HERACLES
I. THE TWELVE LABORS OF HERACLES
Heracles was commanded by the Delphic Oracle to perform twelve labors for King Eurystheus of Mycenae.
The images below are 2,500 year-old ancient Greek vase paintings.
BELT OF
HIPPOLYTE
II. THE MINOR LABORS OF HERACLES
Heracles had many other adventures in addition to the Twelve Labors. The Greeks called these minor labors the Parerga.
III. CULT OF HERACLES THE GOD
Heracles was worshipped throughout Greece in the classical age as a god.
A SELECTION OF CHARACTERS & CREATURES FROM THE MYTHS OF HERACLES
ACHELOUS (Akheloios) An Aetolian river-god. He was defeated by
Heracles in a wrestling match when the pair vied for the hand of Deianeira in marriage.
Time : After the Labours -- the Aetolian Campaigns
Location : Aetolia, Western Greece
ALCYONEUS (Alkyoneus) The king of the Thracian giants. He was
immortal within the bounds of his land, but Heracles incapacitated him with arrows and dragged him beyond the
border to die.
Time : After the Labours
Location : Pallene, Thrace
ANTAEUS (Antaios) A Libyan giant who drew his strength directly
from the earth. He challenged Heracles to a wrestling death match but was defeated when the hero lifted him from
the earth and crushed him.
Time : During the 11th Labour (the Hesperides)
Location : Libya, North Africa
ARETE and CACIA (Kakia) The goddesses of
virtue and vice. When Heracles was a young man they offered him a choice in life and he chose the path of
valour.
Time : Before the Labours
Location : Boeotia, Central Greece
ASCALAPHUS (Askalaphos) The orchadist of Hades who was buried
beneath a rock by the goddess Demeter. Heracles released him from his prison when he travelled to the underworld
in the quest for Cerberus.
Time : During the 12th Labour (Cerberus)
Location : The Underworld
ATLAS A Titan who was forced to hold the sky aloft. Heracles agreed to
take on the burden, if Atlas would fetch for him the Golden Apples of the Hesperides.
Time : During the 12th Labour (the Hesperides)
Location : Boeotia, Central Greece
AUGEAS (Augeias) A king of Elis who possessed an enormous herd of cattle.
Eurystheus commanded Heracles clean his stables which he did by diverting a river. However, Augeias denied him
payment, so after his labours were complete he led an army to conquer the country.
Time : (1) The 5th Labour ; (2) After the 12 Labours
Location : Elis, Southern Greece
BUSIRIS (Bousiris) A King of Egypt who sacrificed foreigners to the gods.
Heracles was captured but broke his bonds and slew the king.
Time : During the 11th Labour (the Hesperides)
Location : Egypt, North Africa
CACUS (Kakos) A fire-breathing giant of Latium. When Heracles was
returning to Greece with the cattle of Geryon, Cacus stole from the herd, and was slain by the hero.
Time : During the 10th Labour (Geryon's Cattle)
Location : Latium, Central Italy
CARCINUS (Karkinos) A giant crab which inhabited the swamps of Lerna. It
assisted the Hydra in the fight with Heracles, but was crushed beneath the hero's heel.
Time : During the 2nd Labour (Hydra)
Location : Argolis, Southern Greece
CAUCASIAN EAGLE (Aetos Kaukasios) A giant eagle which fed on the
ever-regenerating liver of the Prometheus. Heracles slew it and released the Titan from his chains.
Time : During the 11th Labour (Hesperian Apples)
Location : Caucasus Mountains, East of the Black Sea
CENTAURS (Kentauroi) A tribe of half-horse men who
inhabited the Arcadian mountain of Pholoe. When their brother Pholus was entertaining Heracles with wine, they
violently burst in on the feast, but were destroyed by the hero.
Time : During the 4th Labour (Erymanthian Boar)
Location : Elis-Arcadia, Southern Greece
CERBERUS (Kerberos) The hound of Hades who guarded the entrance to the
underworld. Heracles was sent to fetch the beast as one of his twelve labours, and captured it with the approval
of the goddess Persephone.
Time : The 12th Labour
Location : The Underworld
CERCOPES (Kerkopes) A pair of monkey-men bandits. Heracles captured
them in the service of Queen Omphale, but when they amused him with their jokes he let them go.
Time : After the Labours (in the Service of Omphale)
Location : Lydia, Anatolia
CERYNITIAN HIND (Elaphos Kerynitis) A golden horned deer which was
sacred to the goddess Artemis. Heracles was sent to capture it as one of his twelve labours.
Time : The 3rd Labour
Location : Arcadia, Southern Greece
CRETAN BULL (Tauros Kretaios) A giant white bull which ravage the
island of Crete. Heracles was sent to fetch it as the seventh of his labours.
Time : The 7th Labour
Location : Crete, Greek Aegean
CYCNUS (Kyknos) A bandit son of Ares who murdered travellers passing
through Itonus. Supported by the war-god, he challenged Heracles to combat, but was defeated.
Time : After the Labours -- the Thessalian Campaigns
Location : Phthiotis in Thessaly, Northern Greece
DIOMEDES A King of the Edonians of Thrace, who kept of herd of
man-eating mares. Heracles was sent to fetch these as one of his labours, slew the king, and fed him to the
horses.
Time : The 8th Labour
Location : Edonia, Thrace
ERYMANTHIAN BOAR (Hus Erymanthios) A giant boar which ravaged the
countryside around Mount Erymanthus. Heracles was sent to capture it alive as one of his twelve labours.
Time : The 4th Labour
Location : Arcadia, Southern Greece
ERYX A Sicilian king, the son of Aphrodite and Butes. When Heracles was
returning to Greece with the cattle of Geryon, Eryx stole the prize bull from the herd. Heracles defeated him in
a wrestling match and recovered the beast.
Time : The 10th Labour (Geryon's Cattle)
Location : Sicily, Southern Italy
EURYTION A centaur who coerced the Olenian king into letting
him marry his daughter Mnesimache. Heracles, however, arrived on the wedding day and slew the beast.
Time : After the Labours -- the Peloponnesian Campaigns
Location : Achaea, Southern Greece
GERAS The god of old age. He was defeated in a match by Heracles. (N.B. The
myth is recorded in Greek vase painting.)
Time : Unknown
Location : Unknown
GERYON (Geryones) A three-bodied giant who possessed a herd of
fabulous red-skinned cattle. Heracles was sent to fetch these as one of his labours, and slew the king.
Time : The 10th Labour
Location : Erythea, Western Ocean or Southern Spain
HEBE The goddess of youth, daughter of Zeus and Hera. She married Heracles
after he joined the company of the gods of heaven.
Time : After his Apotheosis
Location : Olympus, Home of the Gods
HESPERIAN DRAGON (Drakon Hesperios) A hundred-headed dragon which
guarded the golden apples of the Hesperides. Heracles slew it when he came in quest of the treasure.
Time : The 11th Labour
Location : Hesperia, Western Ocean or North-West Africa
HESPERIDES Three nymphs who tended the tree of the golden apples.
Heracles encountered them in his quest for the treasure.
Time : The 11th Labour
Location : Hesperia, Western Ocean or North-West Africa
HIPPOLYTE A queen of the Amazons, daughter of the war-god Ares. Heracles was sent to fetch her belt as one of
his twelve labours, and slew her in the battle which ensued.
Time : The 9th Labour
Location : Thermodon on the Black Sea, Anatolia
HYDRA A nine headed serpent which haunted the swamps of Lerna. For every
head that was cut off the Hydra grew two more. Eurystheus commanded Heracles to destroy it.
Time : The 2nd Labour
Location : Argolis, Southern Greece
LEPREUS A prince of the town of Lepreum in Elis who challenged Heracles to
a series of contests, including eating, drinking and bailing water. He was defeated in each endeavour and,
taking up arms against the hero, was slain.
Time : After the Labours -- the Peloponnesian Campaigns
Location : Pylos-Elis, Southern Greece
MAEONIAN DRAGON (Drakon Maionios) A giant serpent which terrorized
the region around Sagaris. It was slain by Heracles in the service of Queen Omphale.
Time : After the Labours -- in the Service of Omphale
Location : Lydia, Anatolia
MOLIONIDAE (Molionidai) Saimese twins who repelled Heracles' invasion of
Elis, but were later ambushed and slain by the hero.
Time : After the Labours -- the Peloponnesian Campaigns
Location : Elis, Southern Greece
MENOETES (Menoites) The herdsman of Hades. Heracles wrestled him in
the underworld and broke his ribs.
Time : During the 12th Labour (Cerberus)
Location : The Underworld
NEMEAN LION (Leon Nemeios) A huge lion which terrorized the region
around Nemea. Heracles was sent to destroy it by Eurystheus as the first of his twelve labours, and because the
creature was impervious to weapons, he wrestled with the beast and throttled it to death.
Time : The 1st Labour
Location : Argolis, Southern Greece
NESSUS (Nessos) A centaur who ferried passengers across the
River Evenus. Heracles entrusted his wife Deianeira to the centaur, but he attempted to rape the woman and was
shot dead by the hero.
Time : After the Labours -- between the Aetolian and Thessalian Campaigns
Location : Ozolean Locris, Central Greece
ORTHRUS (Orthros) A two-headed dog which guarded the cattle of Geryon.
It was slain by Heracles when he came to fetch the cattle.
Time : During the 10th Labour (Geryon)
Location : Erytheia, Western Ocean or Southern Spain
PERICLYMENUS (Periklymenos) A shape-shifting prince of Pylos who
challenged Heracles in battle when he invaded the kingdom.
Time : After the Labours -- the Peloponnesian Campaigns
Location : Pylos, Southern Greece
PHOLUS (Pholos) A centaur who inhabited Arcadian Mount Pholoe.
When Heracles was hunting the Erymanthian Boar, Pholus hospitably entertained him in his cave. However, during
an attack by the other centaurs, he dropped a poison arrow on his foot and died.
Time : During the 4th Labour (Erymanthian Boar)
Location : Elis-Arcadia, Southern Greece
PYRAECHMES (Pyraikhmes) A king of Euboea who made war on Boeotia.
He was vanquished by Heracles who had him bound to his own horses and torn apart.
Time : Before the Labours -- Youth in Boeotia
Location : Boeotia, Central Greece
SAURUS (Sauros) A bandit who plagued the Elean Ridge of Saurus slain by
Heracles.
Time : During the 4th Labour (Erymanthian Boar)
Location : Elis-Arcadia, Southern Greece
SCYTHIAN DRACAENA (Drakaina Skythia) A snake-tailed woman of the
Scythian forests. When Heracles was passing through the region she stole his horses, and agreed to return them
only if he slept with her.
Time : During the 10th Labour (Geryon)
Location : Hylaea, Scythia
SOSTRATUS (Sostratos) A youth of the Achaean town of Dyme loved by
Heracles. He died young and was buried by the hero outside the town.
Time : After the Labours -- the Peloponnesian Campaigns
Location : Elis-Achaea, Southern Greece
STYMPHALIAN BIRDS (Ornithes Stymphalides) A flock of rapacious
birds inhabiting lake Stymphalus. Heracles was sent to destroy them as one of his labours.
Time : The 6th Labour
Location : Arcadia, Southern Greece
THANATUS (Thanatos) The god of death. Heracles defeated him in a
wrestling match when he came to fetch Alcestis to the Underworld.
Time : After the Labours -- the Thessalian Campaigns
Location : Phthiotis in Thessaly, Northern Greece
TROJAN SEA-MONSTER (Ketos Troias) A monster sent by Poseidon to ravage
the kingdom of Troy. King Laomedon offered his daughter as a sacrifice to the beast, but Heracles rescued her
and despatched the creature.
Time : During the Voyage of the Argo OR during the 9th Labour (Hippolyte)
Location : Troy, Anatolia
