"Formation of medieval cities" - The struggle of cities with seniors. Union of German Cities. Union of medieval merchants. The city is a center of crafts and trade. Fair - an annual auction in which merchants took part. Medieval fair. Development of trade. The emergence and growth of cities in Europe. Apprentices received payment from the master for their work. The origins of democratic orders in the countries of Western Europe. Craftsman's workshop. Union of medieval artisans of one specialty.
"Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece" - Cartoons: 1. Prometheus. 2. Return from Olympus. 3. Argonauts. 4. Perseus. 5. Hercules at Admet. Before the power of the goddess, hunger receded and death hid. God of fire and blacksmithing. At the feet of Hades, the dog Cerberus usually lies. Poseidon. Hades and Persephone. Satyrs made up the retinue of Dionysus - always having fun and singing. The best picture is the smoke of conflagrations, destroyed and looted houses. The god of the underworld of the dead, rules over the shadows of the dead.
"Myths about Hercules" - Soldier and death. The image of Hercules in painting. Apples of the Hesperides. Hercules is considered the founder of the Olympic Games. Annibale Carracci. The meaning of the image of Hercules. Antonio Pollailo. Revealing the meaning of the image. Hero's state. Myths about the twelve labors of Hercules. Heracles.
"Events of the Hundred Years War" - England's possessions in France. Agincourt. Hundred Years War. Battle of Poitiers. The reasons. Role of the King of France Peace between England and France. Commander Bertrand Dugueclin. The desire of France to win back Aquitaine from England. Main events. Places and years of the most important battles. Reasons for the war. Army. August Rodin. Crecy. French army. Armistice between England and France. Causes and reasons for the war. English and French army.
"How did the unification of France happen" - Who was interested in unification. The unification of France was an inevitable event. estate monarchy. Money difficulties. The first successes of the association. Philip II August. Noble feudal lords of France. King Louis IX Saint. Philip IV Handsome. States General. Unification of France. Philip resorted to damaging the royal coin. Philip II in a fierce battle at Bouvina utterly defeated his opponents.
"Culture of the Early Renaissance in Italy" - Giovanni Boccaccio. Reasons for the emergence of a new culture. Art of the Early Renaissance. Knightly Literature. The culture of the early Renaissance in Italy. Art of the Early Renaissance. Latin and Greek languages. Petrarch. Wisdom lovers. Birth of Venus. New doctrine of man. Spring. The first humanists Early Renaissance painter. Emperors. Revival of the ancient heritage.
Hercules Hercules - in the myths of the ancient Greeks, the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene. The newly born baby Hercules immediately struck everyone with his extraordinary strength when he strangled two monstrous snakes sent to his cradle by a jealous Hero. Zeus picked the best teachers for Hercules, who taught him various arts, wrestling, archery, playing the kithara and more. At the age of eighteen, Hercules killed the Kytheron lion on Mount Kieferon, which devastated the surroundings. Serving with the king of Tiryns Eurystheus, Hercules became famous for 12 labors: he obtained the skin of a Nemean lion; killed the Lernean hydra; caught a Kerinean doe; caught an Erymanthian boar; cleared the Augean stables (a huge barnyard); banished the monstrous Stymphalian birds; brought to Eurystheus a fierce Cretan bull; drove the mares of Diomedes; got the belt of the Queen of the Amazons Hippolyta; brought the cows of Geryon from the far West. To deliver these cows, Hercules had to sail to the distant island of Erifia, along the way he placed on the northern and southern shores of the strait separating Europe from Africa, two stone steles - the so-called. Pillars of Hercules; obtained and brought to Tiryns the golden apples of the Hesperides; kidnapped the guardian of the underworld Kerberos. He was accepted into the assembly of the immortal gods. Hera reconciled with Hercules, and he married her daughter, the goddess of youth, Hebe. The cult of Hercules was widespread throughout the Greek world. With the spread of the cult of Hercules in Italy, he began to be revered under the name Hercules.
Historical dictionary. 2000 .
Synonyms:See what "Hercules" is in other dictionaries:
See Hercules. (Source: "A Concise Dictionary of Mythology and Antiquities". M. Korsh. St. Petersburg, edition of A. S. Suvorin, 1894.) HERCULES (Ήρακλής), in Greek mythology, a hero, the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene (Amphitryon's wife). In the absence of… … Encyclopedia of mythology
Hercules- destroys Stymphalian birds. A fragment of an amphora painting. Mid 6th century BC e. London, British Museum. Heracles destroys the Stymphalian birds. A fragment of an amphora painting. Mid 6th century BC e. London, British Museum. Hercules in the myths of the ancients ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary "World History"
hercules- HERCULES, a, m. (or dried hercules, dried hercules). Iron. an appeal to a person who unreasonably considers himself physically strong. Put down the weight, dried hercules, otherwise the snot will go with your ears (otherwise you will overstrain). From own. "Hercules" hero ... ... Dictionary of Russian Argo
And husband.; old Eracles, a. Otch .: Heraklovich, Geraklovna; unfold Heracles. Derivatives: Hera. Origin: (In ancient mythology: Hercules is a popular Greek hero who is credited with accomplishing many feats. From the Greek Hēra Hera and kleos glory.) ... ... Dictionary of personal names
- (Hercules) the hero of Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene. Endowed with extraordinary strength, Hercules performed many feats; the most famous is the cycle of legends about the 12 exploits of Hercules; in addition, Hercules freed Prometheus, defeated ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
One of the favorite figures of Greek folklore, a repulser of evil, overcoming wild animals, monsters and demons, gaining a place among the gods by exploits. On the whole image of Hercules lies the stamp of creativity of the lower classes: uncouth, rustic ... ... Literary Encyclopedia
- (Hercules), in Greek mythology, a hero, the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene. Endowed with extraordinary strength, Hercules strangled 2 snakes as a baby. Serving with Eurystheus, he became famous for 12 exploits: he gets the skin of a Nemean lion; kills the Lernean hydra; ... ... Modern Encyclopedia
From ancient Greek mythology. Hercules (Rom. Hercules) is the most popular hero of Ancient Greece and Rome, the son of the head of the gods of the Olympians Zeus and a mortal woman, Queen Alcmene. He was endowed with tremendous physical strength: while still a baby, lying in ... ... Dictionary of winged words and expressions
Hercules, Melkart Dictionary of Russian synonyms. hercules n., number of synonyms: 8 bull (27) hercules ... Synonym dictionary
At the crossroads. See Hercules at the Crossroads (HERCULES). Dried hercules (dried, in dried form). Razg. Iron. About a man who unreasonably considers himself physically strong. Zaikovskaya, 40; Elistratov 1994, 87; Maximov, 83 ... Big dictionary of Russian sayings
Books
- Hercules, Fred Saberhagen. The legendary Greek hero performed 12 feats, the greatness of which could easily be compared with the gods! It turns out that Hercules was able not only to wave his club and tear apart the carcass of a lion! He was…
Heracles is the founder of the Olympic Games. - Busiris. - The myth of the pygmies. - Hercules and Antaeus. - Pillars of Hercules. - Giant Cacus. - Hercules and Omphale. - Kerkops. - Hercules in Troy. - Aheloy. - Dejanira and centaur Ness. - Bonfire on Mount Ete and the apotheosis of Hercules. - Type of Hercules in art.
Heracles - Founder of the Olympic Games
In addition to the twelve feats performed by Hercules on the orders of Eurystheus, the myths of ancient Greece attribute many other feats to the hero, which, as it were, complement the characterization of Hercules, this tamer and destroyer of monsters, a champion of truth and justice.
Having cleared the Augean stables and depriving the kingdom of this treacherous king, Hercules established the Olympic Games there and erected twelve altars to the twelve gods of Olympus.
BUSIRIS
Pharaoh killed by Heracles in Egypt Busiris who instituted human sacrifice.
Once upon a time, in the form of punishment for some crime, a terrible famine was sent to Egypt. When asked, the oracle replied that the famine would only end on the condition that every year a foreigner be sacrificed to the Egyptian gods.
One hundred people had already been sacrificed before the arrival of Hercules, who was immediately captured and put in chains. Brought to Pharaoh Busiris, Hercules broke the chains, killed Busiris, and destroyed human sacrifices.
Several antique vases depict Heracles killing Busiris.
The myth of the pygmies
After an adventure in Egypt, Hercules went to unknown countries lying at the sources of the Nile.
There lived a mythical tribe of pygmies. Pygmies were small creatures no higher than one cubit (¾ arshin).
According to the myths of ancient Greece, the pygmies waged constant wars with cranes, their worst enemies.
The Roman writer Pliny the Elder tells that the Pygmies were armed with arrows. According to Pliny, the pygmies descended in the spring from the heights of India to the eastern sea and waged a fierce war with the cranes for three months, destroying their chicks.
Otherwise, the cranes, breeding, could completely destroy the pygmies.
Despite their small stature, the pygmies dared to attack Hercules, who, having come tired to the country of the pygmies, lay down on the ground to rest and fell asleep.
The pygmies attacked Hercules in battle order and began to conduct a correct attack.
Hercules woke up from a thousand jabs of well-aimed arrows of the pygmies, but, seeing his enemies, burst into loud laughter, grabbed them all in his hand, wrapped them in a lion's skin and took them with him to Greece. The very word pygmy comes from the ancient Greek language and means "the size of a fist."
Many picturesque frescoes in Herculaneum depict battles between pygmies and cranes.
Hercules and Antaeus
Arriving in Libya (as the ancient Greeks called Africa), Hercules met a giant named Antey height of 64 cubits (48 arshins).
The giant Antey forced all strangers to fight him and always defeated them. The skulls of his countless victims lay scattered around Antaeus' dwelling.
Antaeus's powers doubled every time he touched the earth, his mother.
Hercules managed to lift Antaeus into the air and strangle him, tearing him away from the source of his strength.
The ancient Greek painter Polikleitos painted a picture on the mythological theme of Hercules and Antaeus. Many antique cameos and painted vases depicting the struggle of Hercules with Antaeus have survived to this day.
Pillars of Hercules
Hercules, continuing his journey through Libya after the victory over Antaeus, reached the point where Libya almost touches Europe.
Here Hercules divided the mountains and connected the Mediterranean with the Ocean. In remembrance of this gigantic work, Hercules placed two pillars on the shore, known to the ancient Greeks as the Pillars of Hercules. The ancient Romans called them Pillars of Hercules. Today, the Pillars of Hercules are called Gibraltar.
Giant Cacus
Returning through Spain after defeating the three-bodied, Hercules marched through Italy with his herds. Approaching the river Tiber, Hercules stopped to give the bulls of Geryon the opportunity to rest.
Tired of a long journey, Hercules fell asleep near a cave that served as a dwelling for one of the sons of the god Hephaestus (Vulcan) - the giant Cacus.
Kakus was of enormous growth and possessed terrible strength; flames flew out of his mouth, and Kakus' torso ended in a huge dragon tail.
The bulls of Hercules liked the giant. Kakus led away part of the herd and, in order to hide the traces, came up with the idea of dragging the bulls by the tail. Hercules, waking up, noticed the theft, rushed to the cave, but seeing that the traces of the bulls seemed to be moving away from there, and not knowing which way to go to look for them, he already wanted to abandon them, when suddenly a lowing was heard from the cave.
Hercules entered the cave and saw many bloody heads of travelers killed by Kakus.
Despite the flames that flew out of the mouth of the monster, Hercules destroyed the cave, grabbed Kakus by the throat and strangled him.
In remembrance of this feat, the grateful inhabitants of this area established an annual festival in honor of Hercules, and art took advantage of this mythological plot for many statues and paintings.
Of the latest works on the theme of Hercules and Cacus, the painting by the French artist Lemoine and the bronze group by Baccio Bandinelli (located in Florence) are well-known.
Hercules and Omphale
Having finished his work and accomplished many other feats, Hercules decided to marry again.
Hearing that King Eurytus promised his daughter Iola to the one who defeats him in archery, Hercules goes to him and defeats Eurytus.
But King Eurytus refuses to give his daughter Iola for him, and Hercules, in a fit of anger, throws the son of King Eurytus, Ifit, from the wall.
Since, according to the ancient Greeks, murder never goes unpunished and must be atoned for, Hercules goes to Delphi to learn from how to atone for his guilt, but the Pythia refused to answer Hercules.
Enraged, Hercules grabbed her tripod and wanted to destroy it. Then Apollo himself appeared and, after a fierce struggle, took the tripod from Hercules.
The oracle of Delphi finally spoke and announced that Hercules, in order to atone for his crime, must be sold into slavery for three years.
Omphala, queen of Lydia, bought Hercules for three talents from God. Hercules, wounded by the arrow of the insidious Eros, burned with love for his mistress.
Hercules thus succumbed to oriental effeminacy and luxury and submitted to all the desires and whims of Queen Omphala.
Many monuments of art reproduce the myth of Omphale, and almost all of Hercules is depicted dressed in women's clothes.
Hercules spins or does household chores, and Omphale, covered with a lion's skin, holds the hero's club in her hands.
An engraved stone made by the famous Lysippus has been preserved, depicting Hercules, this strong, fearless hero, almost on his knees, as if bending under the weight of a small one sitting on his shoulder.
Kerkops
But the period of Omphala's life does not pass without a trace for Hercules: the hero cannot live without performing feats.
Waking up one day on the bank of the river, where he was resting, Hercules saw that his weapons were going to be stolen by Kerkop - evil and crafty dwarfs. Hercules grabbed the Kerkops, tied them up and hung them by their feet.
The dwarfs of Kerkopa were the most crafty and cunning people in the world. Zeus first deprived the Kerkops of the gift of speech, which they abused, deceiving everyone and uttering false oaths, and then turned the Kerkops into monkeys.
Heracles in Troy
Having been in the service of Omphala for the prescribed three years, Hercules equipped eighteen ships and went with other heroes against Ilion (Troy) to take revenge on the Trojan king Laomedont, who had deceived Hercules.
The defeated king of Troy, Laomedon, was killed by Hercules along with his sons, except for one - Gift. The son of Laomedont Gift was bought by his sister Hesione at the price of her marriage veil, and since then he began to be called Priam, that is redeemed[as if from the ancient Greek verb ἐπριάμην [epriamen] (I bought], and became king of Troy.
Aheloy
After a glorious campaign in Troy, Hercules went to Calydon to King Oineus, who had a beautiful daughter, Dejanira.
Many heroes and kings sought her hand, including the river god Aheloy, son.
When Hercules appeared, preceded by his glory, all the pretenders to the beautiful Dejanira disappeared, only Aheloy remained, who had the gift of transformation.
Aheloy, taking on various forms, entered into a fight with Hercules and was finally defeated by him.
Many monuments of ancient art depict the battle of Hercules with Achelous; especially often portrayed by Achelous in the form of a bull.
Hercules, according to the myths of ancient Greece, tore out the horn of Achelous, which the Nereids filled with flowers and fruits, thus turning it into a cornucopia.
One antique vase depicts Hercules giving Zeus (Jupiter) the horn of Achelous.
Dejanira and Centaur Ness
Hercules, having defeated Achelous, wanted to immediately take Dejanira with him, but they had to stop in front of the river Even.
The centaur Nessus, who lived there, offered to transfer Dejanira for a fee. Hercules agreed and went ahead. Hearing the cries of Dejanira calling for his help, Hercules turned around and saw that the rude centaur wanted to kidnap her.
Hercules caught up with them and killed Nessus.
The abduction of Dejanira by the centaur Nessus was depicted very often by ancient and modern artists. Guido and Luca Giordano painted beautiful paintings on this mythological theme.
ZAUMNIK.RU, Egor A. Polikarpov - scientific editing, scientific proofreading, design, selection of illustrations, additions, explanations, translations from ancient Greek and Latin; all rights reserved.
Hercules (Heraclius, Alkid), Greek, Lat. Hercules- the son of Zeus and Alcmene, the greatest hero of Greek legends.
His name (usually in a Latinized form) is usually used when they want to emphasize the huge growth or great physical strength of a person. But Hercules was not only a hero. He was a man with human weaknesses and positive qualities, who without hesitation entered into a struggle with fate and used his abilities not only for his own glory, but also in order to benefit humanity, save him from troubles and suffering. He accomplished more than other people, but he also suffered more, which is why he was a hero. For this he received the reward which his Babylonian predecessor, Gilgamesh, or the Phoenician Melqart, sought in vain; for him, the most impossible dream of man came true - he became immortal.
Hercules was born in Thebes, where his mother Alcmene fled with her husband Amphitrion, who killed his father-in-law Electryon and feared the revenge of his brother Sthenelus. Of course, Zeus knew about the upcoming birth of Hercules - not only because he was an omniscient god, but also because he was directly related to his birth. The fact is that Alcmene really liked Zeus, and he, having taken the form of Amphitryon, freely entered her bedroom. On the day when Hercules was to be born, Zeus recklessly announced in the assembly of the gods that today the greatest hero would be born. Jealous Hera immediately realized that we were talking about the consequences of another love adventure of her husband, and decided to take revenge on him. Allegedly doubting his prediction, she provoked him into an oath that those born on this day would command all their relatives, even if they were from the family of Zeus. Then, with the help of Ilithyia, Hera hastened the birth of Nikippa, the wife of Sthenelus, although she was only in her seventh month, and delayed the birth of Alcmene. And so it happened that the mighty Hercules, the son of the almighty Zeus, had to serve the wretched bastard Eurystheus, the son of the mortal Sthenelus - a sad fate, but a true hero is able to overcome this injustice of fate.
The son of Alcmene was named Alcides at birth in honor of his step-grandfather, Alcaeus. Only later was he called Hercules, because he, they say, "thanks to Hera achieved glory" (this is the traditional, although not entirely conclusive interpretation of his name). In this case, Hera turned out to be the benefactor of the hero against her will: she plotted all kinds of intrigues for him in order to avenge her husband's betrayal, and Hercules, overcoming them, performed one feat after another. To begin with, Hera sent two monstrous snakes to his cradle, but the infant Hercules strangled them. Shocked by this, Amphitrion realized that such a child would eventually be able to accomplish great things, and decided to give him a proper upbringing. The best teachers dealt with Heracles: the son of Zeus Castor taught him combat with weapons, and the Echalian king Eurytus taught him archery. He was taught wisdom by the fair Radamanth, music and singing - the brother of Orpheus Lin himself. Hercules was a diligent student, but playing the cithara was given to him worse than other sciences. When Lin once decided to punish him, he hit him back with a cithara and killed him on the spot. Amphitryon was horrified by his strength and decided to send Hercules away from people. He sent him to graze cattle on Mount Cithaeron, and Hercules took it for granted.
On Kytheron, Hercules lived well; there he killed a formidable lion that destroyed people and cattle, and made himself an excellent cloak from his skin. In the eighteenth year, Hercules decided to look at the wide world and at the same time look after his wife. He made himself a club from the trunk of a huge ash tree, threw the skin of the Kieferon lion over his shoulders (whose head served as his helmet) and headed to his native Thebes.
On the way, he met strangers and from their conversation learned that they were the tribute collectors of the Orkhomenian king Ergin. They went to Thebes to receive from the Theban king Creon a hundred oxen - an annual tribute imposed on him by Ergin by right of the strongest. Hercules thought this was unfair, and when the collectors, in response to his words, began to mock him, he dealt with them in his own way: he cut off their noses and ears, tied their hands and ordered them to return home. Thebes enthusiastically greeted their countryman, but their joy did not last long. Ergin appeared before the gates of the city with an army. Hercules led the defense of the city, defeated Ergin and obliged him to return to Thebes twice as much as he managed to get from them. For this, King Creon gave him his daughter Megara and half of the palace as a wife. Hercules remained in Thebes, became the father of three sons and considered himself the happiest man in the world.
But the happiness of the hero is not in a peaceful life, and soon Hercules had to make sure of this.
On the illustrations: the exploits of Hercules, the reconstruction of the metopes of the temple of Zeus at Olympia, 470-456. BC. Top row: Nemean lion, Lernean gidka, Stymphalian birds; second row: Cretan bull, Kerinean fallow deer, Queen Hippolyta's belt; third row: the Erymanthian boar, the horses of Diomedes, the giant Geryon; bottom row: golden apples of the Hesperides, Cerberus, cleaning the Augean stables.
While he was a shepherd, Hera believed that everything was going as it should. But as soon as he became the royal son-in-law, she decided to intervene. She could not deprive him of his strength, but what could be worse than a power not controlled by the mind? So, Hera sent madness on him, in a fit of which Hercules killed his sons and two children of his half-brother Iphicles. Even worse, Hera then restored his sanity. Heartbroken, Hercules went to Delphi to learn from Apollo how to cleanse himself of the filth of involuntary murder. Through the mouth of the Pythia, God told Hercules that he should go to the Mycenaean king Eurystheus and enter into his service. If Hercules completes the twelve tasks that Eurystheus entrusts him with, shame and guilt will be removed from him, and he will become immortal.
Hercules complied. He went to Argos, settled in his father's castle of Tiryns near Mycenae (indeed, this dwelling was worthy of Hercules: with its walls 10-15 m thick, Tiryns remains to this day the most indestructible fortress in the world) and expressed his readiness to serve Eurystheus. The powerful figure of Hercules instilled such fear in Eurystheus that he did not dare to personally entrust him with anything, and Hercules transmitted all orders through his herald Kopreya. But the more fearless he came up with tasks for him: one is more difficult than the other.
nemean lion
Eurystheus did not make Hercules bored for a long time while waiting for work. Hercules was ordered to kill a lion that lived in the neighboring Nemean mountains and instilled fear in the entire district, since it was twice the size of an ordinary lion and had an impenetrable skin. Hercules found his lair (this cave is still shown to tourists today), stunned the lion with a blow of a club, strangled it, threw it on his shoulders and brought it to Mycenae. Eurystheus was numb with horror: the incredible strength of the servant frightened him even more than a dead lion thrown at his feet. Instead of gratitude, he forbade Hercules to appear in Mycenae: from now on, let him show “material evidence” in front of the city gates, and he, Eurystheus, will control them from above. Now let Hercules immediately go to carry out a new assignment - it's time to kill the Hydra!
Lernaean Hydra
It was a monster with the body of a snake and nine dragon heads, one of which was immortal. The hydra lived in the swamps near the city of Lerna in Argolis and devastated the surroundings. People were powerless before her. Hercules found out that the Hydra had an assistant, Karkin, a huge cancer with sharp claws. Then he also took with him an assistant, the youngest son of his brother Iphicles, the brave Iolaus. First of all, Hercules set fire to the forest behind the Lernean swamps to cut off the Hydra's retreat, then heated the arrows in the fire of the fire and began the battle. The fiery arrows only annoyed the Hydra, she rushed at Hercules and immediately lost one of her heads, but two new ones grew in its place. In addition, cancer rushed to the aid of Hydra. But when he grabbed Hercules in the leg, Iolaus killed him with an accurate blow. While Hydra looked around in bewilderment in search of her assistant, Hercules uprooted a burning tree and burned one of her heads: a new one did not grow in its place. Now Hercules knew how to get down to business: he cut off the heads, one by one, and Iolaus cauterized the necks before new heads could grow from the embryos. The last, despite desperate resistance, Hercules chopped off and burned the immortal head of the Hydra. Hercules immediately buried the charred remains of this head in the ground and rolled it with a huge stone. Just in case, he cut the dead Hydra into pieces, and tempered his arrows in her bile; since then, the wounds inflicted by them have become incurable. Accompanied by the inhabitants of the liberated region, Hercules and Iolaus returned to Mycenae with victory. But the herald Koprey was already standing in front of the Lion's Gate with a new order: to clear the land of Stymphalian birds.
Stymphalian birds
These birds were found near Stymphalian Lake in Arcadia and devastated the surroundings worse than locusts. Their claws and feathers were of hard copper, and these feathers they could drop on the fly like their current distant cousins, the bombers. Fighting them from the ground was a lost cause, as they immediately showered the enemy with a rain of their deadly feathers. Therefore, Hercules climbed a tall tree, scared the birds away with a rattle and began to shoot them down with a bow one after another, while they circled around the tree, dropping copper arrows to the ground. Finally, in fear, they flew far beyond the sea.
kerinean fallow deer
After the expulsion of the Stymphalian birds, Hercules faced a new task: to catch a deer with golden horns and copper legs that lived in Kerineia (on the border of Achaea and Arcadia) and belonged to Artemis. Eurystheus hoped that the powerful goddess would be angry with Hercules and make him humble. Catching this doe was not a trifling matter, as it was shy and fast as the wind. Hercules pursued her for a whole year until he managed to get within range of a shot. Having wounded a doe, Hercules caught it and brought it to Mycenae. He asked Artemis for forgiveness for his act and brought her a rich sacrifice that propitiated the goddess.
Erymanthian boar
The next task was of the same kind: it was necessary to catch the Erymanthian boar, which was devastating the surroundings of the city of Psofis and killed many people with its huge fangs. Hercules drove the boar into deep snow, tied him up and brought him alive to Mycenae. Eurystheus, out of fear of the monstrous beast, hid in a barrel and from there begged Hercules to get out with the boar as soon as possible - for this he, they say, would entrust him with a less dangerous task: to clean the barn of the Elidian king Avgii.
Augean stables
What is true is true, the work of Hercules was to be safe, but the herds of Avgiy were huge, and so much manure and all kinds of dirt accumulated in the barn ... it was not without reason that this barn (or stable) became a proverb. Cleaning this barn was a superhuman task. Hercules offered the king to put things in order in him in one day, if he received a tenth of the royal cattle for this. Avgiy agreed, and Hercules immediately got down to business, relying not so much on his strength as on his quick wits. He drove out all the cattle to the pasture, dug a canal leading to the rivers Alpheus and Penea, and diverted the water of these two rivers into it. The rushing water cleared the barn, after which it remained only to block the channel and again drive the cattle into the stalls. However, King Avgiy, meanwhile, found out that this work had previously been entrusted to Hercules by Eurystheus, and under this pretext refused to reward Hercules. In addition, he insulted the hero, saying that, they say, the son of Zeus should not earn extra money by cleaning other people's cowsheds. Hercules was not one of those who forget such grievances: a few years later, freed from the service of Eurystheus, he invaded Elis with a large army, ruined the possessions of Avgii, and killed him himself. In honor of this victory, Hercules founded the Olympic Games.
Cretan bull
The next assignment led Hercules to Crete. Eurystheus ordered to deliver to Mycenae a wild bull that had escaped from the Cretan king Minos. It was the best bull in the royal herd, and Minos promised to donate it to Poseidon. But Minos did not want to part with such a magnificent specimen, and instead he sacrificed another bull. Poseidon did not allow himself to be deceived and, in retaliation, sent rabies to the hidden bull. Hercules not only caught the bull that ravaged the island, but also tamed it, and he obediently transported him on his back from Crete to Argolis.
Horses of Diomedes
Then Hercules sailed to Thrace (but already on a ship) to bring ferocious horses to Eurystheus, which Diomedes, the king of the bistones, fed human meat. With the help of several of his friends, Hercules obtained horses and brought them to his ship. However, there he was overtaken by Diomedes with an army. Leaving the horses in the care of his best friend Abder, Hercules defeated the bistones in a fierce battle and killed Diomedes, but meanwhile the wild horses tore Abder to pieces. When the deeply saddened Hercules delivered the horses to Mycenae, Eurystheus released them into the wild - just as he had previously released the Cretan bull.
But neither grief nor neglect of the results of his labors broke Hercules. Without hesitation, he went to the island of Erifia to bring back a herd of cattle that belonged to the three-body giant Gerion.
Giant Geryon
This island was far to the west, where the land ended in a narrow isthmus. With his mighty club, Hercules divided the isthmus in half and placed two stone pillars along the edges of the resulting strait (in the ancient world, the current Gibraltar was called none other than the Pillars of Hercules). He came to the western edge of the world just at the time when Helios was descending in his solar chariot to the Ocean. To escape from the unbearable heat, Hercules was ready to shoot an arrow at Helios. The reaction of the gods is unpredictable: admiring the courage of the hero who directed his bow at him, Helios not only did not get angry, but even lent him his golden boat, on which Hercules sailed to Erithia. There, the two-headed dog Orf and the giant Eurytion, guarding the herds of Gerion, attacked him. Hercules had no choice - he had to kill both, and then Gerion himself. Having endured many misfortunes, Hercules drove the herd to the Peloponnese. On the way, he defeated the strong man Eriks, who stole one cow from him, and the giant Kaka, who stole part of the herd from him. When Hercules was already hoping that he would safely reach Mycenae, Hera instilled rabies in the cows, and they fled in all directions. Hercules had to work hard to drive the whole herd again. Eurystheus, on the other hand, sacrificed cows to the eternal enemy of Hercules - Hera.
Belt of the Amazon Queen Hippolyta
The next feat of Hercules was an expedition to the country of female warriors - the Amazons, from where he was supposed to bring Admete, the daughter of Eurystheus, the belt of the Queen of the Amazons Hippolyta. Hercules went there with a small detachment, consisting of his friends, and on the way stopped at Mysia, where King Lycus, known for his hospitality, ruled. During the feast hosted by the Lik in their honor, warlike bebriks invaded the city. Hercules got up from the table, together with his friends expelled the Bebriks, killed their king, and presented all their land to Lika, who named it after Hercules Heracles. With his victory, he gained such fame that Tsarina Hippolyta herself went out to meet him in order to voluntarily give him her belt. But then Hera began to spread rumors about Hercules that he intended to take Hippolyta into slavery, and the Amazons believed her. They attacked the detachment of Hercules, and the Greeks had no choice but to take up arms. Eventually they defeated the Amazons and captured many of them, including the two leaders, Melanippe and Antiope. Hippolyta returned her freedom to Melaniape, giving her belt to Hercules, while Hercules gave Antiope to his friend Theseus as a reward for his bravery. In addition, he knew that Theseus had fallen in love with Antiope and wanted to marry her (this is what Theseus did upon his return to Athens).
Hellhound Kerber
So, Hercules performed ten labors, although Eurystheus initially refused to count the murder of the Lernean Hydra (under the pretext that Hercules used the help of Iolaus) and the cleaning of the Augean stable (since Hercules demanded payment from Avgii). The eleventh commission led Hercules to the underworld. Eurystheus demanded that Cerberus himself be presented to him - no more and no less. It was truly a hellish dog: three-headed, snakes wriggled around its neck, and its tail ended in a dragon's head with a disgusting mouth. Although until then no one had returned from the underworld alive, Hercules did not hesitate. The gods were impressed by his courage, and they decided to help him. Hermes, the guide of the souls of the dead, brought him to the Tenar Gorge (on the present Cape Matapan, in the extreme south of the Peloponnese and the entire European continent), where there was a secret entrance to the kingdom of the dead, and then Athena accompanied him. After a terrible journey, on which he met the shadows of dead friends and killed enemies, Hercules appeared before the throne of the lord of the underworld. Hades listened favorably to the son of Zeus and without any permission allowed him to catch and take away Kerberos, provided that he did not use the weapon. True, Kerber himself has not yet said his word. The guardian of the underworld fought back with teeth and nails (more precisely, claws), beat with a tail with a dragon's head and howled so terribly that the souls of the dead rushed in confusion throughout the afterlife kingdom. After a short struggle, Hercules squeezed him with such force that the half-strangled Cerberus subsided and promised to unquestioningly follow him to Mycenae. At the sight of this monster, Eurystheus fell to his knees (according to another version, he again hid in a barrel or in a large clay vessel for grain) and conjured Hercules to do mercy: to return this hellish creature to its rightful place.
Golden apples of the Hesperides
The last task remained: Eurystheus ordered to convey to Hercules that he should bring him three golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides, the daughters of the mighty titan Atlanta, who, for rebellion against the gods, was doomed to forever support the vault of heaven. Where these gardens were, no one knew. It was only known that the wakeful dragon Ladon, the giant Antey, who does not know defeat in the struggle and kills all the vanquished, and finally Atlant himself, guard the path to them. Hercules went to Egypt, went through Libya and all the lands he had known since the time of his trip to Erithia, but he did not find the gardens of the Hesperides. Only when he came to the farthest north, to the endless waters of Eridan, did the local nymphs advise him to turn to the sea god Nereus - he knows and can tell everything, but he needs to be forced to do it. Hercules lay in wait for Nereus, attacked him, and after a stubborn struggle (all the more difficult because the sea god kept changing his appearance) tied him up. He only let him go when he knew everything he needed to know. The Gardens of the Hesperides were located in the far west, somewhere between today's Morocco and southern France. Again, Hercules had to go through Libya, where he was met by Antaeus, the son of the goddess of the earth, Gaia. According to his custom, the giant immediately challenged Hercules to single combat. Hercules escaped defeat only because, during the struggle, he guessed where the giant draws his strength from: feeling tired, he fell to mother earth, and she poured new strength into him. Therefore, Hercules tore him off the ground and lifted him into the air. Antaeus was exhausted, and Hercules strangled him. Continuing the journey, Hercules again and again overcame obstacles and traps that robbers and rulers prepare for travelers. He also escaped the fate that the Egyptian king Busiris intended for all strangers, who sacrificed them to the gods. Finally, Hercules came to Atlanta and outlined to him the purpose of the arrival. With suspicious readiness, Atlas volunteered to personally bring apples to Hercules, if in the meantime he would hold the vault of heaven on his shoulders. Hercules had no choice - he agreed. Atlas kept his promise and even offered to deliver apples directly to Mycenae, promising to return immediately. Cunning can only be interrupted by cunning: Hercules apparently agreed, but asked Atlas to hold the vault of heaven while he made a substrate for himself so that his shoulders would not crush. As soon as Atlas took his usual place, Hercules took the apples, kindly thanked for the service - and stopped only in Mycenae. Eurystheus could not believe his eyes and, in confusion, returned the apples to Hercules. He donated them to Athena, and she returned them to the Hesperides. The twelfth task was completed, and Hercules received freedom.
The life of Hercules after the completion of the twelve labors
Soon, Hercules became free in another sense: he generously gave his wife Megara to Iolaus, who, in his absence, as a faithful friend consoled her and got so used to her that he could no longer live without her. After that, Hercules left Thebes, with which now nothing connected him, and returned to Tiryns. But not for long. There, new intrigues of the goddess Hera awaited him, and with them new suffering and new feats.
It is not known for sure whether Hera instilled in him an attraction to a new wife or aroused in him an ambitious desire to defeat the best shooter in Hellas, the Echalian king Eurytus. However, both were closely interconnected, since Eurytus proclaimed that he would give his daughter, the fair-haired beauty Iola, as a wife only to the one who defeated him in archery. So, Hercules went to Echalia (most likely she was in Messenia, according to Sophocles, on Euboea), appeared at the palace of his former teacher, fell in love with his daughter at first sight, and the next day defeated him in a competition. But Eurytus, stung by the fact that he was shamed by his own student, declared that he would not give his daughter to the one who was a slave to the cowardly Eurystheus. Hercules was offended and went to look for a new wife. He found her in distant Calydon: she was the beautiful Dejanira, the daughter of King Oineus.
It was not easy for him to get it: for this, Hercules had to defeat in single combat her former fiancé, the mighty river god Achelous, who, moreover, could turn into a snake and a bull. After the wedding, the newlyweds stayed in the palace of Oinea, but Hera did not leave Hercules alone. She darkened his mind, and at the feast he killed the son of his friend Architela. Actually, Hercules just wanted to give him a cuff for pouring water on his hands, intended for washing his feet. But Hercules did not calculate his strength, and the boy fell dead. True, the Architel forgave him, but Hercules did not want to stay in Calydon and went with Dejanira to Tiryns.
On their way they came to the river Even. There was no bridge across it, and those who wished to cross were transported for a moderate fee by the centaur Ness. Hercules entrusted Nessus to Deianir, and he himself crossed the river by swimming. Meanwhile, the centaur, captivated by the beauty of Dejanira, tried to kidnap her. But he was overtaken by the deadly arrow of Hercules. The bile of the Lernean Hydra poisoned the blood of the centaur, and he soon died. And yet, before his death, he managed to take revenge: Ness advised Deianira to keep his blood and rub Hercules' clothes with it if he suddenly stopped loving Deianira, and then Hercules' love would immediately return to her. In Tiryns, it seemed to Dejanira that she would never need "love blood". The couple lived in peace and harmony, raised their five children - until Hera again intervened in the fate of Hercules.
By a strange coincidence, simultaneously with the departure of Hercules from Echalia, King Eurytus lost a herd of cattle. Autolycus stole it. But this cunning thief, in order to divert suspicions, pointed to Hercules, who, they say, wanted to take revenge on the king for the insult. All Echalia believed this slander - with the exception of the eldest son of Eurytus, Ifit. To prove the innocence of Hercules, he himself went in search of a herd, which led him to Argos; and since he got there, he decided to look into Tiryns. Hercules warmly greeted him, but when during the feast he heard what Eurytus suspected of him, he became angry, and Hera inspired such indomitable anger in him that he threw Ifit from the city wall. It was no longer just a murder, but a violation of the sacred law of hospitality. Even Zeus was angry with his son and sent him a serious illness.
The tormented Hercules, straining his last strength, went to Delphi to ask Apollo how he could atone for his guilt. But the soothsayer-Pythia did not give him an answer. Then Hercules, having lost his temper, took away the tripod from her, from which she announced her divinations - they say, since she does not fulfill her duties, then the tripod is useless to her. Apollo appeared immediately and demanded the return of the tripod. Hercules refused, Apollo clung to Hercules, and the two mighty sons of Zeus started a fight like little children, until the thundering father separated them with lightning and forced them to reconcile. Apollo ordered the Pythia to give advice to Hercules, and she announced that Hercules should be sold into slavery for three years, and the proceeds should be given to Eurytus as a ransom for her murdered son.
Thus, Hercules again had to part with freedom. He was sold to the Lydian queen Omphale, an arrogant and cruel woman who humiliated him in every possible way. She even forced him to weave with her maids, while she herself walked in front of him in his skin of the Cithaeron lion. From time to time she let him go for a short time - not out of kindness, but so that on his return he would be the more burdened by the slave lot.
During one of these holidays, Hercules participated in the campaign of the Argonauts, another time he visited the Aulidian king Silei, who forced every stranger to work in his vineyard. Once, when he fell asleep in a grove near Ephesus, he was attacked by the dwarfs of Kerkopa (or Daktyli) and stole his weapons. At first, Hercules wanted to thoroughly teach them a lesson, but they were so weak and funny that he let them go free. Hercules himself invariably returned to his slave service.
Finally, the last day of the third year arrived, and Hercules received his weapons and freedom from Omphale. The hero parted with her without anger and even granted her request to leave her a descendant as a keepsake (Attis, born of Hercules, subsequently ascended the Lydian throne). Returning to his homeland, Hercules gathered his faithful friends and began to prepare for paying off old accounts. King Augeus was the first to pay for the long-standing insult, then the turn of the Trojan king Laomedont came (for this, see the articles “Laomedont” and “Thesion”).
After all these deeds, is it any wonder that the glory of Hercules reached the snowy peaks of Olympus? But that wasn't all he did. For example, he freed the titan Prometheus, snatched Alcestis from the hands of the god of death Thanatos, defeated many enemies, robbers and proud men, for example, Kykn, the son of Ares (and this can be read in the relevant articles). Hercules founded a number of cities, the most famous of them - Heraclea (Herculaneum) near Vesuvius. He made many wives happy with offspring (for example, after the first night spent by the Argonauts on Lemnos, at least fifty Lemnians called him the father of their sons). Regarding some of his other accomplishments and deeds, ancient authors had doubts, so we will not dwell on them. However, all authors unanimously admit that he had an honor that none of the mortals was honored with - Zeus himself asked him for help!
This happened during the gigantomachy - the battle of the gods with the giants. In this battle on the Phlegrean fields, the Olympian gods had a hard time, since the giants had incredible strength, and their mother, the goddess of the earth Gaia, gave them a magic herb that made them invulnerable to the weapons of the gods (but not mortals). When the scales were already leaning towards the side of the giants, Zeus sent Athena for Hercules. Hercules did not have to be persuaded for a long time; Hearing his father's call, he eagerly hurried to the battlefield. Alcyoneus, the most powerful of the giants, was crushed first, and then, with exemplary cooperation with the Olympic team of the gods, all other rebels were killed. By this, Hercules won the gratitude of not only the gods, but also people. For all its shortcomings, Zeus was still much better than his predecessors Kronos and Uranus, not to mention the original Chaos.
Upon returning from the Phlegrean fields, Hercules decided to return the last of the old debts. He went on a campaign against Echalia, conquered her and killed Eurytus, who had once offended him. Among the captives, Hercules saw the fair-haired Iola and was again inflamed with love for her. Upon learning of this, Dejanira immediately remembered the dying words of Nessus, rubbed the tunic of Hercules with his blood and, through the ambassador Lichas, handed over the tunic to Hercules, who was still in Echalia. As soon as Hercules put on the tunic, the poison of the Lernean Hydra, which poisoned the blood of Nessus, entered the body of Hercules, causing him unbearable torment. When he was brought on a stretcher to the palace to Dejanira, she was already dead - having learned that her husband was dying in agony through her fault, she pierced herself with a sword.
Unbearable suffering led Hercules to the idea of parting with life of his own free will. Obeying Hercules, his friends laid a huge fire on Mount Ete and put a hero on it, but no one wanted to set fire to the fire, no matter how Hercules begged them. Finally, the young Philoctetes made up his mind, and Hercules gave him his bow and arrows as a reward. A bonfire flared up from the torch of Philoctetes, but the lightning of Zeus the Thunderer shone even brighter. Together with lightning, Athena and Hermes flew to the fire and lifted Hercules to heaven on a golden chariot. All Olympus welcomed the greatest of heroes, even Hera overcame her old hatred and gave him her daughter, eternally young Hebe, as his wife. Zeus called him to the table of the gods, invited him to taste nectar and ambrosia, and, as a reward for all his exploits and suffering, proclaimed Hercules immortal.
Hercules (Hercules) in world culture
The decision of Zeus remains in force to this day: Hercules really became immortal. He lives in legends and sayings, he is still the paragon of a hero (and as a true hero, he inevitably has negative traits), the Olympic Games are still held, which he is said to have founded in memory of his victory over Augius or upon his return Argonauts from Colchis. And he still lives in heaven: on a starry night, the constellation Hercules can be seen with the naked eye. The Greeks and Romans honored him as the greatest of heroes and dedicated cities, temples and altars to him. The creations of ancient and modern artists glorify him. Hercules is the most frequently depicted image of ancient myths and any legends in general.
It is almost impossible to count all the ancient images of Hercules. According to Bromer's catalog, there are more than 1800 of them in the vase painting alone. Five such vases are kept in Prague: at the Charles University, in the National Museum, in the Museum of Applied Arts and in one of the private collections.
The oldest known sculptural image of Hercules - "Hercules fighting the Hydra" (c. 570 BC) - is stored in Athens, in the Acropolis Museum. Of the numerous other works of Greek plastic art, metopes from the temple "C" in Selinunte (c. 540 BC) and 12 metopes depicting the exploits of Hercules from the temple of Zeus at Olympia (470-456 BC) are known. Of the Roman plastics, the copies of Hercules by Polykleitos and Hercules fighting the lion by Lysippus are the most preserved (one of them is in St. Petersburg, in the Hermitage). Several wall images of Hercules have survived even in the Christian catacombs of Rome (middle of the 4th century AD).
Of the architectural structures traditionally associated with the name of Hercules, the oldest Greek temple in Sicily, in Akragant (6th century BC), is usually named in the first place. In Rome, two temples were dedicated to Hercules, one under the Capitol, the second behind the Circus Maximus near the Tiber. Altars to Hercules stood in almost every Greek and Roman city.
Plots from the life of Hercules were depicted by numerous European artists: Rubens, Poussin (“Landscape with Hercules and Cacus” - in Moscow, at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts), Reni, Van Dyck, Delacroix and many others. A huge number of statues of Hercules by European sculptors, some of the best works as a result of the Thirty Years' War and dynastic partitions migrated to Sweden and Austria from Czechoslovakia.
In literature, the oldest references to the exploits of Hercules (but not all) are found in Homer; in the future, almost none of the ancient authors bypassed Hercules. Sophocles devoted the last period of the life of Hercules to the tragedy of the Trachinian Woman. Perhaps a little later, the tragedy "Hercules" was created by Euripides on the basis of an unconventional version of the myth (which actually has many variants) - until now it remains the best literary monument of Hercules. Of the works of modern times, we will name "The Choice of Hercules" by K. M. Wieland (1773), "Hercules and the Augean Stables" by Dürrenmatt (1954), "Hercules" by Matkovich (1962).
And finally, about the fate of Hercules in music. He was honored with his attention by J. S. Bach (cantata "Hercules at the Crossroads", 1733), G. F. Handel (oratorio "Hercules", 1745, later revised by him), C. Saint-Saens (symphonic poems "Youth of Hercules ”, “The Distaff of Omphala”, the opera “Dejanira”).
Hercules (Hercules) is a synonym for a strong man: “What a giant he is here! / What shoulders! What a Hercules!..” - A. S. Pushkin, “The Stone Guest” (1830).
Pictured: footage from Hercules in New York (1969), Arnold Schwarzenegger's first feature film.
The Greeks called Hercules Hercules. He was not endowed with great intelligence, but his courage overshadowed any lack of cunning. Hercules was easily annoyed by outbursts of rage at innocent passers-by, and then regretted, felt guilty for what he had done and was ready to accept any punishment. Only supernatural powers could defeat him. In Greek mythology, only two figures - Hercules and Dionysus from ordinary people became completely immortal and were worshiped as gods.
Hercules was the son of Zeus and Alcmene. Alcmene had a husband Amphitrion, an outstanding Greek warrior and heir to the throne of Tiryns. One night, when Amphitrion was on a campaign, Zeus appeared to Alcmene disguised as her husband. When Amphitryon returned, the blind prophet Tiresias told him that Alcmene would give birth to a child who would become a great hero.
Hercules fighting the Nemean lion
Alcmene gave birth to twin boys Hercules and Iphicles. When the goddess Hera discovered that Zeus had seduced Alcmene and Hercules was born from him, she was furious. Hera was jealous of Zeus and tried to kill the baby by sending two poisonous snakes to him. The child strangled the snakes in his crib. Although Hera failed to kill Hercules, she pursued him throughout her life and brought him much suffering and punishment.
Lessons from Hercules
Like most Greek youths, Hercules attended music lessons. Once Linus, his mentor, taught Hercules to play the lyre. Hercules, disappointed with his game, became furious and broke the lyre on Linus's head. Linus died instantly, and Hercules was shocked and very sorry. He didn't want to kill his teacher. He simply did not know his strength and did not learn to control it.
The Miraculous Acquisition of Immortality
At a time when Hercules was very young, he went to fight the Minyan king Ergin, to whom Thebes paid tribute. As a reward for liberation from tribute, the king of Thebes gave Hecules the hand of his daughter Megara. Hercules and Megara had three children. One day, Hercules was returning home from a trip, and Hera sent him into a fit of madness, during which he killed his wife and children. When Hercules came to his senses, he was horrified by his act. Heartbroken, he went to Delphi to the oracle to find out how he can atone for his guilt. The oracle told him to go to the king of Tiryns, Eurystheus, and follow any of his orders. The oracle also said that if Hercules completed all the tasks assigned to him, he would become immortal.
The Twelve Labors of Hercules
King Eurystheus gave Hercules 12 difficult and dangerous tasks. They became known as the twelve labors of Hercules.
The hero's first task was to kill the Nemean Lion, a beast that terrorized a certain area and could not be killed by any weapon. Hercules strangled the beast with his strong hands, using no weapons, and from his skin he built himself a cape that made him invulnerable.
12 labors of Hercules on ancient coins
The second task was to destroy the Lernaean Hydra, a creature with nine heads that lives in the swamp. One of the hydra's heads was immortal, while the others grew back after being cut off. Hercules went to fight the hydra with his friend Iolaus. Hercules cut off the heads one by one, and Iolaus, with the help of a torch, burned them with fire so that new ones would not grow. The last ninth head of the hydra remained alive, and Hercules had to bury it under a pile of stones.
The next task was to catch the golden-horned Kerinean deer, which the goddess Artemis considered sacred. She rushed through the fields, devastating them. Hercules hunted her for a whole year, finally wounded her and brought her to Tiryns. Artemis demanded that the sacred animal be returned to her. Hercules promised that the doe would remain alive.
The fourth feat of Hercules was to catch the Erimanthian boar, which terrified the lands around Mount Eriman. Pursuing the animal from its lair, Hercules drove it so that the strength of the beast ran out, the hero easily coped with it and brought the bound boar to Eurystheus.
The fifth labor of Hercules is known as cleaning the Augean stables in one day. The son of the sun god Helios, King Augeus had huge herds of cattle, the stables of which had not been cleaned for many years. Hercules offered to do this work in one day in exchange for a tenth of the herd. Avgiy agreed, realizing that no one could do such a thing in a day. Hercules filled up the riverbed, she turned her waters towards the stables, and in one day all the manure was washed away.
The sixth feat was the fight against Stymphalian birds, with iron claws, beaks and wings, which attacked people and terrorized the countryside. The goddess Athena helped Hercules to frighten away the birds, forcing them to fly out of their nests, and Hercules shot them with a bow.
The seventh task was to bring the Cretan bull to Tiryns alive. This bull was presented by the god Poseidon to the king of the island of Crete Minos. For the fact that Minos did not sacrifice this bull, but replaced it with another, Poseidon sent rabies on the bull, and it destroyed everything in its path. Hercules caught him and swam across the sea on him.
The eighth task Eurystheus ordered Hercules to bring him the horses of Diomedes. The king of Thrace, Diomedes, had beautiful but wild horses, which he fed on human meat. Hercules led away herds of horses. Diomedes set off in pursuit of him, and Hercules was forced to kill him, and tamed his horses and brought him to Eurystheus.
The ninth challenge was to get the girdle of the Amazon Queen Hippolyta. When the Amazons attacked Hercules, thinking he was going to kidnap their queen, Hercules was forced to kill them. Hippolyta, as a ransom for one of the Amazons taken prisoner by Hercules, gave him a belt.
The tenth task was to bring Geryon's cows. Geryon was a monster with three bodies, three heads and three pairs of arms and legs. The journey to Gerion to the west was difficult, it was necessary to overcome the desert and the sea. The sun god Helios gave Hercules his boat, on which he got to Gerion, killed him and took away his cows.
Hercules defeats the Hydra
The eleventh task that Eurystheus gave to Hercules was to bring three fruits from the garden of Atlas, which held the sky. Atlas had a golden apple tree in the garden, from which three fruits had to be picked. Hercules ambushed the god Nereus to help him find his way to the Atlas. While Atlas went to his garden for apples, Hercules had to hold the sky instead. According to other sources, Hercules got the fruits by killing a dragon that stood guard over a tree with golden apples.
