The legends of Ancient Greece tell of the incomprehensible twelve exploits of a hero named Hercules. Each feat is a separate unique story. The hardest trials, impossible for a mere mortal, had to go through a mighty hero. Note that in the ancient Greek tradition, a hero is a person, one of whose parents was an inhabitant of Olympus. In the case of Hercules, it was Zeus. Such kinship endowed the hero with gigantic physical capabilities, however, his tasks, humanly, were completely impossible. All 12 exploits of Hercules were in turn invented by the goddess Hero, who hoped to destroy him. Hercules was really in danger of death, because he was still mortal.

Nevertheless, he defeated the Nemean man-eating lion, beheaded the monstrous Lernaean hydra, caught the elusive Kerinean doe, defeated and delivered the Erymanthian boar unharmed, winning the battle with the centaurs. The hero showed not only speed and strength, but also showed an eccentricity of mind, clearing the Augean stables from impurities. He destroyed the terrifying Stymphalian birds, pacified the Cretan bull and the carnivorous horses of Diomedes. The hero got the cows of Geryon, having won a battle with the three-headed giant monster.

Not all exploits evoked a sense of satisfaction in the noble Hercules. The story known as "The Belt of Hippolyta" had a tragic ending, in which, according to the insidious plan of King Eurystheus, the hero was forced to fight the Amazon women. The last of the 12 labors of Hercules are the stories of the golden apples of the Hesperides and the kidnapping of the Three-headed Dog Cerberus from the kingdom of Hades.

The exploits of Hercules have always aroused open envy among the gods, as well as among enemies, of which the mighty warrior had many. The birth of the son of Zeus was predetermined not only by the fate or desire of the ruler of Olympus. Paradoxically, Hercules owes his unfading glory to his ill-wishers. This is how it was.

Zeus and Alcmene

The birth of Hercules was not ordinary. It all began with the fact that the woman-loving Zeus once fell in love with the royal beauty Alcmene, the wife of the Mycenaean ruler Amphitryon. But the love of the thunderer turned out to be unrequited: Alcmene did not want to cheat on her husband. It was in vain that the king of the gods appeared to her in her dreams and whispered flattering speeches - Alcmene did not yield. Then Zeus decided to achieve reciprocity of the beauty with an ordinary deception. In the forest where her husband Amphitryon hunted, he drove game from all over Greece. The passionate hunter was so carried away by the chase that he did not have time to return home before dark and spent the night in the forest. And Zeus, having assumed the form of Amphitryon, appeared to his wife and seduced the beauty. Zeus and Alcmene spent the night during which the sun did not rise above the horizon for three days. Unsuspecting Alcmene, thought that her husband was in front of her ...

On the day when Hercules was to be born, Zeus swore in the presence of the gods that the baby would rule over the city of Mycenae and all neighboring peoples. Jealous Hera immediately guessed that her unfaithful husband was taking care of his own son, and hated the unborn child. As the patroness of future mothers, she delayed the birth of Alcmene and made it so that on the day indicated by Zeus, not Hercules, but the son of Amphitryon Eurystheus, was born.

When Hercules was born, Hera sent two snakes to the cradle of the newborn, but the boy, showing unprecedented strength for a baby, strangled the creeping reptiles. Amphitryon realized that an unusual child was born in his family, and turned to the soothsayers with a question about his fate. The soothsayers replied that Hercules was destined to become a great hero and glorify the gods of Olympus.

Youth of Hercules

Hercules spent his childhood under the supervision of the best teachers who taught him martial arts, sciences and music. But the main mentors were the wise centaur Chiron; the son of Hermes Autolycus is a famous master of all trickery; one of the illegitimate sons of Zeus Castor, and also a skilled musician Lin. True, once, when Lin punished Hercules for negligence, he, in a fit of anger, threw the cithara at him so much that he almost killed the poor teacher.

When Hercules matured, Amphitryon, frightened by his strength and unbridled disposition, sent his stepson to the shepherds on Mount Kiferon near Thebes. Once the city was attacked by enemies, and Hercules himself had to save Thebes from the conquerors. In gratitude, the Theban king gave him his daughter Megara as his wife. Soon, Hercules and Megara had two sons.

Hercules and Hera

Time passed, but Hera still hated Hercules. She turned to the goddess of madness Ata, and she darkened the hero's mind. When Hercules played with his sons, he suddenly imagined terrible monsters instead of children. The great hero lost his mind and, in a fit of rage, killed all his children, as well as the children of his relative Iphicles.

When the mind of Hercules cleared up, he was horrified by what he had done and in despair fled from the city. Beside himself with grief, the hero began to look for some difficult and dangerous business for himself, so that, having committed it, atone for an involuntary crime. He learned that a detachment of brave men on the ship "Argo" was sent to distant Colchis for the golden fleece, and joined the Argonauts. But as soon as they sailed from the coast of Greece, Hercules appeared Hermes and conveyed the command of Apollo to return. This time the gods wished that the future hero would atone for his guilt in a different way: having humbled his pride, he entered the service of the cowardly and stupid Mycenaean king Eurystheus. The same one who, having been born before Hercules, received power over the Peloponnese, intended by Zeus for his mighty son. The hero did not think for a minute about the consequences, wishing only that his soul would find peace. He submitted to the will of the gods and went to Mycenae.

Hera immediately figured out how to destroy the son of Zeus. Having entered into an agreement with Eurystheus, she advised him to give Hercules twelve tasks that seemed impossible to her. Hercules and Hera met in an unequal duel. The jealous goddess, being sure of her victory, did not even suspect that it was she who unwittingly contributed to the glory of the great hero. After all, this was the beginning of the 12 exploits of Hercules.

Feat One: Nemean Lion

Nemean lion , according to legend, was not an ordinary large animal. The word "lion" can only be applied to it conditionally. It was a monstrous offspring of the giant Typhon and the giant snake Echidna, of enormous size ... His skin could not be pierced with ordinary weapons, and no one could resist this monster - he killed everyone. And only Hercules was destined to stop him ...

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• Feat two: Lernaean hydra

Lernaean hydra- another monster, spawned by the same Typhon and the Echidna, which is the sister of the Nemean lion. One sight of her was terrifying: she had the body of a water snake and nine dragon heads. Hydra settled in a swamp near the city of Lerna, where there was an entrance to the underworld. When she crawled out of her lair, she exterminated entire herds and devastated all the surroundings. However, no one could cope with this monster. When trying to chop off one of the heads, two immediately grew in its place. But Hercules was not embarrassed ... read

• The third feat: the Kerinean doe

Kerinean fallow deer was created by the goddess of the hunt Artemis and resembled a fabulous creature. Her skin gleamed dazzlingly in the sun, her horns sparkled like pure gold, and her hooves looked like they were cast in copper. The amazing animal possessed extreme speed, so it was impossible to catch it. The task was entrusted to Hercules ...

• Feat Four: The Erymanthian Boar

Erymanthian Boar- a boar of incredible strength and ferocity. He lived on Mount Erimanth in Arcadia and devastated everything in the vicinity of the city of Psophis. If he met a person on his way, he would not hesitate to kill him with his giant fangs. To catch this terrible boar alive - that was the task of Hercules ...

• Fifth feat: the Augean stables

Augean stables belonged to the king Augius, the son of Helios and were famous for the extraordinary variety and number of horses. However, no one could clean them out, and the accumulated in a huge amount of impurity made the air unbearable. Eurystheus gloatingly entrusted this task to Hercules ...

• Feat Six: Stymphalian Birds

Stymphalian birds were monstrous creatures with sharp bronze feathers, copper claws and beaks. Taking off, the monsters with their feathers, like arrows, struck everyone who found themselves in the open area, and if the attack failed, they tore the unfortunate person with copper claws and beaks. The creatures settled in a forest swamp near the city of Stymphala in Arcadia and turned human life into a nightmare, destroying the crops of the fields, animals that grazed on the shores of the lake, as well as many shepherds and farmers. Eurystheus, learning about this, directs Hercules to destroy the terrible birds ... read

• Seventh feat: the Cretan bull

Cretan bull belonged to Poseidon, who once presented the animal to Minos, king of Crete, for sacrifice to the gods. However, Minos, in order to save himself the bull of Poseidon he liked, decided on a forgery. The enraged Poseidon struck the animal with rabies, as a result of which the bull began to trample the fields, disperse herds and kill people. Hercules received from Eurystheus the task not only to catch the Cretan bull, but also to deliver it safe and sound ... read

• Eight feat: the horses of Diomedes

Horses of diomedes- carnivorous demonic animals that belonged to the wicked king Diomedes. If one of the travelers unknowingly got to these lands, the unfortunates, on the orders of Diomedes, were brought to the mad animals and they, like lions, tore people apart. Hearing about this story, Eurystheus gives the order to Hercules to deliver the horses of Diomedes ...

• Feat Nine: Geryon's Cows

Geryon's cows grazed on the island of Erifia and belonged to a three-headed giant. To deliver the animals to Eurystheus, Hercules had to face off in a deadly duel with a terrible giant, who, in addition to being gigantic, had three bodies, three heads and six legs. They called him Geryon. In this unequal battle, Hercules was helped by Pallas Athena ...

Feat ten: Hypolitta's belt

Hippolyta's Belt was a gift from Ares, the god of war, to the queen of the Amazons. Admeta, the daughter of Eurystheus, on a whim, wished to have him with her. And again Hercules went to meet danger, where, at the intrigues of Hera, he had to engage in battle with the Amazons, which he tried with all his heart to avoid ...

• Feat eleven: the golden apples of the Hesperides

Golden apples of the Hesperides possessed an amazing property, giving immortality and eternal youth. They grew up at the end of the world, where the earth is washed by the Ocean-River, and the giant Atlas on his shoulders holds the firmament. There, in a beautiful garden, a tree with golden apples grows, guarded by the nymphs of the Hesperides. Hercules was sent after them ...

• Feat twelve: the abduction of Cerberus

The abduction of Cerberus- a three-headed terrible dog guarding the entrance to the kingdom of Hades, was the last feat that Hercules had to perform in the service of the king of the Peloponnese. The hero had to accomplish the impossible: not only to descend into the kingdom of the dead, but, having overcome the terrible creature, to show it to Eurystheus ...

The myth of Hercules begins with his unusual birth. God the Thunderer Zeus had a penchant for earthly women. The beauty Alcmene, the wife of the king of Mycenae, liked him. Zeus tried to convince her to cheat on her husband with gentle speeches. 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 was hunting. 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 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 this was an illegitimate child. She postponed Alcmene's birth for the day. At the hour appointed by Zeus, Eurystheus was born. It was he who became the ruler of Mycenae, in whose service Hercules performed famous feats.

Myths about Hercules: 12 labors

Hera, having learned about the birth of the future hero, vowed to exterminate him. She sent two poisonous snakes to the cradle. But Hercules from birth showed strength and dexterity. He strangled the reptiles with his hands.

The myth of Hercules tells that later Hera sent madness to the hero. The man's mind was clouded when he played with his sons. He mistook children for monsters. When the fit of insanity 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 - at the very shores of Greece the god Hermes appeared to the hero. 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 a 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 sturdy hide withstood the blows of swords, arrows blunt against it.

A lion lived in the vicinity of the city of Nemea, destroying all living things 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 filled the exit from the lair with a huge boulder, while he 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 lion's skin. The sharp sword did not harm him. Then Hercules with his bare hands grabbed the monster by the throat and strangled him.

The hero returned to Mycenae victorious. 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 mission for the hero. In the poisonous swamp lurked a terrible monster - the Lernaean 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. As 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 his help to Hercules - he drove the hero to the poisonous swamp in his chariot. For a long time the hero fought with the hydra. But, having struck one head of the monster, Hercules saw two new ones appear in its place.

Helper Iolaus set fire to a nearby grove and began to burn the severed heads of the hydra. When Hercules cut off the last, immortal head, he buried it deep in the ground. From above, he rolled it over with a huge rock, so that the monster could never again appear on the ground.

The poisonous blood of the hydra impregnated Hercules with arrowheads. And then he returned to Mycenae, where a new assignment from Eurystheus awaited him.

Third feat

Myths about the exploits of Hercules indicate his strength, agility, speed. For more than a year, the hero chased the Kerinean deer to catch it - this was a new task for the ruler of Mycenae.

A beautiful fallow deer appeared in the vicinity of the Kerinean Mountains. Her horns sparkled with gold, and her hooves were cast in copper. The animal's skin sparkled in the sun. The Kerinean doe was created by the goddess of the hunt Artemis. She did this in reproach to people who exterminated flora and fauna.

The doe ran faster than the wind - it rushed, fleeing 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 in the leg of the animal. 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 made him serve Eurystheus. That he was not chasing a beautiful deer for himself. 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 see the familiar centaur Foul. They opened wine, had fun, sang songs. Other centaurs, attracted by the scent of the wine, armed themselves with stones and stakes, and claimed that the wine had been donated to the entire community. A fight ensued. Hercules put the centaurs to flight with his poison arrows.

Continuing on his way, the hero soon saw the Erymanth 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 shield with his sword. 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 Augeas was famous for his herds and stables. He fenced off the barnyard with a high hedge, because he was in fear around the clock that bulls and horses might be kidnapped. For days, Augeus tried to count the number of horses in the stables. But the herd was in motion, the horses moved, and the count had to start over.

The dirt accumulated from the horses filled all the stables. The smell from them was all over Arcadia, says myth 5. Hercules sent Eurystheus to clear the Augean stables of dung. The king thought that a strong and brave hero would disdain such a task.

Hercules realized that it was necessary to make a hole in the hedge. He broke the fence that surrounded the stables on both sides. The stream of the mountain river immediately washed away all the impurities.

The myth of Hercules briefly reports that after this feat, the hero made a sacrifice to the river god for unpleasant work. Then he rebuilt the fence and returned to Mycenae for a new assignment.

Sixth feat

Once, two huge birds appeared near the city of Stymphala, they tell the myths about Hercules. They had copper beaks and bronze feathers. Stymphalian birds have multiplied over time and formed a flock. They destroyed seedlings in the fields. They dropped their bronze feathers like arrows at everyone who came near them.

Hercules, before entering the battle, studied the habits of the creatures for a long time. He realized that by dropping feathers, birds become defenseless until new ones grow. The warrior goddess Athena appeared to Hercules and presented him with copper rattles. 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, however, took refuge under the shield from their onslaught. After the birds dropped all their feathers, the hero shot them with a bow. And those, which did not have time to get into, flew away from these places.

Seventh feat

What will the seventh myth about 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 a wondrous bull to King Minos so that the ruler would sacrifice it to the gods. But the king of Cretan liked the bull so much that he hid it in his herd. Poseidon learned about the king's deception. In anger, he struck the bull with madness. For a long time the monster rushed about, killing people in a frenzy, scattering herds.

Eurystheus, on a libel 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 its head to the ground. The animal sensed that the enemy was stronger. The Cretan bull stopped resisting. Then Hercules saddled him and drove into the sea. So, riding an animal, the hero returned to Arcadia.

The bull did not even try to throw Hercules off, calmly entered the stall of King Eurystheus. When the hero, tired after the new feat, went to bed, the ruler was afraid to keep the maddened bull and in fear set him free.

So the bull wandered around the outskirts of Arcadia until he was defeated by another hero of Hellas - Theseus.

Eighth feat

The myths about Hercules tell about the demonic horses of Diomedes. These carnivorous monsters devoured lost travelers. Seafarers who were killed were killed. When Hercules arrived in the country with an assistant, he immediately went in search of carnivorous horses. By neighing, he understood 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 apart 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 to let them go into the forest. There wild animals dealt with them.

Ninth feat

The 12 myths about Hercules are extremely interesting. They all 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 belt of Hippolyta. The daughter of Eurystheus Admet wanted to get it. She heard that Ares, the god of war, gave the belt to the queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta.

Hercules went on a journey with his companions. The Amazons greeted them amiably 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, having transformed into one of the Amazons, spread the rumor that Hercules wanted to sell them into slavery.

The warlike women believed the evil slander, and a battle 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 a battle with women, even if they were warriors.

Tenth feat

The tenth myth of 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 has come a long way. Defeated the son of the god Vulcan - the monster Kakusa. Later, the city of Rome was founded on the site of their battle.

In the green meadows of Erythia grazed the cows of Geryon, a giant with three bodies, three heads and three pairs of arms and legs. 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 a few blows of the club. Another victory was won by the hero.

Having sailed on a ship to Iberia, Hercules lay down to rest, letting the herd graze. With the first rays of the sun, he decided to drive the herd overland. The 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 flock and led him to the king Eurystheus. The latter sacrificed the cows to Hera, hoping to get rid of Hercules.

Eleventh feat

And again the long journey awaited the hero. Eurystheus sent Hercules for the golden apples of the Hesperides. They gave immortality and eternal youth. In the garden of the Hesperides, apples were guarded only by nymphs. And the garden itself was at the end of the earth, where Atlas held the firmament on his shoulders.

On the way to the end of the world, Hercules in the Caucasus mountains freed Prometheus. He fought with the son of the land of Gaia - Antaeus. Only by tearing the giant off the ground was the hero able to defeat him. Reaching 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 arch, Atlas returned. The giant really did not want to take on his shoulders an exorbitant weight again. The sly man offered Hercules to hold the sky for another while he himself reached Mycenae and gave the apples to the king. But our hero is not that stupid. He agreed, but on condition that the giant will hold the heavens, and Hercules, in the meantime, will make himself a grass pillow - it's a very heavy burden. Atlas believed and took his place, and the hero took the apples and returned home.

Twelfth feat

The last task of Eurystheus was the most difficult, according to the 12th myth. The exploits of Hercules (a brief summary of them is presented in this article) takes the reader to the amazing world of mythology of Ancient Greece, a world full of amazing adventures, powerful and insidious gods and strong, brave heroes. But we got distracted. So, 12 feat. Hercules was to go down to 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 of hell, blood froze in my veins.

Hercules went down to Hades 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 for Hercules to release the terrible monster 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.

Thirteenth feat and death of Hercules

Hellas legends say that there are 13 feats of Hercules. The myth has carried the story of the king of Thespia to this day. Hercules stayed in his house when he was hunting the Kyferon lion. Thespius worried that his daughters would choose ugly suitors for themselves, give birth to ugly grandchildren. The king invited Hercules 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 Deianira. They had many children. Once the couple were crossing a fast river. Deianira was transported by the centaur Nessus. He was seduced by the beauty of a woman and wanted to master her. Hercules hit him with a poisonous arrow. Experiencing terrible torment, Ness decided to take revenge on the hero. He persuaded Deianira to draw his blood. If Hercules stops loving her, you just need to soak his clothes with the blood of a centaur, and then the husband will not look at any woman again.

Deianira kept a vial with Nessus's gift. Returning from a military campaign, Hercules brought a young captive princess into the house. In a fit of jealousy, Deianera soaked her husband's clothes with blood. The poison quickly acted and began to deliver severe torment to Hercules, and there was no way 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.

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Lev Uspensky, Vsevolod Uspensky
Twelve labors of Hercules

This book contains legends of deep antiquity.

They were put together by the ancient Greeks back in those distant times, when people were just beginning to study the world around them, just starting to study and explain it.

Combining truth and fiction, they invented and told amazing stories. This is how many legends about gods, heroes and fantastic creatures developed. – legends , naively explaining the structure of the world and the fate of people. We call these traditions the Greek word “myths”.

Infinitely long ago, two and a half thousand years ago, Greek children, sitting on the warm sand at the city gates or on the stone slabs of temples, listened to how the blind rhapsode singers began these amazing narrations in a chant, pinching the strings of a quiet cithara in tune:

LISTEN, GOOD PEOPLE, ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED SOMEONE! ..

THE BIRTH OF HERCULES

Several years before the treacherous Pelias treacherously seized the royal throne in noisy Iolca, wondrous deeds took place on the other side of the Greek land - where the ancient city of Mycenae lay among the mountains and valleys of Argolis.

A girl named Alcmene lived in this city in those days.

She was so beautiful that when they met her on their way, people stopped and looked after her in silent surprise.

She was so smart that the wisest elders sometimes questioned her and marveled at her reasonable answers.

She was so kind that fearful doves from the temple of Aphrodite, not shy away, descended to coo on her shoulders, and Philomela the nightingale sang his ringing songs at night near the wall of her house.

And, hearing him sing among the rose bushes and vines, people said to each other: “Look! Philomela himself glorifies the beauty of Alcmene and marvels at her! "

Alcmene grew up carelessly in her father's house and did not even think that she would ever have to leave it. But fate judged differently ...

One day a dusty chariot drove into the city gates of Mycenae. A tall warrior in shining armor ruled four tired horses. This is the brave Amphitryon, brother of the Argos king Sfenel, who came to Mycenae to seek his fortune.

Hearing the rumbling of wheels and snoring of horses, Alcmene went out onto the porch of her house. The sun was setting at that moment. Its rays scattered like red gold through the hair of a beautiful girl, enveloping her all with a purple shine. And as soon as Amphitryon saw her on the porch by the door, he forgot everything in the world.

Less than a few days later, Amphitryon went to Alcmene's father and began asking him to marry his daughter to him. Having learned who this young warrior was, the old man did not object to him.

The Mycenaeans celebrated a wedding feast merrily and noisily, and then Amphitryon put his wife on a magnificently decorated chariot and took her away from Mycenae. But they did not go to the hometown of Amphitryon - Argos: he could not return there.

Not so long ago, while hunting, he accidentally killed his nephew Electrius, the son of the old king Sfenel, with a spear. The enraged Sfenel drove his brother out of his possessions and forbade him to approach the Argos walls. He bitterly mourned his lost son and prayed to the gods to send him another child. But the gods remained deaf to his pleas.

That is why Amphitryon and Alcmene settled not in Argos, but in Fyves, where Amphitryon's uncle, Creon, was king.

Their lives flowed quietly. Only one thing upset Alcmene: her husband was such a passionate hunter that for the sake of chasing wild animals for whole days he left his young wife at home.

Every evening she went out to the gates of the palace to wait for the servants laden with prey and her husband, tired of the hunt. Every evening the setting sun, as it happened in Mycenae, again dressed her in its purple clothes. Then one day, on the threshold of the palace, illuminated by the crimson light of dawn, Alcmene saw the mighty Zeus, the most powerful of all the Greek gods, and, seeing, fell in love with her at first sight.

Zeus was not only powerful, but also cunning and cunning.

Although he already had a wife, the proud goddess Hera, he wanted to take Alcmene as his wife. However, no matter how much he appeared to her in sleepy visions, no matter how he tried to persuade her to stop loving Amphitryon, everything was in vain.

Then the insidious god decided to conquer her with a crafty deception. He made it so that all the game from all the forests of Greece fled to those Theban valleys, where Amphitryon was hunting at that time. The frantic hunter killed horned deer, fanged boars, light-footed goats in vain: every hour there were more and more of them around him. The servants called their master home, but he could not tear himself away from his favorite entertainment and day after day, week after week, he hunted, climbing deeper and deeper into the forest jungle. Meanwhile, Zeus himself turned into a man, like two drops of water similar to Amphitryon, jumped on his chariot and went to the Theban palace.

Hearing the familiar clatter of hooves and the sound of armor, Alcmene ran out onto the porch, rejoicing that she would finally see her long-awaited husband. The wonderful resemblance deceived her. She trustingly threw herself on the neck of the lying god and, calling her dear Amphitryon, took him into the house. So, with the help of magic and deception, Zeus became the husband of the beautiful Alcmene, while the real Amphitryon hunted for animals far from his palace.

A lot of time passed, and a son was to be born to Alcmene and Zeus. And then one night, when Alcmene was sleeping peacefully, the real Amphitryon returned. Seeing him in the morning, she was not at all surprised by this: after all, she was sure that her husband had been at home for a long time. That is why this deception, invented by Zeus, remained unsolved. The lord of the gods, leaving the Theban palace, returned to his transcendental dwelling on the high Mount Olympus. Knowing that the elder brother of Amphitryon, the Argos king Sfenel, has no children, he planned to make his son the heir of Sfenel and, when he was born, give him the kingdom of Argos.

Upon learning of this, the jealous goddess Hera, the first wife of Zeus, became very angry. She hated Alcmene with great hatred. She never wanted the son of this Alcmene to become the king of Argos.

Having conceived to destroy the boy as soon as he was born, Hera secretly appeared to Sfenel and promised that he would have a son, Eurystheus.

Knowing nothing about this, Zeus summoned all the gods to a council and said:

“Hear me, goddesses and gods. On the first day of the full moon, when the moon becomes completely round, a boy will be born. He will reign in Argos. Do not think to do anything bad to him!

Hearing such words, Hera asked with a sly smile:

- And if on this day two boys are born at once, who will then be the king?

“The one who is born first,” Zeus answered. After all, he was sure that Hercules would be born first. He knew nothing about Eurystheus, the future son of Sfenel.

But Hera smiled even more sly and said:

- Great Zeus, you often make promises that you then forget about. Swear before all the gods that the king of Argos will be the boy who is born first on the day of the full moon.

Zeus swore willingly. Then Hera did not waste time. She called the goddess of madness and stupidity Atu and ordered to steal the memory of Zeus. As soon as Zeus lost his memory, he forgot about Alcmene and the child who was supposed to be born to her.

That is why it happened that the son of Zeus, Hercules, even before his birth, lost his father. But he found a kind and caring stepfather in Amphitryon.

Meanwhile, the day of the full moon came. Hera threw on a black robe so that no one would recognize her, and flew to Argos. There she made it so that the son of the Argos king Eurystheus was born an hour earlier than the son of Alcmene Hercules.

When both boys were already lying in their cradles, one in Argos and the other in Thebes, Hera returned to Mount Olympus, to the abode of the gods, and ordered the goddess of fools Ata to return Zeus's memory. Then she called all the gods and goddesses and said:

- Listen to me, Father Zeus, and you, gods, be witnesses. Today, on the day of the full moon, Efrisfei, the son of the Argos king Sfenel, was born first. Do you remember everything Zeus said? Now Eurystheus will be king over Argos, and little Hercules must obey him in everything!

Hearing this, Zeus flew into a terrible rage.

He immediately guessed that he had been fooled by Ata - Stupidity. Grabbing the goddess of fools by the red hair, he threw her down from Olympus. Since then, Ata does not dare to return to the abode of the gods. But she always rubs among people. And if any of you wants to do something stupid, let him ask himself: is this not trick of the big-mouthed and long-eared red-haired Ata?

HOW HERCULES THROUGH THE SNAKE

Having punished Atu, Zeus did only the first half of the case. Therefore, he immediately turned to the gods and said:

- Listen to me, gods! I will not take back my oath: Eurystheus will be king of Argos. But then I will make Hercules more powerful and stronger than all the kings on earth. When this boy grows up, he will perform twelve great feats, and as a reward for these feats, you gods will make him immortal. So I decided, Zeus. Woe to the one who decides to change my mind.

Having said this, Zeus looked menacingly at Hera, but Hera thought to herself: “It remains to be seen whether Hercules will be able to accomplish at least one feat. In any case, Ata and I will intervene in his affairs in our own way. "

Seeing the gloomy face of Hera, Zeus thought. He called his beloved daughter Athena to him and asked her to watch day and night so that no one did Hercules any harm.

Meanwhile, the boy Hercules lay quietly in his cradle next to his brother Iphicles. They were born twins, on the same day and hour, but they were not at all alike. Hercules was a strong, healthy boy. On the very first day, he was so rowdy in the cramped cradle that it had to be fastened to the floor, otherwise it would have toppled over. And Iphicles was drowsy and weak, he lay motionless, like all newborn children.

Night has come. Athena, the goddess of wisdom, sent her beloved owl, the smartest of all birds, to Amphitryon. A fluffy owl silently flew over the cradle of Hercules and fanned him with soft wings. From this, the child grew wiser every hour. But the goddess Hera decided to destroy him; she never wanted the son of the hated Alcmene to become stronger and more powerful -

her favorite Eurystheus.

As soon as it got dark, Hera went into a poisonous swamp, chose two of the strongest and most terrible snakes there and slowly brought them to the house of Amphitryon. To avoid any mistake, Hera decided to kill both boys. One snake was supposed to bite Hercules, and the other Iphicles. Worst of all, as soon as the children fell asleep, the owl quietly fell off the cornice and flew away. She certainly needed to punish the rats who ate the yarn of the goddess Athena.

The tired mother of the Alcmena twins also fell asleep, leaving twelve tall attendants at the cradle, on the advice of a wise owl. But the attendants soon got tired of sitting in the dark. One by one, they began to doze. Their heads sank lower and lower. They all yawned at once until they fell asleep soundly. And the snakes crawled and crawled through the wide courtyard, right up the stairs, crawled to the cradle of Hercules.

Exactly at midnight, little Hercules woke up. He lay in the dark, sucking his fist and listening with all his ears, because he was not smart for his age. Suddenly he heard a fuss and rustling on the threshold, then a soft whistle and hiss on the floor. The curious boy raised his head and looked over the edge of the cradle. At the same moment, he saw a large snake head next to his own. Hercules got a little scared and leaned back. Then he noticed another snake, which greedily reached for little Iphicles. Immediately, Hercules grabbed the snake with both hands below the heads and began to strangle them with all his might. The snakes hissed like water on coals and beat their tails on the stone floor, but the boy held them tightly and clenched his fists more and more. The noise awakened the lazy attendants. Seeing the snakes, they, disheveled and undressed, rushed out, began to shout loudly and call for help. Their screams awakened everyone in the house. People ran with torches, shadows swept through the rooms. Waving swords, the Cadmean warriors came running, standing guard at the gate of the palace. Flashing golden armor, Amphitrion, frightened by the noise, ran into the house.

By the light of the torches, everyone crowded around the cradle. But little Hercules was already fast asleep, strangled snakes in his fists; they dangled now, like two ropes, on the sides of the cradle. At the sight of such a miracle, both Amphitryon, and the Cadmean warriors, and all twelve lazy servants began to back away from the cradle, shaking their heads and talking to each other in whispers. They were so surprised.

They all decided that, therefore, the gods themselves care about Hercules, since they rewarded the newborn boy with such an amazing power. People have nothing to fear for his fate.

But that was a big mistake.

HOW HERCULES GREATED AND WHY HE KILLED HIS TEACHER LIN

The next day, Amphitryon summoned the soothsayer Tiresias, who knew how to predict the future. As soon as Elder Tiresias looked at Hercules, he immediately realized that before him lay not a simple child, but the son of the great Zeus. Tiresias predicted to Amphitrion that when Hercules grows up, he will not only defeat all animals and people, but will help the gods themselves cope with the terrible old-handed giants who live on the ends of the earth. Tiresias advised Amphitryon to take care and raise the boy as best as possible.

Amphitryon considered Hercules to be his son and loved him even more than Iphicles. Therefore, as soon as the boy grew up, he invited the most famous warriors and sages to be his teacher. Skillful Efreith, who never made a mistake, taught Hercules to shoot from a bow, Autolycus showed him how to fight other boys more dexterously, the great hero Castor taught him how to cut with a sword and throw a spear, and Amphitryon himself constantly took him on his chariot and let him rule four hot horses.

Soon Hercules became more skillful and stronger not only than all his peers, but also many adults.

He was so strong and great that, playing with other boys at seven pebbles, ball and rounders, he never knew how to calculate his strength. Instead of pebbles, he put large cobblestones in his palm and threw them so high that all the children threw themselves away from him, fearing that the stones would break their heads. And Hercules hit the ball so hard that the boys fell head over heels. It was then with Hercules that misfortune happened.

Strict Lin taught him all the arts and sciences of playing the large seven-stringed cithara. Hercules readily studied sciences, but playing the cithara was not given to him, because he tore the strings every time he touched them with his fingers. This angered the strict teacher Lin, and once he hurt Hercules painfully. Hercules was offended. With all his might, he threw the kifaru away from him and accidentally hit Lin with it. As always, he forgot about his extraordinary strength. Kithara touched the teacher with the very edge, but killed him on the spot.

Upon learning of this, Amphitrion was afraid that Hercules, possessing such terrible strength, would not have done any more misfortunes and would not cripple little Iphicles or other city children. After consulting with Tiresias, he decided to temporarily send Hercules out of the city and instructed him to graze his flocks in the Kytheron mountain meadows.

Above me are steep rocks, Below me, below, a river.

Clouds run like sheep, Sheep, like clouds.

Brittle grasses, leaning To dry soil, ring

Under the feet of fine-fleece, Ringingly bleating lambs ...

Goat-footed Pan living In the golden forest shadow!

You save my sheep from the wolf.

Let, when they run to get drunk on a Warm evening to the stream,

Their elastic hooves Will not bump into the snake ...

Let them play, let them fight, But then, by the end of the day,

Let them all come together On the lawn around me!

GODDESS HERA HERACLES HITS WITH MADNESS

Many years later. Hercules grew up and matured. He became a strong and brave youth, a mighty fighter, a brave defender of his homeland.

Once, when he went hunting, the neighboring king Ergin attacked Thebes in his absence. He subdued the Thebans and forced them to pay him an unbearable tribute.

But Hercules, as soon as he returned home from hunting, gathered together with his brother Iphicles a large detachment of brave men, struck Ergin's army with him, killed him in a fierce battle and liberated his homeland from enemies.

As a reward for this, the Theban king Creon gave Hercules his daughter, the beautiful Megara, as a wife. This wedding was joyful, and the wedding feast was noisy. The gods themselves descended from Olympus and feasted with Hercules. One of the younger sons of the great Zeus, the indefatigable Hermes, the messenger of the gods, who flies everywhere in his winged sandals, presented the hero with a beautiful sword. The god of light and joy Apollo gave him a bow with golden arrows. Skillful Hephaestus forged his shell with his own hands, and the goddess Athena clothed him in expensive clothes, which she wove for him herself. Only the evil Hera did not give Hercules anything: she still hated both Hercules and his mother Alcmene.

Hercules and Megara happily healed in Creon's palace. They soon had two children. But Hera, who at this time again became the wife of Zeus, envied their happiness. She constantly quarreled with Zeus, and she was annoyed that many people on earth live more amicably than the gods on Olympus.

Once the children played at the feet of Hercules on the skin of a lion. They liked to look at the huge lion's paws and thrust their fists into the grinning jaws. Hercules admired the children. A bright fire burned peacefully in the hearth. Suddenly the door creaked lightly. Quiet flames swept around in fright, swinging large shadows on the ceiling. Hercules raised his head in surprise: he thought that someone had entered. But he saw no one.

And this is the goddess Ata, unnoticed by anyone, crept into the house. Quietly approaching Hercules from behind, she threw a magic invisible bandage over his eyes, intoxicated his mind and drove the hero crazy.

So Ata did on the orders of Hera, and it seemed to the distraught Hercules that the lion's skin lying at his feet suddenly came to life, and the children turned into terrible two-headed monsters.

Wildly rotating his eyes filled with blood, Hercules jumped up, with a roar attacked the children and killed them one by one. Then he began to rush around the house, crushing and breaking everything that came to his hand. In vain Megara and Iphicles, who had come running to the noise, tried to calm him down. He chased after them and until then chased them around the house, until they jumped out into the street. Then the blindfold of madness fell from his eyes, and the fury vanished at once. Hercules stopped, looking around in surprise. He could not understand why his wife and brother were running away from him as fast as they could. Thoughtful, he returned home, trying to remember what had happened to him, but as soon as he saw the corpses of his children, he almost lost his mind again with grief and despair. Covering his face with his hands, he ran out, afraid to look back at his ruined house, and ran until night fell. It was so hard and bitter for him that he decided never to return home and went to another city, to his friend Thespius.

Thespius, the son of Archegon, was a wise man and a kind comrade. Deeply saddened by the misfortune that befell him

friend, he did not in vain reproach him and grieve him with useless lamentation. He did better.

“Listen to me, Hercules!” He said. “Only the weak sigh about what has already happened, but cry about the irrevocable. The one who is strong in soul seeks to make amends for the past with good deeds in the future. And you can do it.

Yesterday, when I was passing through the city market near the temple of Artemis, I saw a crowd of young men; they, hotly, discussed some news. I listened to their speeches and learned of their glorious designs. In distant Iolka, Jason, the son of Eson, gathers a mighty squad to sail for the Golden Fleece, for the treasure of the Aeolids, Frix and Gella. Your muscles are strong, Hercules, your gaze is clear. Obey me: go to Iolk, to Jason. He will perform many deeds on his way, and if you glorify your name with good deeds with him, the gods will forgive you for your offense ...

And so Hercules did. Through the narrow Isthmian isthmus, through hilly Boeotia and coastal Locrida, bypassing the seven-gate Thebes, he made his way to the glorious city of the Argonauts and sailed with them on a long journey.

On the way, he obediently obeyed young Jason, although he himself was older and stronger than him. Resignedly he paddled with a heavy oar aboard the fast-flying Argo.

But the gods assigned him a fate different from the fate of the Argonauts. When one day, having descended on the shore of a small island, he went deep into the forest to replace the broken oar with a new one on Jason's orders, in the thicket of trees he was met by the crafty and swift-footed Hermes, a young man with bird's wings on a round hat and with another pair of wings on the backs of light sandals.

“My brother Hercules!” He said to him. “Listen to the command of our father Zeus. Leave the glorious Argonauts now; their deeds are too easy for you. Go to Argos. Your rival Eurystheus reigns there, he who was born a short hour earlier than you. Become the servant of the despicable coward Eurystheus. Do whatever he commands you, whatever the mighty one who is worthless. When you complete the whole difficult lesson, the almighty gods, I think, will grant you forgiveness ...

Nemean lion

Lyrnean hydra

Stymphalian birds

Kerinean fallow deer

Erymanth boar

Augean stables

Cretan bull

Horses of diomedes

Hippolyta's Belt

Geryon's cows

Cerberus

Apples of the Hesperides

The myth of Hercules begins with his unusual birth. God the Thunderer Zeus had a penchant for earthly women. The beauty Alcmene, the wife of the king of Mycenae, liked him. Zeus tried to convince her to cheat on her husband with gentle speeches. 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 was hunting. 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 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 this was an illegitimate child. She postponed Alcmene's birth for the day. At the hour appointed by Zeus, Eurystheus was born. It was he who became the ruler of Mycenae, in whose service Hercules performed famous feats.

Myths about Hercules: 12 labors

Hera, having learned about the birth of the future hero, vowed to exterminate him. She sent two poisonous snakes to the cradle. But Hercules from birth showed strength and dexterity. He strangled the reptiles with his hands.

The myth of Hercules tells that later Hera sent madness to the hero. The man's mind was clouded when he played with his sons. He mistook children for monsters. When the fit of insanity 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 - at the very shores of Greece the god Hermes appeared to the hero. 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 a 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 sturdy hide withstood the blows of swords, arrows blunt against it.

A lion lived in the vicinity of the city of Nemea, destroying all living things 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 filled the exit from the lair with a huge boulder, while he 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 lion's skin. The sharp sword did not harm him. Then Hercules with his bare hands grabbed the monster by the throat and strangled him.

The hero returned to Mycenae victorious. 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 mission for the hero. In the poisonous swamp lurked a terrible monster - the Lernaean 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. As 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 his help to Hercules - he drove the hero to the poisonous swamp in his chariot. For a long time the hero fought with the hydra. But, having struck one head of the monster, Hercules saw two new ones appear in its place.

Helper Iolaus set fire to a nearby grove and began to burn the severed heads of the hydra. When Hercules cut off the last, immortal head, he buried it deep in the ground. From above, he rolled it over with a huge rock, so that the monster could never again appear on the ground.

The poisonous blood of the hydra impregnated Hercules with arrowheads. And then he returned to Mycenae, where a new assignment from Eurystheus awaited him.

Third feat

Myths about the exploits of Hercules indicate his strength, agility, speed. For more than a year, the hero chased the Kerinean deer to catch it - this was a new task for the ruler of Mycenae.

A beautiful fallow deer appeared in the vicinity of the Kerinean Mountains. Her horns sparkled with gold, and her hooves were cast in copper. The animal's skin sparkled in the sun. The Kerinean doe was created by the goddess of the hunt Artemis. She did this in reproach to people who exterminated flora and fauna.

The doe ran faster than the wind - it rushed, fleeing 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 in the leg of the animal. 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 made him serve Eurystheus. That he was not chasing a beautiful deer for himself. 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 see the familiar centaur Foul. They opened wine, had fun, sang songs. Other centaurs, attracted by the scent of the wine, armed themselves with stones and stakes, and claimed that the wine had been donated to the entire community. A fight ensued. Hercules put the centaurs to flight with his poison arrows.

Continuing on his way, the hero soon saw the Erymanth 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 shield with his sword. 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 Augeas was famous for his herds and stables. He fenced off the barnyard with a high hedge, because he was in fear around the clock that bulls and horses might be kidnapped. For days, Augeus tried to count the number of horses in the stables. But the herd was in motion, the horses moved, and the count had to start over.

The dirt accumulated from the horses filled all the stables. The smell from them was all over Arcadia, says myth 5. Hercules sent Eurystheus to clear the Augean stables of dung. The king thought that a strong and brave hero would disdain such a task.

Hercules realized that it was necessary to make a hole in the hedge. He broke the fence that surrounded the stables on both sides. The stream of the mountain river immediately washed away all the impurities.

The myth of Hercules briefly reports that after this feat, the hero made a sacrifice to the river god for unpleasant work. Then he rebuilt the fence and returned to Mycenae for a new assignment.

Sixth feat

Once, two huge birds appeared near the city of Stymphala, they tell the myths about Hercules. They had copper beaks and bronze feathers. Stymphalian birds have multiplied over time and formed a flock. They destroyed seedlings in the fields. They dropped their bronze feathers like arrows at everyone who came near them.

Hercules, before entering the battle, studied the habits of the creatures for a long time. He realized that by dropping feathers, birds become defenseless until new ones grow. The warrior goddess Athena appeared to Hercules and presented him with copper rattles. 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, however, took refuge under the shield from their onslaught. After the birds dropped all their feathers, the hero shot them with a bow. And those, which did not have time to get into, flew away from these places.

Seventh feat

What will the seventh myth about 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 a wondrous bull to King Minos so that the ruler would sacrifice it to the gods. But the king of Cretan liked the bull so much that he hid it in his herd. Poseidon learned about the king's deception. In anger, he struck the bull with madness. For a long time the monster rushed about, killing people in a frenzy, scattering herds.

Eurystheus, on a libel 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 its head to the ground. The animal sensed that the enemy was stronger. The Cretan bull stopped resisting. Then Hercules saddled him and drove into the sea. So, riding an animal, the hero returned to Arcadia.

The bull did not even try to throw Hercules off, calmly entered the stall of King Eurystheus. When the hero, tired after the new feat, went to bed, the ruler was afraid to keep the maddened bull and in fear set him free.

So the bull wandered around the outskirts of Arcadia until he was defeated by another hero of Hellas - Theseus.

Eighth feat

The myths about Hercules tell about the demonic horses of Diomedes. These carnivorous monsters devoured lost travelers. Seafarers who were killed were killed. When Hercules arrived in the country with an assistant, he immediately went in search of carnivorous horses. By neighing, he understood 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 apart 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 to let them go into the forest. There wild animals dealt with them.

Ninth feat

The 12 myths about Hercules are extremely interesting. They all 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 belt of Hippolyta. The daughter of Eurystheus Admet wanted to get it. She heard that Ares, the god of war, gave the belt to the queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta.

Hercules went on a journey with his companions. The Amazons greeted them amiably 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, having transformed into one of the Amazons, spread the rumor that Hercules wanted to sell them into slavery.

The warlike women believed the evil slander, and a battle 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 a battle with women, even if they were warriors.

Tenth feat

The tenth myth of 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 has come a long way. Defeated the son of the god Vulcan - the monster Kakusa. Later, the city of Rome was founded on the site of their battle.

In the green meadows of Erythia grazed the cows of Geryon, a giant with three bodies, three heads and three pairs of arms and legs. 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 a few blows of the club. Another victory was won by the hero.

Having sailed on a ship to Iberia, Hercules lay down to rest, letting the herd graze. With the first rays of the sun, he decided to drive the herd overland. The 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 flock and led him to the king Eurystheus. The latter sacrificed the cows to Hera, hoping to get rid of Hercules.

Eleventh feat

And again the long journey awaited the hero. Eurystheus sent Hercules for the golden apples of the Hesperides. They gave immortality and eternal youth. In the garden of the Hesperides, apples were guarded only by nymphs. And the garden itself was at the end of the earth, where Atlas held the firmament on his shoulders.

On the way to the end of the world, Hercules in the Caucasus mountains freed Prometheus. He fought with the son of the land of Gaia - Antaeus. Only by tearing the giant off the ground was the hero able to defeat him. Reaching 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 arch, Atlas returned. The giant really did not want to take on his shoulders an exorbitant weight again. The sly man offered Hercules to hold the sky for another while he himself reached Mycenae and gave the apples to the king. But our hero is not that stupid. He agreed, but on condition that the giant will hold the heavens, and Hercules, in the meantime, will make himself a grass pillow - it's a very heavy burden. Atlas believed and took his place, and the hero took the apples and returned home.

Twelfth feat

The last task of Eurystheus was the most difficult, according to the 12th myth. The exploits of Hercules (a brief summary of them is presented in this article) takes the reader to the amazing world of mythology of Ancient Greece, a world full of amazing adventures, powerful and insidious gods and strong, brave heroes. But we got distracted. So, 12 feat. Hercules was to go down to 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 of hell, blood froze in my veins.

Hercules went down to Hades 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 for Hercules to release the terrible monster 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.

Thirteenth feat and death of Hercules

Hellas legends say that there are 13 feats of Hercules. The myth has carried the story of the king of Thespia to this day. Hercules stayed in his house when he was hunting the Kyferon lion. Thespius worried that his daughters would choose ugly suitors for themselves, give birth to ugly grandchildren. The king invited Hercules 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 Deianira. They had many children. Once the couple were crossing a fast river. Deianira was transported by the centaur Nessus. He was seduced by the beauty of a woman and wanted to master her. Hercules hit him with a poisonous arrow. Experiencing terrible torment, Ness decided to take revenge on the hero. He persuaded Deianira to draw his blood. If Hercules stops loving her, you just need to soak his clothes with the blood of a centaur, and then the husband will not look at any woman again.

Deianira kept a vial with Nessus's gift. Returning from a military campaign, Hercules brought a young captive princess into the house. In a fit of jealousy, Deianera soaked her husband's clothes with blood. The poison quickly acted and began to deliver severe torment to Hercules, and there was no way 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.