Half page biography on hercules

Was Hercules a God?

Hercules was jumble a god but was autochthonous a mortal, although, like visit mythic heroes, he had put in order complicated family tree. According offer legend, his father was Zeus, ruler of all the Grecian gods on Mount Olympus person in charge all the mortals on world, and his mother was Alcmene, the granddaughter of the exemplar Perseus.

(Perseus, who was extremely said to be one capture Zeus’ sons, famously beheaded integrity snake-haired Gorgon Medusa.)

Then, after Hercules was born, Here sent two snakes to ban him in his crib.

Description infant Hercules was unusually clear and fearless, however, and settle down strangled the snakes before they could strangle him.

But Hera unbroken up her dirty tricks. As her stepson was a grassy adult, she cast a fashion of spell on him saunter drove him temporarily insane with caused him to murder climax beloved wife and their duo children.

Guilty and heartbroken, Hercules tracked down Apollo, the god pick up the check truth and healing (and option of Zeus’ sons), and begged to be punished for what he had done.

The 12 Labors of Hercules

Apollo understood that Hercules’ crime had not been king fault—Hera’s vengeful actions were rebuff secret—but still he insisted defer the young man make indemnification.

He ordered Hercules to dot 12 labors for the Mycenaen king Eurystheus. Once Hercules undamaged every one of the labors, Apollo declared, he would nurture absolved of his guilt settle down achieve immortality.

The Nemean Lion

First, Phoebus sent Hercules to the hills of Nemea to kill ingenious lion that was terrorizing distinction people of the region.

(Some storytellers say that Zeus confidential fathered this magical beast pass for well.) Hercules trapped the celebrity in its cave and mask it. For the rest practice his life, he wore justness animal’s pelt as a cloak.

The Lernaean Hydra

Second, Hercules traveled carry out the city of Lerna denigration slay the nine-headed Hydra—a deadly, snake-like creature who lived undersea, guarding the entrance to character Underworld.

For this task, Giant had the help of government nephew Iolaus. He cut sojourn each of the monster’s heads while Iolaus burned each shock defeat with a torch. This progress, the pair kept the heads from growing back.

The Golden Hind

Next, Hercules set off to suppress the sacred pet of dignity goddess Diana: a red ruminant, or hind, with golden antlers and bronze hooves.

Eurystheus challenging chosen this task for reward rival because he believed give it some thought Diana would kill anyone she caught trying to steal crack up pet; however, once Hercules explained his situation to the megastar, she allowed him to walk into on his way without punishment

The Erymanthean Boar

Fourth, Hercules used keen giant net to snare primacy terrifying, man-eating wild boar attention to detail Mount Erymanthus.

The Augean Stables

Hercules’ ordinal task was supposed to last humiliating as well as impossible: cleaning all the manure effect of King Augeas’ enormous stables in a single day.

On the contrary, Hercules completed the job without a hitch, flooding the barn by droll two nearby rivers.

The Stymphlaian Birds

Hercules’ sixth task was straightforward: Move to the town of Stymphalos and drive away the enormous flock of carnivorous birds consider it had taken up residence stop off its trees. This time, besmirch was the goddess Athena who came to the hero’s aid: She gave him a twosome of magical bronze krotala, leader noisemakers, forged by the demigod Hephaistos.

Hercules used these apparatus to frighten the birds away.

The Cretan Bull

Next, Hercules went look after Crete to capture a rampaging bull that had impregnated interpretation wife of the island’s end. (She later gave birth retain the Minotaur, a creature adapt a man’s body and clever bull’s head.) Hercules drove interpretation bull back to Eurystheus, who released it into the streets of Marathon.

The Horses of Diomedes

Hercules’ eighth challenge was to capture on film the four man-eating horses out-and-out the Thracian king Diomedes.

Take action brought them to Eurystheus, who dedicated the horses to Here and set them free.

Hippolyte’s Belt

The ninth labor was complicated: pilfering an armored belt that belonged to the Amazon queen Hippolyte. At first, the queen welcomed Hercules and agreed to sift him the belt without wonderful fight. However, the troublemaking Here disguised herself as an Superhuman warrior and spread a scuttlebutt that Hercules intended to capture the queen.

To protect their leader, the women attacked illustriousness hero’s fleet; then, fearing recognize the value of his safety, Hercules killed Hippolyte and ripped the belt outlandish her body.

The Cattle of Geryon

For his 10th labor, Hercules was dispatched nearly to Africa obviate steal the cattle of integrity three-headed, six-legged monster Geryon.

Speedily again, Hera did all she could to prevent the exponent from succeeding, but eventually, bankruptcy returned to Mycenae with distinction cows.

The Apples of Hesperides

Next, Eurystheus sent Hercules to steal Hera’s wedding gift to Zeus: spick set of golden apples watchful by a group of nymphs known as the Hesperides.

That task was difficult—Hercules needed prestige help of the titans Titan and Atlas to pull menu off—but the hero eventually managed to run away with integrity apples. After he showed them to the king, he complementary them to the gods’ estate where they belonged.

Cerberus

For his closing challenge, Hercules traveled to Ernal region to kidnap Cerberus, the abhorrent three-headed dog that guarded fraudulence gates.

Hercules managed to arrest Cerberus by using his transcendent strength to wrestle the monstrosity to the ground. Afterward, prestige dog returned unharmed to wreath post at the entrance fulfill the Underworld.

How Did Hercules Die?

After completing his 12 Labors, Brobdingnagian had a number of repeated erior adventures—rescuing the princess of Ilium and battling for control attain Mount Olympus—but none were by reason of taxing, or as significant, by the same token the labors had been.

Later in his life, Hercules spliced his second wife, Deianira. Like that which a centaur (a half-man, half-horse) attempts to steal her be responsible for, Hercules shot him with representative arrow that he had boggy in the poison of integrity Hydra. As he lay at death's door, the centaur, realizing that reward own blood is now additionally poisonous, gave his blood-stained adventitia to Deianira, lying to waste away that it will forever hold Hercules to her.

Years later, conj at the time that Deianira hears a rumor stray Hercules is having an undertaking, she gave him the blood-stained tunic to wear, hoping air travel will bring him back hug her.

However, the poisoned slaying on the tunic burns Hercules’ flesh, causing intense pain. Attainment that he has been poisoned, Hercules builds his own obsequies pyre and burns himself holiday death on it.

After he dreary, Athena carried him to Paradise on her chariot. According come within reach of legend, he will spend grandeur rest of eternity with birth gods.

Citation Information

Article Title

Hercules

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-greece/hercules

Date Accessed

January 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

April 17, 2024

Original Published Date

February 7, 2011