Hercules: Tenth Labor

The tenth labor Hercules had to complete consisted of getting the cattle of Geryon for Eurysthesus. This required him to travel to the end of the world.  Chrysaor and Callirrhoe were the parents of Geryon. Chrysaor was the child of the Greek monster, Medusa. Callirrhoe was the child of the Titans, Oceanus and Tethys. With his family composing of Greek monsters, Geryon had three heads and three sets of legs that were joined at the waist. Geryon lived on the island, Erythia. He had a herd of red cattle. These cattle were guarded by Orthus, brother of Cerberus. Orthus was a two-headed-dog. Hercules set off on his voyage, killing many beasts as he approached his destination. He stopped at the place where Libya meets Egypt and built two mountains, one in Libya and one in Egypt, to commemorate his extensive journey.  In other versions of the myth, it says that Hercules split a mountain in two instead of forming two different mountain ranges. They became known as the Gates or Pillars of Hercules. The waterway that formed by the division/creation of the mountain ranges was called the Strait of Gibraltar. It is between Spain and Morocco and is the gateway to the Mediterranean Sea. When Hercules arrived, Orthus attacked him. Hercules defeated the guard by bashing him in the head with a weapon.  A herdsman discovered what had happened and told Geryon. Geryon went to find Hercules and ended up fighting him. Hercules came out successful in the match, shooting Geryon dead with the arrows he had. Hercules then had to take the cattle and transport them back to Greece. This was a difficult task. Two sons of Poseidon tried to steal the cattle from Hercules. In another situation, a bull dispersed from the herd and swam to Sicily. There, he was found by the ruler, Eryx who brought the bull into his own herd. Hercules had to wrestle Eryx to try to get his cattle back. He came out successful because of his immense strength. He then return to Greece and received his eleventh labor.   

Hercules: Eighth and Ninth Labors

For Hercules’s eighth labor, he had to capture Diomedes’s man-eating horses. Diomedes was the king of a Thracian tribe. He brought some men with him to help him on this quest. He easily overpowered the people who were taking care of the stables, and captured the horses. Hercules then trusted the young man, Abderos. The horses overcame the youth and ended up killing him. Hercules at the time was fighting the Thracian tribe that Diomedes ruled over. He won and killed the king, Diomedes.  In honor of the Abderos, he named the city he took over Abdera. After the small war, Hercules returned the horses to Eurysthesus. Eurysthesus then set the man-eating horses free. They ended up reaching Mount Olympus, the home of the gods. It was at Mount Olympus where the horses were killed. They were eaten by wild beasts. There are other versions of this myth. These myths include Hercules going on the labor alone, having to bring back a chariot as well as the horses, and one in which Hercules tames the horses with a golden chariot.

For the ninth labor, Hercules faced the challenge of getting the belt of Hippolyte. Hippolyte was the leader of the Amazons, which was a tribe of warrior women. This leather belt had been given to Hippolyte because she was the best out of the warrior women. It carried her sword and spear. Eurysthesus wanted the belt to give it to his daughter as a gift. When Hercules reach the city where Hippolyte was, he talked to her and she told Hercules that he could have the belt. Hera, the goddess of childbirth and marriage thought something bad would happen with the arrival of Zeus. She disguised herself as a warrior woman and told the Amazons that Hercules was going to capture Hippolyte. They put on their armor and went down to where Hercules and Hippolyte were. When Hercules saw them coming to attack, he killed Hippolyte, untied her belt, and left. There was a great battle between the Greeks and the Amazons because of this incident.

Hercules: Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Labors

     Hercules had to clean stables that belonged to King Auguea’s for his fifth task. He also had to clean the cattle of Auguea in one day. Hercules told the mortal, King Auguea, that he would clean his stables in one day in exchange for one tenth of his cattle. Hercules flooded the stables with water from the river, cleaning it out completely. Once this action occurred, he demanded to be paid. The king denied ever making a deal with Hercules and didn’t pay him. His son told a judge about the deal that was made and the king was forced to pay. When Hercules returned to Eurystheus and he was told that the labor didn’t count because he was paid to complete it.

                For the sixth labor, Hercules had to drive away an enormous flock of birds that were resting on a lake, near the city of Stymphalos. In some versions of Greek mythology, it is believed that the birds are man-eating. When Hercules approached the lake, he had no idea how he was going to get rid of the pesky birds. Athena helped Hercules by giving him krotala. The krotala was a kind of clapper that would rid Hercules of the task set in front of him. The krotala was built by Hephaestus, so it was built superbly and had immortal qualities. This drove away the birds and Hercules set off to receive his next labor from Eurysthesus.

                 

              Hercules had to wrestle the Cretan Bull to the ground for his seventh labor. The king of Minos had to prove himself to the sea god, Poseidon. He was to sacrifice anything that came out of the sea. Poseidon sent out a bull to the king, but the king thought it was too beautiful to kill. Instead of sacrificing this bull, he sacrificed a different one. Poseidon was furious and the Cretan Bull wandered relentlessly. Hercules easily wrestled the bull with his strength and successfully completed his seventh task.

Hercules: Third and Fourth Labors

The third labor Hercules had to bring Eurysthesus the Hind of Ceryneia. He had to bring a red female deer from the city of Ceryneia, which is fifty miles away from Eurysethesus’s palace. The deer he had to retrieve was special to Artemis; it was her pet. It was special because it had golden horns and hoofs of bronze. Hercules couldn’t kill the deer or hurt it because of the consequences that he would receive from Artemis if he did. Hercules searched for the deer for a whole year. It became tired with the incessant movement, and went to the river Landon to rest. Hercules shot the deer and started to carry it back to Eurysthesus when he ran into Artemis and Apollo. Artemis was outraged because Hercules had tried to kill her deer. He explained to Artemis about the twelve labors and how he had to return the deer to Eurysthesus. She understood and healed the deer’s wounds.

For the fourth labor, Hercules had to bring the Erymanthian boar to Eurysthesus.The Erymanthian boar was a huge monster with giant tusks. It was terrorizing Greece when Hercules was ordered to capture it and bring it back alive. It lived on the Erymanthus Mountain. Every day, the boar would come down from its home and attack men and animals, destroying everything in its path. Hercules on his way to find the boar, was hungry. He stopped at the home of one of his friends, who ius a centaur. The centaur fed Hercules and when Hercules found a bottle of wine, he opened it. The wine was made by centaurs and when it was opened many collected near the home. They ended up fighting each other, the centaurs vs. Hercules, and Hercules left to find the boar. He discovered the boar, and with an arrow, he plowed it into a snow bank. Hercules then trapped the boar in a net and carried it all the way to Mycenae.

Intro to Hercules/Labors 1 and 2

Hercules was a Greek hero known for being the strongest of all of the immortals. Where he makes up in strength, he lacks intelligence and wisdom.  Hercules is the last mortal child of Zeus.  His mother was Alcmene. Alcmene was married to Amphitryon, the king of the Thebes. Zeus disguised himself as Amphitryon. Alcmene had twins, Hercules and Iphicles.

                The goddess, Hera, did not like Hercules and determined to hurt him. She made him go insane and during this insanity, Hercules killed his family. He prayed to Apollo for guidance and he was told that he was to serve Eurystheus for twelve years for punishment for the murders he committed.

For Hercules’s first labor he was ordered to kill a lion that’s skin was impenetrable. He reached the city of Nemea and went off to kill the lion. He picked up a club and went into a cave to kill the lion. When he reached it he used his strength and killed the lion by strangling it. Hercules, along with Molorchus sacrificed the lion to the god, Zeus. Hercules kept the lion skin in case he needed it throughout other labors he would have to go on.

For the second labor, Hercules had to kill the Lernean Hydra. The Hydra is a nine headed serpent. It attacks with poisonous venom. It is very difficult to kill because the nine heads on the monster are immortal. Hercules’s nephew went and assisted him throughout this labor, and he accompanies Hercules on other labors too. Iolaus, his nephew, was known for winning a chariot race on Olympus and was also known as Hercules’s charioteer. Hercules went into the cave and attacked the Hydra, but when he decapitated one head, two heads would grow back in place. Hercules then continued attacking the Hydra, but Iolaus took a torch to the neck and prevented it from growing back. Hercules successfully completed his second labor.