Read online the myths of ancient Greece about Hercules. Nikolai Kun Labors of Hercules
The Erymanthian boar, possessing monstrous strength, terrified all the surroundings. On the way to battle with him, Hercules visited his friend, the centaur Fall. He treated the hero to wine, angering the rest of the centaurs, since the wine belonged to them all, and not to Foul alone. The centaurs rushed at Hercules, but he forced the attackers to hide from the centaur Chiron with archery. Pursuing the centaurs, Hercules broke into the cave of Chiron and accidentally killed this wise hero of many Greek myths with an arrow. Finding the Erymanthian boar, Hercules drove him into deep snow, and he got stuck there. The hero took the bound boar to Mycenae, where the frightened Eurystheus, at the sight of this monster, hid in a large jug. (For more details, see a separate article The Fifth Labor of Hercules - Erymanthian Boar.)
The sixth feat of Hercules (summary)
The king of Elis, Avgiy, the son of the sun god Helios, received from his father numerous herds of white and red bulls. His huge barnyard has not been cleared for 30 years. Hercules offered to clear the stall for a day for Augeas, asking for a tenth of his herds in return. Considering that the hero could not cope with the work in one day, Avgiy agreed. Hercules blocked the rivers Alpheus and Peneus with a dam and diverted their water to the barnyard of Avgii - all the manure was washed away from it in a day.
Greedy Avgiy did not give Hercules the promised payment for the work. A few years later, already freed from the service of Eurystheus, Hercules gathered an army, defeated Avgii and killed him. After this victory, Hercules established in Elis, near the city of Pisa, the famous Olympic Games The sixth feat of Hercules - the stables of Augia.)
The seventh feat of Hercules (summary)
God Poseidon gave the Cretan king Minos a beautiful bull to sacrifice himself. But Minos left a wonderful bull in his herd, and sacrificed another to Poseidon. The angry god sent rabies on the bull: he began to rush all over Crete, destroying everything along the way. Hercules caught the bull, tamed it and swam across the sea from Crete to the Peloponnese on his back. Eurystheus ordered the bull to be released. He, again enraged, rushed from Mycenae to the north, where he was killed in Attica by an Athenian hero Theseus. (For more details, see a separate article The seventh feat of Hercules - the Cretan bull.)
The eighth feat of Hercules (summary)
The Thracian king Diomedes owned horses of marvelous beauty and strength, which could only be kept in a stall with iron chains. Diomedes fed his horses with human meat, killing strangers who came to him. Hercules led the horses by force and defeated Diomedes, who rushed in pursuit, in battle. During this time, the horses tore to pieces the companion of Hercules, Abder, who guarded them on the ships.
The ninth feat of Hercules (summary)
The queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta, wore a belt given to her as a sign of her power. god Ares. The daughter of Eurystheus, Admet, wished to have this belt. Hercules with a detachment of heroes sailed to the kingdom of the Amazons, to the shores of Pontus Euxinus (Black Sea). Hippolyta, at the request of Hercules, wanted to give the belt voluntarily, but other Amazons attacked the hero and killed several of his companions. Hercules slew the seven strongest warriors in battle and put their army to flight. Hippolyta gave him the belt as a ransom for the captured Amazon Melanippe.
On the way back from the country of the Amazons, Hercules saved at the walls of Troy Hesion, daughter of the Trojan king Laomendont, doomed, like Andromeda, for a sacrifice to a sea monster. Hercules killed the monster, but Laomedon did not give him the promised reward - the horses of Zeus belonging to the Trojans. For this, Hercules a few years later made a trip to Troy, took it and killed the whole family of Laomedont, leaving only one of his sons, Priam, alive. Priam and ruled Troy during the glorious Trojan War.
The myth of Hercules begins with his unusual birth. The thunder god Zeus had a penchant for earthly women. The beautiful Alcmene, the wife of the king of Mycenae, he liked. Zeus, with affectionate 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 hunted. Carried away by hunting, he did not return home to spend the night. And Zeus, in the form of a spouse, 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 are talking about an illegitimate child. She postponed the birth of Alcmene for a day. At the hour appointed by Zeus, Eurystheus was born. It was he who became the ruler of Mycenae, in the service of which Hercules performed well-known feats.
Myths about Hercules: 12 labors
Hera, learning about the birth of the future hero, vowed to kill him. She sent two poisonous snakes into the cradle. But Hercules from birth showed strength and dexterity. He strangled the reptiles with his hands.
The myth of Hercules tells that Hera later sent madness on the hero. The man's mind was clouded when he played with his sons. He mistook the children for monsters. When the attack of madness passed, Hercules was horrified by his own act. 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 path did not last long - the god Hermes appeared to the hero on the very shores of Greece. He conveyed the will of the gods: let Hercules humble himself and go into the service of the king of Mycenae, Eurystheus.
Jealous Hera, in her 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, unwillingly, contributed to the age-old glory of the hero.
First feat
Eurystheus gave the first task to Hercules - to exterminate the Nemean lion. The monster was born from the giant Typhon and Echidna, a huge snake. The lion was striking in its size and bloodthirstiness. Its strong skin withstood the blows of swords, the arrows blunted against it.
In the vicinity of the city of Nemea, a lion lived, destroying all life in its path. Hercules searched for his lair for a whole month. 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 hurt him. Then Hercules grabbed the monster by the throat with his bare hands and strangled him.
The hero returned to Mycenae with victory. When Eurystheus saw the defeated lion, he was frightened by 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. In the poisonous swamp lurked a terrible monster - the Lernean 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 surroundings. 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 Hercules his help - he drove the hero on his chariot to a poisonous swamp. For a long time the hero fought with the hydra. 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 cut heads of the hydra. When Hercules cut off the last, immortal head, he buried it deep in the ground. From above, he rolled a huge rock so that the monster could never again appear on earth.
Arrowheads soaked Hercules with the poisonous blood of the hydra. And then he returned to Mycenae, where a new task for Eurystheus awaited him.
Third feat
Myths about the exploits of Hercules indicate his strength, dexterity, speed. For more than a year, the hero was chasing the Kerinean 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 Kerineian mountains. Her horns sparkled with gold, and her hooves were cast with copper. The skin of the animal sparkled in the sun. The Kerinean doe was created by the goddess of hunting Artemis. She did this as a reproach to people who exterminated flora and fauna.
The deer 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 a bow and shot the animal in the leg. Throwing a net over the prey, he carried it to Mycenae.
Artemis appeared before him in anger. Ancient myths about Hercules tell that the hero obeyed her. He explained how the will of the gods forced him to serve Eurystheus. That it was not for himself that he pursued a beautiful doe. 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. What is it? The fourth myth about Hercules will tell us about this. Its summary allows us to find out that a wild boar appeared in Arcadia. The Erymanthian boar destroyed livestock, forest animals, travelers with huge fangs ...
On the way, Hercules went to the familiar centaur Fall. They opened 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 had been given as a gift to the whole community. A fight ensued. Hercules put the centaurs to flight with his poisonous arrows.
Continuing the 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 beat the sword on the shield. Blinded, the beast 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 Avgiy 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. For days on end Augeas tried to count the number of horses in the stables. But the herd was in motion, the horses were moving, and the count had to be started all over again.
The sewage accumulated from the horses filled all the stables. The smell from them was all over Arcadia, says the 5th myth. Hercules sent Eurystheus to clear the Augean stables of manure. The king thought that a strong and courageous hero would disdain such a task.
Hercules realized that it was necessary to make a hole in the fence. He broke on both sides of the fence that surrounded the stables. water flow mountain river immediately washed away all impurities.
The myth of Hercules briefly reports that after this feat, the hero sacrificed to the river god for unpleasant work. Then he restored the fence and returned to Mycenae for a new task.
Sixth feat
One day, two huge birds appeared near the city of Stimfal, they tell myths about Hercules. They had copper beaks and bronze feathers. Stymphalian birds eventually multiplied and formed a flock. They destroyed seedlings in the fields. They dropped their bronze feathers like arrows at everyone who happened to be near them.
Hercules, before joining the battle, studied the habits of creatures for a long time. He realized that by shedding their feathers, birds become defenseless until new ones grow back. The warrior goddess Athena appeared to Hercules and presented him with copper rattles as a gift. Hercules was delighted with the help, raised a loud noise with the instrument.
Stymphalian birds flew up in fright, began to shed their sharp feathers. Hercules took refuge under the shield from their onslaught. After the birds shed all their feathers, the hero shot them with a bow. And those who did not have time to hit flew away from these places.
The seventh feat
What will the seventh myth of Hercules tell about? The summary indicates that there are no more monstrous animals and birds left in Arcadia. But Eurystheus figured out where to send Hercules - to the island of Crete.
The sea god Poseidon presented King Minos with a marvelous 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 learned about the deception of the king. In anger, he struck the bull with madness. The monster rushed around for a long time, killing people in a rage, dispersing the herds.
Eurystheus, on the slander 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, 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 an animal, the hero returned to Arcadia.
The bull did not even try to throw off Hercules, calmly entered the stall of King Eurystheus. When the hero, tired after a new feat, went to bed, the ruler was afraid to keep the mad bull in his place 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
Myths about Hercules also tell about the demonic horses of Diomedes. These carnivorous monsters devoured wayward travelers. Sailors who were wrecked 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 of his fist on the head, he pacified the first horse and threw a bridle around his neck. When the whole herd was bridled, Hercules with an assistant drove him to the ship. And then King Diomedes stood in the way with his army. Hercules defeated everyone, and when he returned to the shore, he saw that the horses had torn to pieces his assistant 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 carnivorous horses, in horror, ordered them to be released into the forest. There they were dealt with by wild animals.
The ninth feat
12 myths about Hercules are extremely interesting. All of them tell about the strength and courage of the son of Zeus, about the amazing adventures that fell to his lot. The ninth tells about the girdle of Hippolyta. He wanted to get the daughter of Eurystheus Admet. 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 companions. The Amazons greeted them friendly and asked about the purpose of the trip. Hercules honestly told Queen Hippolyta about how the daughter of Eurystheus wanted to receive her belt as a gift.
Hippolyta agreed to give the jewelry to Hercules. But the goddess Hera interfered. She did not like the peaceful solution of the issue - she wanted to destroy the hero. Hera, transformed into one of the Amazons, spread the rumor that Hercules wants to sell them into slavery.
The militant women believed the vicious slander, and a fight ensued. Hercules and his companions defeated the Amazons. With a heavy heart, the son of Zeus completed this task. Hercules, the hero of myths, did not want to fight with women, even if they were warriors.
Tenth feat
The tenth myth about Hercules continues our story. 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 far away 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.
In the green meadows of Erithia, the cows of Gerion, 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 down the giant with several blows of the club. The hero won another victory.
Sailing on a ship to Iberia, Hercules lay down to rest, letting go of the herd to graze. With the first rays of the sun, he decided to drive the herd overland. Cows went through Iberia, Gaul, Italy. Near the sea, one of them rushed to the water and swam. She ended up on the island of Sicily. The local ruler Eriks did not want to give the cow to Hercules. I had to defeat him too.
With the fugitive, the hero returned to the herd and led him 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 Heracles for 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 on the edge of the earth, where Atlas held vault of heaven on your shoulders.
On the way to the end of the world, Hercules freed Prometheus in the mountains of the Caucasus. He fought with the son of the land of Gaia - Antey. Only by tearing the giant off the ground, could his hero defeat him. Having reached Atlanta, 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 vault, and Atlas returned. The giant did not want to again take on his shoulders an exorbitant burden. The cunning man suggested that Hercules hold the sky for more, until he himself reaches Mycenae and gives the apples to the king. But our hero is not so stupid. He agreed, but on the condition that the giant hold the heavens, and Hercules, in the meantime, make himself a grass pillow - the burden is very heavy. Atlas believed and stood in his place, and the hero took the apples and returned home.
Twelfth feat
The last task of Eurystheus was the most difficult, according to myth 12. The exploits of Hercules (a summary of them is given in this article) takes the reader into the amazing world of the mythology of Ancient Greece, a world full of amazing adventures, powerful and insidious gods and strong, brave heroes. But we digress. So, 12 feat. Hercules was to descend into the realm of the dead and kidnap the dog Cerberus. Three heads, a tail in the form of a snake - at the sight of this fiend, the blood ran cold in the veins.
He descended into Hades Hercules and fought with Cerberus. Having defeated the dog, the hero brought him to Mycenae. The king did not allow the gate to be opened and shouted that Hercules let the terrible monster go back.
But the myths about Hercules do not end there. 12 feats that the hero performed in the service of Eurystheus glorified him for centuries. Later, he distinguished himself in military campaigns, arranged his personal life.
The thirteenth feat and the death of Hercules
The legends of Hellas say that there are 13 feats of Hercules. The myth has conveyed to this day the story of King Thespia. Hercules stopped in his house when he hunted the Kiferon lion. Thespius was worried that his daughters would choose unsightly suitors for themselves, give birth to ugly grandchildren. The king offered Heracles to impregnate his 50 daughters. So the hero hunted a lion during the day, and spent the nights with the royal daughters.
Many years later, Hercules married Dejanira. They had many children. One day the couple were crossing a fast river. Dejanira was transported by the centaur Ness. He was seduced by the beauty of the woman and wanted to take possession of her. Hercules hit him with a poisonous arrow. Experiencing terrible torment, Ness decided to take revenge on the hero. He persuaded Dejanira to draw his blood. If Heracles falls out of love with her, all you have to do is soak his clothes with the blood of a centaur, and then the husband will not look at any more women.
Dejanira kept the bottle with the gift of Nessus. Returning from a military campaign, Hercules brought a young captive princess into the house. In a fit of jealousy, Dejanira soaked her husband's clothes with blood. The poison quickly acted and began to deliver Hercules severe torment, and it was not possible to take off 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 take the hero to Olympus and grant him immortal life.
3416a75f4cea9109507cacd8e2f2aefc
Hercules is a legendary hero, his physical strength was admired both in heaven and on earth. Hercules' father was Zeus. The wife of Zeus Hera, offended by her unfaithful husband, decided to punish his son. Hercules had to spend a long time in the service of Eurystheus, his insignificant and cowardly relative. Hercules can only be freed from the curse of Hera if he performs ten great feats within a decade. The Oracle told Hercules about this condition.
Even when Hercules was a baby, two snakes crawled to his cradle to kill him on the orders of Hera. But the hero grabbed them and strangled them without much difficulty.
Eurystheus ordered Hercules to bring him the skin of a special Nemean lion. The animal could not be killed by any weapon. Hercules was able to stun the lion with a club, and then strangle and skin it. After he put on the skins on himself, he became invulnerable. The next feat of Hercules was the battle with the nine-headed serpent, the Lernean hydra. The hero cuts off her heads, but they grow back. He is helped by his nephew Iolaus, who, so that the heads do not grow back, he cauterizes the places where they are cut off. The hero was able to cut off the immortal head. The Hydra is defeated.
The third and fourth feats of the legendary hero are the capture of the Kerinean fallow deer and the Erymanthian boar. The next feat of Hercules was associated with cleaning the stables of King Avgiy. He was able to direct the channels of two rivers into the stables, and the water carried out the sewage. As a reward, Hercules asked Avgius for cattle. But the king refused, for which Hercules killed him. Eurystheus did not credit this feat to the hero, since he demanded a reward.
In his sixth labor, Hercules destroys man-eating birds in the Stymphalian swamp.
Hercules then travels to the island of Crete, where the bull of King Minos savagely devastates the island. The hero was able to tame a rabid animal and even cross the sea with him on his back.
By order of Eurystheus, Hercules, thanks to his next feat, leads to a relative of the captured mares of Diomedes.
It's time for a new challenge. Hercules steals the girdle of Ares, the god of war, which was kept by Queen Hippolyta and the militant Amazons.
After some time, Hercules was able to kill the giant Geryon, who had three heads and a body.
Then the hero finds himself in a garden belonging to the Hesperides and steals from there special apples that bring eternal youth. Eurystheus refuses to take them, as he fears to anger Hera.
The final feat of Hercules was associated with the dog Cerberus, guarding the gates to the kingdom of the dead. Eurystheus ordered the hero to bring the dog to him. Hercules managed to strangle Cerberus. But then the hero let him go. The exploits of the hero are completed. He marries Princess Deniyar. The centaur Ness tried to kidnap her when they wanted to cross the river. Hercules fired an arrow at him with the poison of the Lernaean Hydra. Before his death, Ness whispered to the girl that she could save the hero's eternal love if she soaked her husband's clothes with his blood. Once Denyara, in a fit of jealousy, took advantage of this advice, not knowing that the centaur's blood was poisoned. Hercules is poisoned to avoid excruciating pain, he throws himself into the fire of a lit fire and gains immortality. The gods let him go to Olympus, the only one and the heroes.
Ancient Greece became the birthplace of many heroes who are known throughout the world. Among them, a place of honor is occupied by Hercules - a hero, the son of the god Zeus and the earthly woman Alcmene.
The twelve labors of Hercules entered the history of mankind. Some scholars believe that many heroes of ancient times, sailors, founders of cities were named Hercules, and then the stories about them were combined into one plot.
The main god Zeus, who was considered the father of Hercules, always helped his son, but his wife, the goddess Hera, did not love him. One night, when Hercules and his brother Iphicles were sleeping in a carriage, Hera sent two huge snakes to them to strangle the children. But Hercules woke up and killed the creeping enemies. So people realized that he had extraordinary power.
Many gods, friends of Zeus, taught Hercules useful skills. Amphitrion gave him the opportunity to drive a chariot, Castor taught him to fight, Lin gave him knowledge of music, and the centaur Chiron told him a lot. All this gave him the opportunity to perform 12 feats. Hercules was feared and respected.
Fighting the Nemean Lion
The hero Heracles was forced to obey the little puny king Eurystheus, who ruled over Mycenae, all his life. He was always looking for an opportunity to get rid of Hercules, but could not put him to death, because the people loved Hercules for his good deeds.
1 feat of Hercules is associated with the victory over a terrible lion who lived in the vicinity of Mycenae. This lion did not allow the Greek parishioners to come to the temple of Zeus. The lion born of Echidna and Typhon was invulnerable, ordinary people couldn't do anything with it.
Upon learning of this, King Eurystheus immediately sent Hercules to fight the lion in the hope that he would not be able to win. The hero went to the lion's lair.
1 feat of Hercules was associated with the fact that he had to fill up with stones one of the entrances to the cave (there were two in total). Hidden, he began to wait for the lion. He came home from hunting in the evening. Creeping up, Hercules hit him on the head with a stick, but could not kill him. As a result, Hercules strangled the lion and skinned it.
This skin then served the hero in all his campaigns, he spread it under himself when he slept. Wrapped in this skin, Hercules then came to the gates of Mycenae, which terribly frightened King Eurystheus, and he preferred to communicate with him only through his servants.
lernaean hydra
Hercules did not have long to rest after the battle with the lion. On the second day, a messenger from King Eurystheus came to him demanding that the hero again set off to perform feats.
The Twelve Labors of Hercules include his battle with the Lernaean Hydra. She was also the offspring of Typhon and Echidna. The hydra had the body of a snake and nine heads, and they had one feature - new ones grew in place of cut off or cut down heads.
Labors of Heracles summary which was given by ancient Greek historians, they say that the strong man came to the swamp where the hydra lived and teased her. The monster crawled out of the cave and began to choke the hero. In addition, a huge cancer appeared from the swamp and dug into his leg. Hercules tirelessly chopped off the heads of the hydra, but new ones constantly grew. In the end, he called an assistant, the shepherd Iolaus. He set fire to the forest, and with the help of fire began to cauterize the places on the body of the hydra, where the heads were cut off. They stopped growing, and Hercules finally destroyed the hydra. He chopped her body and threw it into the swamp, and soaked his arrows in the blood of the hydra. Since then, the wounds caused by these arrows have become fatal for his enemies.
Stymphalian birds
After killing the hydra, the hero got the opportunity to rest for a year. Then King Eurystheus again called him to him and ordered him to go to the forest near Stimfal.
The Arcadian city of Stymfal has long suffered from terrible birds. These large creatures attacked people, carried off livestock and robbed fields. 3 feat of Hercules is associated with the victory over these creatures.
These birds were also dangerous because their long bronze feathers inflicted mortal wounds on people. To an ordinary person it was impossible to deal with them. But friendly gods came to Hercules to help.
Pallas Athena gave the hero a special ratchet made by Hephaestus. She made such sounds that everyone ran away from them in horror.
The exploits of Hercules, a brief summary of which is set out in the school reader, tell that this time Hercules stood near the forest where the birds lived, and began to ring with a rattle. There was such a roar that all the birds flew out of the thicket. Then the hero began to shoot at them with a bow. Some he killed, the rest flew far, far away.
The birds settled on the banks of the Euxine Pont, and the hero went to his home. However, he was soon called again to carry out an urgent assignment.
kerinean fallow deer
The goddess Hera was looking for ways to annoy her stepson, 12 exploits of Hercules, the summary of which was retold to each other by all the Greeks, and appeared because the hero constantly had to fulfill the instructions of King Eurystheus, Hera's henchman.
So, Hera decided to quarrel the hero with the gods. Eurystheus instructed Hercules to bring a beautiful doe living in Arcadia. The thirteenth feat of Hercules, a summary of which is of interest to many, is associated with the hero's hunt for this doe, which devastated the crops of the villagers.
The deer was very beautiful, she had golden horns. She ran fast, Hercules chased her for a whole year. In the end, he got tired of the pursuit and he shot at the animal. In doing so, they pierced her legs, the doe could no longer run.
Hercules put the doe on his shoulder, just about to carry it away, when the indignant goddess Artemis appeared before him, who demanded the return of the doe. Hercules apologized and said that he had caught the deer not of his own free will, but at the behest of King Eurystheus, who had sent him here. The goddess forgave him, and the hero took the doe to Mycenae.
Erymanthian boar
The exploits of Hercules, a summary of which many of us read in children's books, did not end there. Eurystheus gave him the task of killing the Erymanthian boar.
This animal lived on Mount Erimanf, he had huge fangs, with which he destroyed people.
On the way, Hercules decided to visit his centaur friends, they were half-humans, half-horses who lived in a cave. Many believe that there were thirteen labors of Hercules, since the destruction of evil centaurs can also be attributed to them. The fact is that in honor of the arrival of the hero, half-humans-half-horses opened wine, got drunk and began to attack Hercules.
He threw smoking brands at the centaurs, and also shot poisonous arrows. They ran home to Chiron, the oldest of the centaurs. The hero wounded Chiron with a shot in the knee. And he later voluntarily went to Hades.
It was the 13th feat of Hercules, but the hero was upset that he had to do this with his friend, but he had to complete the task of King Eurystheus. The exploits of Hercules, a brief summary of which is interesting to everyone, tells that a strong man came to the forest, found a boar and drove him to the top of the mountain in deep snow. Then he twisted the boar and brought it to Mycenae. King Eurystheus was terribly frightened and hid in a bronze cauldron.
Augean stables
The twelve labors of Hercules were not always associated with the taming of wild animals. Among them there are feats of another kind.
The king of Elis, Avgiy, was the son of the radiant god Helios. He was very rich, and he was immensely proud of his herds of bulls and horses. Three hundred bulls from his herd were considered the decoration of the country. Of these, two hundred were red, and one hundred were white. But there was a problem: the premises where his animals were kept were very dirty, no one knew how to clean them.
Hercules offered Avgius a deal: he would clear the stables one day, and in return he would give him a tenth of the herds. Augius agreed. He believed that it was impossible in principle to do so.
The hero, without thinking twice, broke the walls of the stables, brought the waters of two rivers there. These waters rushed into the premises, and the next day all the manure was washed away. Then Hercules restored the walls.
Avgiy refused to pay the promised reward to the hero. Tom had to leave just like that, but then he took revenge on Augeas. Gathered an army, killed Avgiy and his sons, destroyed the city. Subsequently, the Olympic Games were established on the site of the battle with Avgiy.
Cretan bull
The strong man did not have to rest for a long time. Until all wild animals and ferocious monsters were exterminated, King Eurystheus could not calm down. And now he sent Hercules to Crete, where at that time a ferocious bull lived. For the seventh time, the hero had to perform a feat.
The exploits of Hercules, a summary of which many studied in childhood, tell that Hercules went to Crete, in obedience to the order.
The Cretan bull was originally intended to be sacrificed to the god Poseidon. But the king of the island of Minos did not want to give such a beautiful bull to the gods, sent him to pasture, and sacrificed another.
Poseidon got angry, and the beautiful bull became a ferocious monster that attacked people and destroyed crops. The economy of Crete is under threat. It took another feat of Hercules to bring everything back to normal.
Some believe that this was the thirteenth feat of Hercules. The hero caught the bull and rode it. Then the bull became a means of transport for crossing from Crete to the Peloponnese. Hercules brought him to Mycenae, but King Eurystheus was frightened, did not want to bring such an animal into the city. Then the hero released the terrible beast, and he fled to Attica, where he was killed by Theseus.
Horses of Diomedes
The thirteen labors of Hercules are associated with the hero's victory over the forces of the wild, over the ferocious creatures that then inhabited Greece.
The eighth feat was associated with the taming of horses that belonged to King Diomedes, who lived in Thrace. These horses were chained with iron chains to the wall, everyone was afraid of them. They ate people. King Diomedes caught strangers and fed them to horses.
Hercules came to Thrace, took the animals and took them to his ship, entrusting their protection to Abder, the son of Hermes. Diomedes with his army caught up with the hero and tried to attack, but Hercules killed many, and Diomedes had to flee. At this time, wild horses ate Abder, everyone grieved about this for a long time. But still, the feat of Hercules was accomplished.
As usual, Hercules brought his prey to Mycenae to show King Eurystheus. He ordered the horses to be released, and they fled into the forest. Somewhere they died.
Saving the wife of King Admet
The ninth feat of Hercules marked his struggle with death, his victory over the god of death Tanat.
It is possible that the thirteenth feat of Hercules, a summary of which is set out in collections of myths and legends, has a connection with the victory of man over the dark forces of nature. Hercules was the first to break the rule that the ancient gods of death had the right to take any person they needed.
King Admet knew that he must go to the grave, to Hades, since the gods had ordained this for him. But he did not want to die, he had colossal plans. He asked his elderly parents to go to Hades instead of him. The parents refused.
Then the wife of King Admet Alcestis agreed to sacrifice herself. It was hard for her to leave her husband and two children, but she knew that one of them had to leave. She prayed to the goddess of the hearth, Hestia, so that she would not leave her children unattended. Alcestis prepared for death, put on a funeral outfit. Her servants began to mourn.
At this time, Hercules, who was in a cheerful state of mind, was passing by the city. He came home to Admet, began to feast. But the servants told him that it was inappropriate to have fun now, since the queen, the wife of Admet, had died.
Hercules learned the details, went to the tomb in which Alcestis lay. At night, the god of death Tanat came to the tomb. A struggle ensued between them. In this struggle, the son of Zeus won. He repulsed Alcestis and took her back to Admet. At first he did not recognize his wife, but then he was very happy. All the inhabitants of the city rejoiced. The hero moved on.
Belt of Hippolyta
The tenth feat is a campaign of a strong man in the country of the Amazons. The exploits of Hercules, a summary of which interests many, have become a symbol of the victory of the cultural Greeks over the barbarians.
This feat was due to the fact that the daughter of King Eurystheus wanted to have the belt of Queen Hippolyta, who ruled the Amazons, warlike women who led a nomadic lifestyle.
Hercules went to the country of the Amazons, along the way he fought several battles. He was attacked by wild bebriks, from whom he fought off. Arriving in the country of the Amazons, he came to Queen Hippolyta and asked to be given a belt.
Hippolyta initially wanted to give him the belt voluntarily, but the Amazons did not like it. Rather, Hera arranged so that the Amazons attacked the army of Hercules. The battle has begun. Many of the Amazons were killed.
Hercules captured their leader Melanippe, but Hippolyta ransomed her, giving the winner a belt.
Cows of Geryon
12 Labors of Hercules helped the ancient people to free themselves from the fetters of natural forces. Moreover, thanks to this strong man, they learned how to tame them.
13 the feat of Hercules is associated with the capture of the cows of Gerion, who lived on the westernmost edge of the earth. The hero received an order from Eurystheus to bring these cows. He went west through Africa and Libya, where he erected two pillars as proof of his presence.
There he had to fight the dog Orfo and the giant Gerion, who had three mouths and six arms. Pallas Athena helped him in this struggle. On the ocean shore, Hercules thought about how to get to Eritheia. There he met Helios, the god of the sun, and he invited him to drive up in a chariot, on which Helios made detours across the sky every day. So Hercules got to the island.
After killing Geryon, Hercules captured the cows and drove them to Greece through Africa, Italy and Spain. The goddess Hera pursued him here too, unleashed rabies on the cows. The cows fled, Hercules had to collect them again.
He brought the cows to Mycenae, and there King Eurystheus sacrificed them to the goddess Hera. So the thirteenth feat of Hercules, a summary of which became known to the whole world, was completed. But there is controversy over whether this can really be considered the last feat of the hero. Some name a few more.
Dog Kerber
The taming of the dog Kerberos was the most outstanding feat of Hercules. To do this, he had to go down to Hades and there negotiate with the god of death himself.
The goddess Athena Pallas helped Hercules to descend into the underworld, on the way he freed Theseus. King Hades set a condition for Hercules: he would take Kerberos with him if he defeated him without the use of weapons.
It was difficult for Hercules, but he defeated Kerberos, brought him to King Eurystheus. He was terribly frightened, the hero had to take the dog back.
The 12 labors of Hercules, a summary of which we already know, end with a story about how Hercules got the apples of the Hesperides. These apples grew in gardens guarded by a never sleeping dragon. The 6th feat of Hercules was also associated with overcoming the monster. Apples had miraculous power - they brought eternal youth to everyone who ate them.
On the way to the gardens, Hercules ran into Atlas, who was holding the entire firmament on his shoulders, and asked him for help. Atlas agreed to bring apples, but in return he ordered Hercules to hold the vault of heaven. It was hard for our hero, but Athena Pallas again helped him to hold the vault of heaven.
Atlas brought apples, but did not want to take the sky back. Then Hercules went to the trick: he said that he wanted to make himself a pillow, and yet he gave Atlas the vault of heaven, asking him to hold it for a minute.
AT modern research there is disagreement about how many labors Hercules had. 13 the feat of Hercules raises doubts among many. With what exactly it is connected, no one still knows for sure. The thirteenth feat of Hercules, the content of which is given in the literature, is more intended for the study of adult readers. Therefore, his description is not in school anthologies.
In general, the twelve labors of Hercules are most widely known, which are mentioned in world literature. These deeds became the basis of various works, many writers worked with these plots. In short, the 13th feat of Hercules was the embodiment of his mighty power in relations with the opposite sex, and here the Greek hero remains a role model.
Hercules, aka Hercules - one of the most famous heroes ancient Greek myths. His father was Zeus, and his mother was a mere mortal woman named Alcmene.
Life before exploits
The young man was a full head taller than the tallest of men, and possessed strength that surpassed that of a human. Yet strangled two snakes as a child, sent to him by the vengeful Hero.
Hera, the wife of Zeus, was angry with her husband for treason, and pursued Hercules, sending all sorts of misfortunes. Deciding to take revenge, Hera sent a curse on Hercules - she made him insane. When the hero came to his senses, he realized that in a fit of madness he had killed his children.
When Hercules realized what he had done, he left the city of Thebes and went to Apollo.
The god Apollo ordered the young hero to go to Tiryns, enter the service of King Eurystheus for 12 years and perform 12 feats.
Hercules was told that at the end of the service to the king, he would become immortal. King Eurystheus (who was Hercules' cousin) was cowardly and dishonest, but Hercules did the will of Apollo and became his servant.
12 Labors of Hercules
Total about a hundred feats are known, committed by Hercules, but these twelve are considered the main ones in the myths of Ancient Greece:
- Strangulation of a lion.
- Hydra kill.
- Expulsion of the Stymphalian birds.
- Kerinian deer.
- The capture of the Erymanthian boar.
- Stables cleaning.
- Taming of the Cretan bull.
- Stealing horses and defeating Diomedes.
- Victory over the Amazons.
- Construction of the Pillars of Hercules.
- Taming the dog Cerberus with three heads.
- Victory over Antaeus and golden apples.
nemean lion was huge and dangerous, often attacking Argolid (the city ruled by Eurystheus). Hercules tried to kill the lion by shooting him with a bow, but the arrows could not pierce the lion's thick skin. Then Hercules began to fight and strangled the predator with his hands. After this feat, the hero of ancient Greek myths established the festive Nemean Games, which were held in the Peloponnese.
Giant lernaean hydra- a creature with a snake body and nine dragon heads, killed all life in the vicinity of the city of Lerna. It was very difficult to kill the hydra, because instead of a severed head, it grew two. In battle, Hercules was helped by his assistant Iolaus, who guessed to cauterize his neck after beheading.
Huge Stymphalian birds with copper claws and bronze feathers attacked cattle and people, killing them with their claws. Athena helped Hercules by giving him two tympanums (a musical instrument like a tambourine). The sounds of the tympanum scared away the birds, they left Greece forever.
kerinean fallow deer- a large and fast animal that was sent to Earth by Artemis. Doe destroyed the fields of Arcadia. Hercules tried to catch up with her for a whole year, and when he caught up, he easily wounded her with a bow shot. He brought the animal to his master Eurystheus.
Erymanthian boar possessed great strength and terrified local residents. Hercules was able to capture him and deliver to Eurystheus. While hunting a boar, Hercules accidentally killed the centaur Chiron - in the past his mentor and friend.
Augeus was the king of Elis, owned huge herds of amazing red and white color. Augean stables, in which the bulls lived were not cleaned for 30 years. Hercules said that he could cleanse them in a day if Avgiy gave him part of the herds. Avgiy agreed, Hercules kept his promise by cleaning the stables with the waters of the rivers Alpheus and Peneus. Avgiy deceived Hercules, after a while the hero returned and killed the dishonest Avgiy. In honor of his victory, he established.
Poseidon gave King Minos of Knossos a large bull to be sacrificed in Crete. But the king deceived the master of the seas and kept the bull for himself. The angry god sent rabies on the bull, and he began to destroy everything around. Hercules caught the Cretan bull and delivered to his owner.
King Diomedes kept wonderful horses in the stables, but fed them with human meat. Hercules stole the horses of Diomedes. The owner tried to stop the hero, but he fought with Diomedes and won.
Admeta, daughter of Eurystheus, wanted to get the belt worn by Hippolyta - the leader of the Amazons. Hippolyta did not want war and gave the belt, but her Amazons attacked the hero and his friends. In battle, Hercules captured one of the Amazons, Hippolyta redeemed her subject, again giving the hero a belt. On the way back, he saved Hesion, the daughter of the Trojan king, who was chained to a rock, from a sea monster.
Eurystheus wished to take possession of the cows that Geryon, a monster with several heads and torsos, pastured. To do this, the hero had to go on a long dangerous journey. In honor of him Hercules two stone pillars were erected, called the Hercules. believed that Atlantis was immediately behind the pillars. Hercules stole the cows, but he had to fight with the owner of the animals. The hero defeated him and set off on his way back. Later, Hera sent rabies on the cows, and one of them fled to Thrace. Hercules caught her and delivered her to his king.
Hercules went to Hades (the realm where the dead live) to tame Cerberus, a dog with three heads. On the way, he freed Theseus, a hero immured in a rock from ancient rome. Hercules tamed Cerberus and delivered to the owner, but he, frightened, ordered to carry the monster back.
A titan named Atlas held on his shoulders the vault of the sky, on which a magical garden was located. Golden apples did not grow in. Eurystheus ordered Hercules to bring three fruits. Hero defeated Antaeus, and came to Atlas. He went to the trick so as not to give the apples, but Hercules turned out to be more cunning and got golden apples.
Hero's death, ascension and deification
The hero lived for about 50 years. There are two versions of the death of Hercules. According to the first, when the hero realized that he could no longer draw the bow, he threw himself into the fire. The second legend says that Hercules was accidentally poisoned by his wife Dejanira, and, unable to withstand the torment, he threw himself into the fire.
After death, the hero ascended to heaven. As the myths tell, Hercules began to live on Mount Olympus among other gods, reconciled with Hera and married her daughter, the goddess Hebe. And in the realm of the dead Hades lives the ghost of this great hero of ancient Greece.
If this message was useful to you, I would be glad to see you