Alcides was the first name of Heracles 1 until a Pythian priestess first called him Heracles 1. This priestess told him to serve Eurystheus for twelve years, and to perform the LABOURS imposed on him; and when the tasks were accomplished, he would become immortal. Amphitryon was married with Alcmena, and during his absence Zeus took his form and lay with her. Before Amphitryon returned home from war, Zeus came, and prolonging the one night threefold, he assumed the likeness of Amphitryon and made love to Alcmena. But when Amphitryon arrived and she told him that he had come the night before and slept with her, Amphitryon went to Tiresias, and the seer told him how Zeus had enjoyed her.
LABOURS in red
Summary of Heracles 1's exploits
1. Eight months old kills the Serpents When Heracles 1 was about to be born, Zeus declared that a descendant of Perseus 1, then about to be born, would be king of Mycenae. But Hera, out of jealousy, persuaded Ilithyia, goddess of childbirth, to retard Alcmena's delivery, and contrived that Eurystheus, also a descendant of Perseus 1, should be born a seven-month child. This is how Heracles 1 lost the throne of Mycenae.
When Heracles 1 was eight months old, Hera, desiring his death, sent two serpents to his bed. But he strangled the beasts with his hands. And when he was eighteen years old, he slew the Lion of Cithaeron, which harried the kine of Amphitryon and Thespius.
2. Education
Heracles 1 was taught to drive the chariot by Amphitryon, to wrestle by Autolycus 1, the art of archery by Eurytus 4, to fence by Castor 1, and to play the lyre by Linus 4.
3. Presents He received a sword from Hermes, bow and arrows from Apollo, a golden breastplate from Hephaestus, and a robe from Athena.
4. Death of Linus 4 For being struck by Linus 4, Heracles 1 flew into a rage and slew him with a blow of the lyre.
5. Daughters of Thespius King Thespius of Thespiae in Boeotia entertained Heracles 1 for fifty days, and each night bedded one of his daughters with him. The children of Heracles 1 by the daughters of Thespius were called Thespiades. Two of them remained in Thebes, and seven in Thespiae. All the other Thespiades joined Iolaus 1 in the founding of a colony in Sardinia.
6. Death of Erginus 1 King Erginus 1 of the Minyans imposed a tribute to the Thebans after his father was killed by Perieres 2, a Theban. But it happened that Heracles 1 met the king's heralds on their way to Thebes to demand this tribute, and he cut off their ears, noses, and hands, and send them back to Erginus 2. Indignant at this outrage, Erginus 2 marched against Thebes. But Heracles 1, having received weapons from Athena and taken the command, killed Erginus 2, defeated the Minyans, and forced them to pay double the tribute to Thebes. In this war Amphitryon was killed.
7. Marriage As a prize for his courage, Heracles 1 received in marriage Megara, daughter of Creon 2, and they had several children: Therimachus, Deicoon 1, Creontiades, and Ophites 1 (but some affirm that their children were eight in number).
About this time, Lycus 6, son of Poseidon and descendant of Lycus 5 from Dirphys in Euboea, killed Creon 2, and seized power in Thebes. It is told that he planned to murder Megara too, but was in time detected by Heracles 1 who killed him.
8. Domestic violence Hera, still persecuting Heracles 1, drove him mad, and as a result he killed his wife Megara and his children by her, flinging them into the fire. But some assert that only his children were killed, and that Megara later married another man (see below). And others say that Heracles 1 was about to kill Amphitryon too, when Athena threw a stone at him, and rendered him unconscious.
9. Delphi
When he recovered his reason, he decided to go into exile, and arriving at Delphi, the Pythian priestess told him to dwell in Tiryns, serving Eurystheus for twelve years and to perform ten LABOURS (which became twelve).
10. Nemean Lion (1st Labour) His first Labour was to destroy the Nemean Lion. Heracles 1 shot an arrow at him, but when he perceived that the animal was invulnerable, he broke its neck with his bare hands.
11. Hydra (2nd Labour) As a second labour he was ordered by Eurystheus to kill the Lernaean Hydra, offspring of Typhon and Echidna, a monster with nine heads, one of them being immortal. He chopped all heads, and the immortal one he buried, putting a heavy rock on it.
12. Cerynitian Hind (3rd Labour) As a third labour he was ordered to bring the Cerynitian Hind alive to Mycenae. This hind had golden horns, and was sacred to Artemis. Therefore Heracles 1 did not wish to wound it, but at the end he shot it just as it was about to cross a river. He caught it and hastened through Arcadia towards Mycenae. But Artemis and Apollo met him, and rebuked him for attempting to kill her sacred hind. But Heracles 1 put the blame on Eurystheus, pleaded necessity, and so he appeased Artemis' anger, carrying the hind alive to Mycenae.
13. Erymanthian Boar (4th Labour) As a fourth labour he was ordered to bring alive the Erymanthian Boar, which ravaged Psophis.
14. Death of Chiron
While Heracles 1 was hunting the Erymanthian Boar, he was received by Pholus 1 the Centaur. On this occasion, a jar of wine belonging to the CENTAURS in common was opened, and when the CENTAURS learned that their jar had been taken, a fight broke up, in the course of which Heracles 1 repelled them. The defeated CENTAURS took then refuge with the wise Centaur Chiron, and Heracles 1 shot Chiron involuntarily with his poisoned arrows. The wound proving incurable, Chiron renounced immortality in favour of Prometheus 1.
15. Augeas' Stables (5th Labour) The fifth labour was to carry out the dung of the cattle of King Augeas of Elis in a single day. Heracles 1 went to Augeas, and without revealing the command of Eurystheus, said that he would carry out the dung in one day, if Augeas would give him the tenth part of the cattle. Augeas was incredulous, but promised to do so. Having taken Augeas' son Phyleus 1 to witness, Heracles 1 made a breach in the foundations of the cattle-yard, and diverting the courses of two rivers, he turned them into the yard. However, when Augeas learned that the task had been accomplished at the command of Eurystheus, he refused to pay the reward. Arbitrators were then called, and since Phyleus 1 bore witness against his father, Augeas ordered both his son and Heracles 1 to leave Elis.
16. Death of the Centaur Eurytion 3 Mnesimache's father, Dexamenus 1, betrothed her by force to Eurytion 3, but when he came to fetch his bride, she called for Heracles 1's help, and he slew the Centaur.
17. The Stymphalian Birds (6th Labour) The sixth Labour was to chase the man-eating birds who used their feathers as arrows. Their place of abode was the Stymphalian Lake in Arcadia. To help him in this task, Athena gave Heracles 1 brazen castanets, which she had received from Hephaestus. By clashing these on a certain mountain that overhung the lake, he scared the birds, which could not abide the sound, but fluttered up in a fright. In that way Heracles 1 shot them down. Some of these birds were also found by the ARGONAUTS in other places.
18. The Cretan Bull (7th Labour) The seventh Labour consisted in bringing the Cretan Bull. Some say that this is the bull that ferried Europa to Crete, but others affirm that it was the same bull that Poseidon sent up from the sea to Minos 2 [see Minotaur]. Heracles 1 came to Crete and requested aid, but Minos 2 replied that he should fight the beast himself. Nevertheless, Heracles 1 caught it and brought it to Eurystheus, who having seen the bull let it go free.
19. MARES OF DIOMEDES 1 (8th Labour)
The eighth Labour consisted in bringing the man-eating mares that Diomedes 1, king of the Bistonians in Thrace, owned. Heracles 1 sailed with some volunteers to Thrace, and having overpowered the grooms, he drove the mares to the sea, committing them to the guardianship of Abderus. However, the beasts killed Abderus by dragging him after them. But Heracles 1 slew Diomedes 1 and defeated his army, or as others say, he let the mares devour their master. He also founded a city Abdera beside the grave of his friend Abderus. When Heracles 1 returned from Thrace, he gave the mares to Eurystheus. But Eurystheus again let them go free, and they were destroyed by the wild beasts in Mount Olympus.
20. The Belt of Hippolyte 2 (9th Labour) The ninth Labour was to fetch the Belt of Hippolyte 2, queen of the AMAZONS. She had the belt of Ares for being the best among the AMAZONS. Heracles 1 was sent to fetch it because Admete 2, daughter of Eurystheus, desired to get it. When he arrived to the land of the AMAZONS, a fight broke out, and Heracles 1 killed Hippolyte 2, stripping her of her belt. And having defeated the rest, he sailed away to Troy. After several adventures (see below), he came to Mycenae and gave the Belt to Eurystheus.
21. Death of the sons of Minos 2
When Heracles 1 sailed in order to fetch the Belt of Hippolyte 2, he came to the island of Paros, where the sons of Minos 2 lived. But on landing on the island, some of Heracles 1's men were killed. Indignant at this, Heracles 1 killed the sons of Minos 2, and besieged the rest. And when he left, he took the sons of Androgeus as hostages.
22. Defeats the Bebrycians In his way to the AMAZONS, he came to Mysia, to the court of King Lycus 3 of the Mariandynians. Heracles 1 was entertained by him; and in a battle between him and the king of the Bebrycians, Heracles 1 sided with Lycus 3 and slew many of the latter's enemies, among others King Mygdon, brother of Amycus 1. And he took much land from the Bebrycians and gave it to Lycus 3, who called it all Heraclea.
23. Rescues Hesione 2 and gives her as a prize Apollo and Poseidon, desiring to put King Laomedon 1 of Troy to the test, assumed the likeness of men, and undertook to fortify Troy for wages. But when they had fortified it, the king would not pay their wages. Therefore, Apollo sent a pestilence, and Poseidon sent sea-monster that snatched away the people of the plain. But as oracles foretold deliverance from these calamities if Laomedon 1 would expose Hesione 2 to be devoured by the sea-monster, he exposed her by fastening her to the rocks near the sea. Seeing her exposed, Heracles 1 promised to save her on condition of receiving from Laomedon 1 the mares which Zeus had given in compensation for the rape of Ganymedes. On Laomedon 1's saying that he would give them, Heracles 1 killed the monster and saved Hesione 2. But when Laomedon 1 would not give the stipulated reward, Heracles 1 made war on Troy, and having killed Laomedon 1, he assigned the girl as a prize to Telamon.
24. Death of Sarpedon 2 In Aenus he was entertained by Poltys. And as he was sailing away, he shot Sarpedon 2, son of Poseidon and brother of Poltys.
25. Conquers Thasos After Aenus he came to Thasos, and having subjugated the Thracians who inhabited the island, he gave it to the sons of Androgeus to dwell in (see 21).
26. Kills the sons of Proteus 2
In Torone he was challenged to wrestle by Polygonus and Telegonus 2 and he killed both in the wrestling match.
27. The Cattle of Geryon (10th Labour) As the tenth labour he was ordered to fetch the Cattle of Geryon. Geryon lived in the island of Erythia, and had the body of three men grown together and joined in one at the waist, but parted in three from the flanks and thighs. The cattle was guarded by Orthus, a two-headed hound. When the dog and Geryon's herdsman Eurytion 4 saw Heracles 1 coming, they attacked him, but Heracles 1 killed them both. Hoerver, Menoetes, who was there pasturing the cattle of Hades, reported to Geryon the presence of Heracles 1, and Geryon attacked him; yet Heracles 1 killed him too, and took his cattle away. After several adventures (see below), he gave the cattle to Eurystheus.
28. Killing of wild beasts While he travelled through Europe to fetch the Cattle of Geryon he killed many wild beasts.
29. The Pillars Coming to Tartessus (a Phoenician city near Gades [Cádiz] in Spain), he erected two pillars at the boundaries of Europe and Libya [Africa].
30. Gift of Helius
It is told that Helius gave him a golden goblet so that he could cross the Ocean. Shortly after having sailed in the goblet, Heracles 1 gave it back to Helius.
31. Bandits In Liguria, Ialebion and Dercynus, sons of Poseidon, attempted to rob him of the Cattle of Geryon, but he killed them both.
32. Eryx 1 In Italy, King Eryx 1 challenged Heracles 1 to wrestle for the sake of a bull (which he had taken from the Cattle of Geryon, and mingled with his own herds). Heracles 1 killed him in the wrestling, took the bull, and drove the herd to the Ionian Sea.
33. Hera's gadfly
Finally, he had difficulties to collect the cattle, which had been dispersed by a gadfly sent by Hera.
34. Apples of the HESPERIDES (11th Labour) Eurystheus ordered Heracles 1, as the eleventh Labour (because he did not acknowledge Augeas' Stables nor the Hydra), to fetch the Golden Apples of the HESPERIDES. These apples were not, as some have said, in Libya, but among the Hyperboreans. They were presented by Gaia to Zeus after his marriage with Hera, and guarded by an immortal dragon with a hundred heads. Some say that Heracles 1 sent Atlas to fetch the apples, first relieving him of his burden, but others say that he killed the dragon, and took the apples himself.
34. Cycnus 2 When Heracles 1 was in his way to fetch the apples, Cycnus 2, son of Ares, challenged him to single combat near the river Echedorus in Macedonia, but a thunderbolt was hurled between the two, and parted them.
35. Meets Nereus Heracles 1 seized Nereus while he slept, and though he changed into all kinds of shapes, Heracles 1 hold him and did not release him until Nereus told the whereabouts of the apples and the HESPERIDES.
36. Antaeus 1
Next he came to Libya, where the ruler was Antaeus 1, who used to kill strangers by forcing them to wrestle. Antaeus 1 was son of Gaia, according to some, or son of Poseidon, according to others. He became stronger when he touched the earth, because he derived his strength from it, but Heracles 1 killed him while holding him in the air. And when he had vanquished Antaeus 1, he subdued Libya, which at the time was full with wild animals. He also brought large parts of the desert under cultivation so that it was filled with ploughed fields, and vineyards, and olive orchards. In this way Libya came to know prosperity. Likewise, Heracles 1 punished those who defied the law as well as arrogant rulers, giving prosperity to the cities.
37. Busiris 2 And next he came to Egypt, whose ruler Busiris 2 used to sacrifice strangers. Him Heracles 1 sacrificed, or slew with his club.
38. Prometheus 1 unbound
Then he went to Ethiopia where he killed King Emathion, son of Eos; and after that he delivered Prometheus 1. Prometheus 1 moulded men out of water and earth, and gave them fire, having stolen it from the gods. But when Zeus learned of it, he ordered Hephaestus to nail his body to a rock in Mount Caucasus. Prometheus 1 was nailed on the rock and kept bound for many years. Every day an eagle came to him and devoured his liver, which grew by night. In that way was Prometheus 1 punished for the theft of fire. But Heracles 1 came to Mount Caucasus, killed the eagle, and released him.
39. The Hound of Hades (12th Labour)
The twelfth Labour that Eurystheus imposed on Heracles 1 was to bring Cerberus 1 from Hades [see Underworld for a description of this peculiar dog]. Before performing this Labour, Heracles 1 went to Eleusis to be initiated, and later he descended to Hades in Taenarum in Laconia. In Hades, he saw Theseus, who was not supposed to be there yet, and he rescued him. When Heracles 1 asked Hades for Cerberus 1, the god told him to take it provided he mastered him without any weapons. Heracles 1 flung his arms round Cerberus 1's head (one of them!), and though the dragon in the dog's tail bit him, he did not released the beast. Having ascended in Troezen, he showed Cerberus 1 to Eurystheus, and carried the dog back to Hades.
[See also Heracles 1 in Hades]