Hercules' Labors

• Labor 1


  The Nemean Lion
• Labor 2


  The Lernean Hydra
• Labor 3


  The Cerynean Hind
• Labor 4


  The Erymanthian Boar
• Labor 5


  The Augean Stables
• Labor 6


  The Stymphalian Birds
• Hercules' first labor is to kill the Nemean lion, but he finds that arrows don't affect it at all because its skin is impenetrable. Hercules chases it into a cave, where he strangles it to death--then skins the lion with its own claws.
• Hercules' second labor is to kill the Lernean Hydra, but it has nine heads, one of which was immortal. Every time he tried to cut a head off, two more grew in its place. Hercules seeks help from Iolus, his nephew, who teaches him to burn the wound with fire before it grows back. He buries the last one under a rock. Hercules dips his arrows in the blood which was a poison--but Eurystheus doesn't count this labor since he had help
• Hercules' third labor is to capture the Cerynean Hind and bring it back alive, but this deer has bronze hoofs, golden antlers, and is sacred to Artemis. Hercules hunts the deer for an entire year, and gets frustrated so he shoots it with an arrows. On the way, he runs into Artemis and Apollo, who are upset, but Hercules explains the situation so Artemis heals the deer and lets him take it
• Hercules' fourth labor is to capture the Erymanthian Boar and bring it back alive, but this boar was huge and had an evil temper. On his way, Hercules runs across Pholus, a centaur friend, and drinks the centaurs' wine, causing them to throw rocks and trees at him. The boar isn't hard to find and Hercules eventually chases it into a snowdrift and catches it with his net
• Hercules' fifth labor is to clean the Stables of King Augeas in ONE day. Augeas owned more cattle than anyone else in Greece and kept them all in one large stable that hadn't been cleaned in over 30 years. Hercules tells Augeas that he will clean the stables if given a tenth of all the cattle, and diverts two rivers into the stables--cleaning them in a matter of hours. Augeas learns of Eurystheus' commands and refuses to hand over the cattle, and Eurystheus doesn't count the labor since it was done for payment
• Hercules' sixth labor is to kill the Stymphalian birds. These are man-eating birds with claws and beaks of bronze, using their feathers as arrows. Athena helps him, giving him a pair of bronze Krotala--to which he clangs together. The birds all fly up into the air, where he can shoot them at once
• Labor 7


  The Cretan Bull
• Labor 8


  The Mares of Diomedes
• Labor 9


  The Belt of Hippolyte
• Labor 10


  The Cattle of Geryon
• Labor 11


  The Apples of the Hesperides
• Labor 12


  Cerberus
• Hercules' seventh labor is to capture the Cretan Bull alive. The bull was sent to King Minos of Crete by Poseidon to be a sacrifice, but Minos liked it so much he kept it. Hercules easily captures the bull and takes it back to Eurystheus, who lets it go. It ravages the land until Theseus kills it
• Hercules' eighth labor is to capture horses owned by Diomedes. These horses were fed on human flesh and would viciously tear men apart. Hercules lays an ambush for Diomedes and his men, killing many of them; he feeds Diomedes to his own horses
• Hercules' ninth labor is to get the Belt of Hippolyte, an Amazon queen, because Eurystheus' daughter, Admete, wants a gift. The Amazons were a group of warrior women, fierce and powerful, who worked like mercenaries. Hippolyte agrees to give the belt to Hercules, but Hera disguised herself as an Amazon and made them attack him. Hercules, seeing the attack, kills Hippolyte and many other Amazons. On his way back to Greece, he saves Hesione, daughter of Laomedon of Troy, from being sacrificed to a sea monster
• Hercules' tenth labor is to bring back the Cattle of Geryon. The cattle is guarded by a two-headed dog, Ortus, and Geryon himself has three sets of legs and three torsos. While crossing the Libyan desert, Hercules gets hot and shoots arrows at the Sun. Hercules kills the guard dog and the herdman, as well as Geryon
• Hercules' eleventh labor is to get the apples of the Hesperides. The Hesperides are the daughters of Atlas and live far in the west, but Hercules doesn't know this and wanders for a long time. He finds Prometheus and releases him, earning information about where to find Atlas. Atlas is being punished by having to hold up the weight of the world. He says he will get the apples if Hercules holds up the heavens for a while. Upon return, Hercules asks for some help to put on padding to protect his shoulders and tricks Atlas back into taking the Heavens
• Hercules' twelfth labor is to bring Cerberus up from the underworld. Cerberus is Hades' guard dog and has three heads; Hades says if he can take the dog, he can take him. Hercules overpowers Cerberus and takes him to the surface. Other stories say Hercules is the first to show Cerberus kindness, so he willingly follows him