission form Hades as long as he used no weapons to catch it. He strangled the dog and gave it to King Eurystheus who hid in the pithos jar again. He then took Cerberus back as he promised.