Weird A-Z. T is for The Twelve Trials of Hercules

Weird A-Z. T is for The Twelve Trials of Hercules

The son od Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene, Hercules (or Heracles as he was in Greek mythology) was endowed with fabulous strength. He strangled two serpents in his cradle, and killed a lion before reaching manhood. Because of Zeus's infidelity, Hercules was hated by Zeus's wife, Hera. Hercules grew up. married and had three sons, living in peace. However, Hera made him have a terrible nightmare during which Hercules killed all of his family. Hercules was so grieved that he exiled himself. Frightened, Hercules went to the Oracle of Apollo to ask the gods what he should do to atone for his crime, and was sent as a slave to serve King Eurystheus. The king set him 12 labours which would free him from the fate of having murdered his family. Only if Hercules completed all the tasks would he be free of Hera's vengeance, and also gain his freedom once more. 

They were to:

1. Kill the Lion of Nemea. He strangled it without further ado.

2. Kill the Nine-Headed Hydra. Two new heads would grow on the Hydra from each fresh wound, and one head was immortal. Hercules burned the neck stumps of the heads to cauterise them and secured the immortal head under a rock.

3. Capture the Ceryneian Hind. After chasing it for many months he finally trapped it and brought it to Eurystheus.

4. Capture the Wild Boar of Erymanthus.

5. Clean the stables of King Augeas in a single day. He succeeded by diverting a nearby river to wash away the filth.

6. Kill the Carnivorous Birds of Stymphalis, with their toxic dung, metal beaks and feathers.

7. Capture the Wild White Bull of Crete.

8. Capture the Maneating Mares of Diomedes.

9. Obtain the Girdle of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons.

10. Capture the Chestnut Oxen of the monster Geryon.

11. Take the Golden Apples from the Garden of Hesperides, which was always guarded by the dragon Ladon. Hercules tricked Atlas into getting the apples by offering to hold up the heavens for him. When he returned with the apples, Hercules asked him to take the load for a moment so that he could get a pillow for his aching shoulders. Atlas did so, and Hercules done a runner with the apples.

12. Bring Cerberus, the Three-Headed Dog of Hades, to the surface world.

Hercules was now free to return to Thebes and marry Deianira. Later the centaur Nessus tried to abduct Deianira; Hercules shot him with a poisoned arrow. The dying Nessus told Deianira to keep his blood, as it would always preserve Hercules's love. When Deianira later feared that she was being supplanted by Iole, Deianira sent Hercules a garment soaked in Nessus's blood. It burned his body and poisoned Hercules, who was take after death to Olympus ans endowed with immortality.