Heracles is the birth of a hero. Myths about Hercules. The Birth of Hercules (a story for children) The myth of the birth of Hercules

Birth of a hero

When the time came for Hercules to be born, there was a feast of the gods on Olympus. The ruler of the world, Zeus, announced to the gods that at this hour on earth among people the greatest hero would be born, who would be gifted with mighty power, do great deeds and become famous for all time.

He will be my favorite son, I will give him power over all of Greece, and other heroes will serve him! Zeus said.

Hera, the wife of Zeus, was offended that Zeus wants to give such power and glory to the son of a mortal woman. Instantly, she came up with a cunning plan. She said to Zeus:

Swear, then, that the one who is first born at this hour will receive power over all Greece and other heroes will have to serve him!

If Zeus had looked at that moment at his divine wife, he would have understood that she was up to no good, because no one on earth and in heaven could have secrets from the ruler of the world, either in deeds or in thoughts. But at that moment Ata, the goddess of deceit, diverted his attention, and Zeus did not notice Hera's cunning. He raised his golden cup and said:

I swear! So it will be!

Two women on earth were expecting a child at that hour: in Thebes, the queen Alcmene, whom Zeus chose as the mother of the great hero, and in Mycenae, the queen of Argos. Then Hera, by her power, delayed the birth of one and hastened the appearance of the second. And so, first, the frail and weak prince of Argos, Eurystheus, came into the world with a plaintive cry, and only after him the son of Alcmene. As soon as Eurystheus was born, Hera announced to Zeus:

Rejoice, Thunderer: now the one whom you promised to make the master of all Greece was born on earth!

Zeus understood the evil trick of Hera. His face darkened with anger. Everyone was silent, waiting for the storm.

Then the Thunderer fell upon the goddess of deceit Ata. He threw her from Mount Olympus to the ground and forever forbade her to appear among the gods in his bright heavenly home. Since then, the goddess of deceit has been living among people on earth and with her evil inventions has sowed enmity between them.

Then the ruler of the world turned to Hera and said to her:

I know that now you will persecute the son of Alcmene, expose him to many dangers. But he will endure all trials, overcome all obstacles, and your efforts to prevent him will only increase his glory. He will accomplish feats that no one has done before him, and will win many glorious victories. And when he finishes his earthly affairs, I will raise him to Olympus, and you yourself will accept him into the circle of immortals. And let his name be Hercules, which means "glorified Hero."

HERCULES 01 BIRTH AND UPBRINGING

In Mycenae (1), King Electryon ruled. Teleboys (2), led by the sons of King Pterelaus, stole from him, herds. Teleboys killed the sons of Electrion when they wanted to recapture the stolen goods. King Electryon then announced that he would give the hand of his beautiful daughter Alcmene to the one who would return his flocks to him and avenge the death of his sons. The hero Amphitryon managed to return the herds to Electrion without a fight, since the king of the teleboys Pterelaus instructed the king of Elis (3) Polixen to guard the stolen herds, and he gave them to Amphitryon. Amphitrion returned to Electryon his flock and received the hand of Alcmene. Amphitryon did not stay long in Mycenae. During the wedding feast, in a dispute over the herds, Amphitryon killed Electryon, and he and his wife Alcmene had to flee from Mycenae. Alcmene followed her young husband to a foreign land only on the condition that he would take revenge on the sons of Pterelaus for the murder of her brothers. Therefore, having arrived in Thebes, to King Creon, in whom Amphitrion found refuge, he set off with an army against the teleboys. In his absence, Zeus, captivated by the beauty of Alcmene, appeared to her, taking the form of Amphitryon. Amphitryon soon returned. And from Zeus and Amphitryon, two twin sons were to be born to Alcmene.

On the day when the great son of Zeus and Alcmene was to be born, the gods gathered on high Olympus. Rejoicing that his son would soon be born, the auspicious Zeus said to the gods:

Hear, gods and goddesses, what I say to you: it is my heart that commands me to speak! Today a great hero will be born; he will rule over all his relatives who descend from my son, the great Perseus.

But the wife of Zeus, the royal Hera, who was angry that Zeus had taken the mortal Alcmene as his wife, decided by cunning to deprive the son of Alcmene of power over all the Perseids - she already hated the son of Zeus before birth. Therefore, hiding her cunning in the depths of her heart, Hera said to Zeus:

You are not telling the truth, great thunderer! You will never keep your word! Give me the great unbreakable oath of the gods that the one who is born today, the first in the line of the Perseids, will command his relatives.

The goddess of deceit Ata took possession of the mind of Zeus, and, not suspecting the cunning of Hera, the thunderer took an unbreakable oath. Hera immediately left the bright Olympus and rushed to Argos on her golden chariot. There she hastened the birth of a son to the god-equal wife of the Perseid Sthenelus, and on that day a weak, sick child, the son of Sthenelus, Eurystheus, was born in the family of Perseus. Hera quickly returned to the bright Olympus and said to the great cloudmaker Zeus:

Oh, lightning-throwing Zeus-father, listen to me! Now the son of Eurystheus was born in glorious Argos to the Perseid Sthenelus. He was the first born today and should command all the descendants of Perseus.

The great Zeus was saddened, now he only understood all the deceit of Hera. He became angry with the goddess of deceit Ata, who took possession of his mind; in anger, Zeus grabbed her by the hair and threw her from the bright Olympus. The ruler of the gods and people forbade her to come to Olympus. Since then, the goddess of deceit Ata lives among people.

Zeus eased the fate of his son. He concluded an inviolable agreement with the Hero that his son would not be under the rule of Eurystheus all his life. He will perform only twelve great feats on behalf of Eurystheus, and after that he will not only free himself from his power, but even receive immortality. The Thunderer knew that his son would have to overcome many great dangers, so he ordered his beloved daughter Pallas Athena to help the son of Alcmene. Zeus often had to grieve later when he saw how his son was carrying out great labors in the service of the weak cowardly Eurystheus, but he could not break the oath given to Hera.

On the same day as the birth of Sthenel's son, twins were also born to Alcmene: the eldest - the son of Zeus, named Alkid at birth, and the youngest - the son of Amphitryon, named Iphicles. Alcides was the greatest son of Greece. He was named later by the soothsayer Pythia Hercules. Under this name, he became famous, received immortality and was accepted into the assembly of the bright gods of Olympus.

Hera began to pursue Hercules from the very first day of his life. Learning that Hercules was born and lies wrapped in swaddling clothes with her brother Iphicles, she sent two snakes to destroy the newborn hero. It was already night when the snakes crawled into Alcmene's chamber with sparkling eyes. They quietly crawled to the cradle where the twins were lying, and already wanted to wrap themselves around the body of little Hercules and strangle him, when the son of Zeus woke up. He stretched out his little hands to the snakes, grabbed them by the neck and squeezed them with such force that he immediately strangled them. In horror, Alcmene jumped up from her bed; seeing the snakes in the cradle, the women who were at rest cried out loudly. Everyone rushed to the cradle of Alcides. Amphitryon came running to the cry of women with a drawn sword. They all surrounded the cradle and saw an extraordinary miracle: the little newborn Hercules was holding two huge strangled snakes, which were still wriggling feebly in his tiny hands. Struck by the strength of his adopted son, Amphitrion called on the soothsayer Tiresias and asked him about the fate of the newborn. Then the prophetic elder told how many great feats Hercules would accomplish, and predicted that he would achieve immortality at the end of his life.

Having learned what great glory awaits the eldest son of Alcmene, Amphitryon gave him an upbringing worthy of a hero. Not only did Amphitrion take care of the development of Hercules' strength, he also took care of his education. He was taught to read, write, sing and play the cithara. But Hercules did not achieve the same success in the sciences and music as he did in wrestling, archery and the ability to wield weapons. Often the music teacher, Orpheus's brother Lin, had to get angry with his student and even punish him. One day during a lesson, Lin hit Hercules, annoyed by his unwillingness to learn. Angry, Hercules grabbed a kithara and hit Lin on the head with it. The young Hercules did not calculate the force of the blow. The impact of the cithara was so strong that Lin fell dead on the spot. Hercules was called to court for this murder. Justifying himself, the son of Alcmene said:

After all, the most just of judges, Radamanthes, says that anyone who is struck can return blow for blow.

The judges of Hercules were acquitted, but his stepfather Amphitrion, fearing that something similar would not happen, sent Hercules to the wooded Cithaeron to graze the flocks.

(1) One of the oldest cities in Greece, located in Argolis in the Peloponnese.

(2) A tribe that lived in the west of central Greece, in Acarnania.

(3) An area in the northwest of the Peloponnese.

(Source: "Legends and Myths of Ancient Greece". N. A. Kun.)

See what "HERCULES 01 BIRTH AND EDUCATION" 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

Theseus (Θησεύς;), in Greek mythology, the son of the Athenian king Aegeus and Ephra. The name T. indicates strength (perhaps from the pre-Greek Pelasgic: tçu > thçso, "to be strong"). T. belongs to the generation of heroes before the Trojan War (already participating in it ... ... Encyclopedia of mythology

- (Alcmene, Αλχμήνη). Amphitryon's wife. Zeus, who appeared to her in the form of her husband, became the father of her son Hercules. She was highly revered in some cities of Greece as the ancestor of the Heraclides. (Source: Concise Dictionary of Mythology and Antiquities.... ... Encyclopedia of mythology

This term has other meanings, see Athena (meanings). Athena (Ἀθηνᾶ) ... Wikipedia

Athena (Ἀθηνᾶ) Statue of Athena (type "Pallada Giustiniani") in the gardens of Peterhof Mythology: ancient Greek In other cultures: Minerva (lat.), Menfra (etrus.) Locality: Attica ... Wikipedia

The word "Zeus" has other meanings: see Zeus (disambiguation). Zeus ... Wikipedia

I Ancient Greece, Hellas (Greek Hellás), the general name of the territory of the ancient Greek states that occupied the southern Balkan Peninsula, the islands of the Aegean Sea, the coast of Thrace, the western coastal strip of Asia Minor and spread their ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

- (other Greek Διόνυσος) ... Wikipedia

Zeus Zeus God of thunder and lightning, supreme god Mythology: Ancient Greek In other cultures: Jupiter Father: Kronos Mother: Rhea ... Wikipedia

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 were 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 harm 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. The water flow of the mountain river immediately washed away all the 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 sleep, 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 Geryon, 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 the vault of heaven on his 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 while he himself reached Mycenae and gave 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 (they are summarized in this article) take 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, you just need to 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.

Will rule over all relatives. Hera, having learned about this, hastened the birth of Perseid's wife Sthenelus, who gave birth to the weak and cowardly Eurystheus. Zeus involuntarily had to agree that Heracles, born after this Alcmene, obey Eurystheus - but not all his life, but only until he performs 12 great feats in his service.

Hercules from early childhood was distinguished by great strength. Already in the cradle, he strangled two huge snakes sent by the Hero to destroy the baby. Hercules spent his childhood in the Boeotian Thebes. He freed this city from the power of neighboring Orchomenus, and in gratitude the Theban king Creon gave his daughter, Megara, to Hercules. Soon Hera sent a fit of madness to Hercules, during which he killed his children and the children of his half-brother Iphicles (according to the tragedies of Euripides ("") and Seneca, Hercules killed his wife Megara as well). The Delphic oracle, in atonement for this sin, ordered Hercules to go to Eurystheus and perform, on his orders, those 12 feats that were destined for him by fate.

The first feat of Hercules (summary)

Hercules kills the Nemean Lion. Copy from the statue of Lysippos

The second feat of Hercules (summary)

The second feat of Hercules is the fight against the Lernean Hydra. Painting by A. Pollaiolo, ca. 1475

The third feat of Hercules (summary)

Hercules and the Stymphalian Birds. Statue of A. Bourdelle, 1909

The fourth feat of Hercules (summary)

The fourth feat of Hercules - Keriney doe

The fifth feat of Hercules (summary)

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.

Hercules and the Erymanthian boar. Statue of L. Tuyon, 1904

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.

The sixth feat - Hercules cleans the stables of Augius. Roman mosaic of the 3rd century. according to R. H. from Valencia

The seventh feat of Hercules (summary)

The seventh feat - Hercules and the Cretan bull. Roman mosaic of the 3rd century. according to R. H. from Valencia

The eighth feat of Hercules (summary)

Diomedes being devoured by his horses. Painter Gustave Moreau, 1865

The ninth feat of Hercules (summary)

The tenth feat of Hercules (summary)

At the very western edge of the earth, the giant Gerion, who had three bodies, three heads, six arms and six legs, grazed cows. By order of Eurystheus, Hercules went after these cows. The long journey to the west itself was already a feat, and in memory of him Hercules erected two stone (Hercules) pillars on both sides of a narrow strait near the shores of the Ocean (modern Gibraltar). Geryon lived on the island of Erithia. So that Hercules could reach him, the solar god Helios gave him his horses and a golden boat, on which he himself swims daily through the sky.

Eleventh feat of Hercules (summary)

Eleventh Labor of Hercules - Cerberus

The twelfth feat of Hercules (summary)

Hercules had to find a way to the great titan Atlas (Atlanta), who holds the vault of heaven on his shoulders at the edge of the earth. Eurystheus ordered Hercules to take three golden apples from the golden tree of the Atlas garden. To find out the way to the Atlas, Hercules, on the advice of the nymphs, guarded the sea god Nereus on the seashore, grabbed him and held him until he showed the right way. On the way to the Atlas through Libya, Hercules had to fight the cruel giant Antaeus, who received new powers by touching his mother - Earth-Gaia. After a long fight, Hercules lifted Antaeus into the air and strangled him without lowering him to the ground. In Egypt, King Busiris wanted to sacrifice Hercules to the gods, but the angry hero killed Busiris along with his son.

Hercules fighting Antaeus. Artist O. Coudet, 1819

Photo - Jastrow

The sequence of the 12 major labors of Hercules varies in different mythological sources. The eleventh and twelfth feats change places especially often: a number of ancient authors consider the descent to Hades after Cerberus the last accomplishment of Hercules, and the journey to the garden of the Hesperides - the penultimate one.

Other exploits of Hercules

After completing 12 feats, Heracles, freed from the power of Eurystheus, defeated the best archer of Greece, Eurytus, king of the Euboean Oichalia, in a shooting competition. Eurytus did not give Hercules the promised reward for this - his daughter Iola. Hercules then married in the city of Calydon to Dejanira, the sister of Meleager, whom he met in the kingdom of Hades. Seeking the hand of Dejanira, Hercules endured a difficult duel with the river god Achelous, who during the fight turned into a snake and a bull.

Hercules and Dejanira went to Tiryns. On the way, Dejanira was attempted to be kidnapped by the centaur Nessus, who offered to transport the married couple across the river. Hercules killed Nessus with arrows soaked in the bile of the Lernaean hydra. Before his death, Ness secretly from Hercules advised Dejanira to collect his blood poisoned by the poison of the hydra. The centaur assured that if Dejanira rubbed her clothes with Hercules, then no other woman would ever please him.

In Tiryns, during a fit of madness again sent by the Hero, Hercules killed his close friend, the son of Eurytus, Ifit. Zeus punished Hercules for this with a serious illness. Trying to find out a remedy for her, Hercules went on a rampage in the Delphic temple and fought with the god Apollo. Finally, it was revealed to him that he must sell himself for three years as a slave to the Lydian queen Omphale. For three years, Omphala subjected Hercules to terrible humiliations: she forced him to wear women's clothes and spin, and she herself wore a lion's skin and a hero's club. However, Omphale allowed Hercules to take part in the campaign of the Argonauts.

Freed from slavery by Omphale, Hercules took Troy and avenged his previous deception to its king, Laomedon. He then participated in the battle of the gods with the giants. The mother of giants, the goddess Gaia, made these children of hers invulnerable to the weapons of the gods. Only a mortal could kill giants. During the battle, the gods threw the giants to the ground with weapons and lightning, and Hercules finished them off with their arrows.

Death of Hercules

Following this, Hercules set off on a campaign against King Eurytus, who insulted him. Having defeated Eurytus, Hercules captured his daughter, the beautiful Iola, whom he was supposed to receive even after the previous competition with her father in archery. Upon learning that Hercules was going to marry Iola, Dejanira, in an attempt to return her husband's love, sent him a cloak soaked in the blood of the centaur Ness soaked in the poison of the Lernean hydra. As soon as Hercules put on this cloak, he stuck to his body. The poison penetrated the skin of the hero and began to cause terrible torment. Dejanira, having learned about her mistake, committed suicide. This myth became the plot of the tragedy of Sophocles, Demophon. The army of Eurystheus invaded the Athenian land, but was defeated by an army led by the eldest son of Hercules, Gill. The Heraclids became the ancestors of one of the four main branches of the Greek people - the Dorians. Three generations after Gylus, the Dorian invasion of the south culminated in the conquest of the Peloponnese, which the Heraclides considered the legitimate heritage of their father, treacherously taken from him by the cunning of the goddess Hera. In news of the captures of the Dorians, legends and myths are already mixed with memories of genuine historical events.

Birth of Hercules and Hera's cunning. The wife of the hero Amphitryon named Alkmena was famous for her beauty throughout Hellas. She was so beautiful that Zeus himself drew attention to her. Once, when Amphitryon was on a long campaign, a thunderer appeared to her under the guise of her husband. Alcmene did not suspect anything, and soon she gave birth to two twin boys. One of them was the son of Zeus, the other was Amphitryon.

Shortly before they were born, Zeus gathered the gods on Olympus and said: “A great event will happen on earth today! A hero will be born who will surpass all mortals in his glory; he will be strong and noble, and I will give him the power to command other heroes!”

Jealous Hera heard these words and realized that not a simple child would be born, but the son of Zeus; again he cheated on her with a mortal woman! She decided to outwit Zeus and demanded an oath from her husband that he would do exactly as he promised. Zeus, suspecting nothing, confirmed his words with an oath. Then Hera hurried to Thebes, where Amphitryon and Alcmene lived, and by magic delayed the birth of Alcmene's children. At the same time, in Mycenae, she hastened the birth of the frail and sickly Eurystheus, the son of King Sthenelus.

As if nothing had happened, she came to Zeus and exclaimed: “Rejoice, thunderer! Everything happened according to your word! The great Eurystheus was born, whom the rest of the heroes of Hellas will serve!” Zeus came into indescribable anger when he realized that he had been deceived.

Zeus tries to make Hercules immortal. Zeus could not break the oath, and therefore decided that only for twelve years his son would serve Eurystheus, and then he would receive freedom and at the end of his earthly existence he would be included among the Olympian gods. Zeus wanted to make his son immortal, and for this the child had to drink Hera's milk. Unbeknownst to Alcmene, Zeus took the child, carried it to Olympus and placed it on the chest of the sleeping Hera. The goddess woke up and pushed the boy away from her; her milk splashed across the sky, forming a white road on it, clearly visible at night - the Milky Way. The son of Zeus never received immortality, and his earthly parents gave the boy the name Hercules, which means “Glorified Hero”. Hercules' brother was named Iphicles.

Baby Hercules and snakes. When Hercules was nine months old, Hera sent two huge snakes to Amphitryon's house to destroy the boy. The doors opened of their own accord before them, snakes crawled across the marble floor into the nursery; flames burst from their eyes, deadly poison dripped from their teeth. Hercules and Iphicles slept peacefully in the bronze shield of Amphitrion, which served as their cradle. But Zeus woke them up at the approach of snakes. Iphicles wept loudly, and Hercules, laughing, grabbed the snakes and strangled them. Amphitryon ran into the children's bedroom with a drawn sword in his hand and saw that the danger had passed. Proudly threw Hercules at his feet strangled snakes.

Hercules

Education of Hercules. When Hercules grew up a little, Amphitryon began to teach him everything that a true hero should know and be able to do. The best mentors showed him how to wield a weapon, how to win in a fist fight, how to shoot accurately from a bow; Amphitryon himself taught him how to drive a chariot. Hercules was taught to sing and play musical instruments, to recognize the stars, to reason wisely about divine and human affairs. Hercules learned a lot, he became beautiful physically, noble in soul. Nobody could compare to him. Hercules was neat in clothes and moderate in food, he always preferred to sleep on the street in the open air, and not in a stuffy house. He never used his exorbitant strength for evil and did not attack first until he was insulted; was always ready to help those who needed it.

Gifts of the gods to Hercules. People loved Hercules, he was also pleasing to the Olympian gods, they gave him everything he needed: from Hermes the hero received a sword, from Apollo - a bow and arrows with eagle feathers. Hephaestus gave Hercules a shell, and Athena wove beautiful clothes. Even Zeus and Poseidon honored him with their gifts: Poseidon presented a team of swift horses, and Zeus - a magnificent indestructible shield. Hercules accepted these gifts with gratitude, but rarely used them - he preferred a simple club, bow and arrows to any weapon.

Hera sends madness to Hercules. Only Hera still hated Hercules. Out of fear of the wrath of Zeus, she did not dare to destroy the young man, but harmed him as best she could. Hercules was already married, sons were born to him, he passionately loved his wife and children. But Hera sent madness on him, and in madness, thinking that he was destroying enemies, Hercules killed his children and wife. When the veil of madness fell from his eyes, and he realized what he had done, he locked himself in a dark room and did not show himself to people for many days. Only the servants heard the mighty hero weeping there.

Hercules at the Pythia. When the pain of loss subsided a little, Hercules went to Delphi to ask the Pythia how to atone for the terrible, albeit involuntary, atrocity. The Pythia answered him: “You must go to Mycenae, to King Eurystheus, you will perform ten feats in his service, which he orders, and thereby atone for your crime; having accomplished feats, you will be numbered among the Olympian gods.

Hercules sighed heavily. He heard about Eurystheus, he knew that this king was weak and cowardly, which in many ways surpassed Eurystheus himself, but there was nothing to be done, Hercules had to obey the will of the immortal gods. He went to Mycenae. Hera was delighted: now she will be able to find a feat that would be beyond the power of Hercules! Since then, she has been looking for tasks one more difficult than the other, and Eurystheus sent Hercules to fulfill them.