The myth of Hercules and the 12 labors

The myth of Hercules, whose original name was Heracles, in Greek, is the most famous and legendary of classical mythology.. Son of Zeus and a mortal named Aicmena, wife of a brave warrior named Amphitryon whom Zeus posed as to lie with her. Amphitrion did it too, after returning from a battle, and then Aicmena had twins.

One of the twins, Hercules, was the son of Zeus. The other, Iphicles, was the son of her husband. By genealogy, Hercules was the grandson of Perseus and Zeus swore that he would be a great king. Hera, his wife, discovered the infidelity of Zeus and from then on he spared no effort to harm the little boy..

According to the myth of Hercules, He demonstrated enormous strength from a very young age.. Hera sent two snakes to attack him, when he was just a baby, and he killed them with his own hands. He also killed his music teacher in a fit of rage. For this reason, his stepfather sent him to live in the countryside, fearing precisely the consequences of this lack of self-control.

The birth of the myth of Hercules

Once in the field, the myth of Hercules says that he learned to handle the bow and arrow with great skill. He soon became famous for his exploits and his remarkable abilities. King Creon granted him the hand of his daughter, Megara.when Hercules cut off the nose and ears of some tax collectors who had subjugated the Thebans.

Hera, who was always intent on harming the hero, made him have a fit of madness . During it, he killed her wife and the four children he already had with her.. Upon regaining consciousness, she felt deep pain and shame for what she had done. Then she left everyone and went to live in the wild.

Time after, His brother Iphicles found him and suggested that he go to consult the Oracle of Delphi. so that he could impose a penalty that would allow him to atone for the terrible action he had committed. The myth of Hercules says that the hero listened to him and did so. The oracle’s sibyl then imposed 12 fabulous tasks on him that he must complete.

The 12 jobs

The 12 labors of Hercules were monumental tasks, which he had to do to atone for his guilt. These were the following:

Get the skin of the Nemean lion. A terrible beast, invulnerable to the potential damage caused by many weapons. Hercules confronted him body to body and thus managed to drown him. He kept his skin, which he wore as a dress.Kill the Lernaean Hydra. It was a brutal snake with several heads and when one was cut off, two more would grow. Hercules’ nephew helped him defeat her.Capture the deer of Mount Cerineo. The deer had hooves of gold and antlers of bronze. Hercules pursued her for a year, until, tired, he hunted her.Capture the Erymanthian boar. Another beast that Hercules pursued until he defeated.Exterminate the birds of the Stymphalia lagoon. These fed on human flesh, thanks to their bronze beaks and wings. Furthermore, their excrement was poisonous. The hero eliminated them with arrows.Clean the Augean Stables. They hadn’t been cleaned for 30 years and were nauseating. Hercules changed the course of a river to complete his task, since they had given him the condition of doing it in a single day.Capture the Cretan bull. Hercules managed to subdue this beast, which Theseus eventually killed later.Bring Diomedes’ mares to Tiryns. They were wild and carnivorous, but Hercules managed to get them to eat the giant Diomedes, his master. After that, he tamed them and completed this job.Get Hippolyta’s Belt. She had to face the Amazons to obtain it, due to Hera’s intrigues. In the end, she got it.Transfer the red bulls of Geryon. Helios helped him and Hercules had a long and fierce fight with the bulls, until he managed to take them to their destination.Obtain the apples from the garden of the Hesperides. He was helped by Atlas to obtain the golden apples that granted eternal youth.Capture Cerberus. The hero had to go to the underworld; with the help of Hermes, and he achieved his goal.

Once the twelve labors were completed, the myth of Hercules says that the hero was freed from his guilt. He lived many other adventures, until he died due to the deception of a centaur. Zeus took him to Olympus and got Hera to adopt him as her own son.. Thus, Hercules became the gatekeeper of heaven.

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