The Labors of Hercules are the twelve impossible tasks the Greek hero Heracles (called Hercules in Roman tradition) was ordered to perform for King Eurystheus of Tiryns as penance for killing his wife and children in a fit of madness sent by the goddess Hera. The canonical list, fixed in the fifth century BCE and followed by later writers like Apollodorus and Diodorus, is: slay the Nemean Lion, destroy the Lernaean Hydra, capture the Ceryneian Hind, capture the Erymanthian Boar, clean the Augean Stables in a single day, drive away the Stymphalian Birds, capture the Cretan Bull, capture the man-eating Mares of Diomedes, take the girdle of the Amazon queen Hippolyta, fetch the cattle of the three-bodied giant Geryon, steal the golden apples of the Hesperides, and bring the three-headed dog Cerberus up from the Underworld.
Background: Why Did Hercules Have to Do the Labors?
Heracles was the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene. Zeus’s wife Hera hated the child born of her husband’s affair and hounded him throughout his life. In a fit of madness sent by Hera, Heracles killed his own children (and in some versions his wife Megara as well). When he recovered and realised what he had done, he consulted the Oracle at Delphi, who told him he must serve his cousin Eurystheus, the king of Mycenae and Tiryns, for twelve years and perform whatever tasks the king set. The labors were originally ten, but Eurystheus refused to count the Hydra because Heracles had help from his nephew Iolaus, and the Augean Stables because he had been paid for the work. So two more tasks were added, bringing the total to twelve.
The 12 Labors in Order
- 1. Nemean Lion: A monstrous lion with an impenetrable hide terrorised the region of Nemea. Heracles strangled it with his bare hands, then used the lion’s own claws to skin it. He wore the pelt as armour ever after.
- 2. Lernaean Hydra: A many-headed serpent living in the swamps of Lerna. When one head was cut off, two grew back. Heracles’ nephew Iolaus cauterised each neck with a firebrand, preventing regrowth. The central head was immortal and was buried under a rock.
- 3. Ceryneian Hind: A sacred deer with golden antlers, sacred to Artemis. Heracles chased it for a full year before wounding it with an arrow and carrying it back. He convinced Artemis he needed it alive for his task and returned it after showing it to Eurystheus.
- 4. Erymanthian Boar: A giant boar that ravaged the slopes of Mount Erymanthos. Heracles drove it into deep snow, trapped it, and carried it back alive on his shoulders.
- 5. Augean Stables: King Augeas had thousands of cattle in stables that had not been cleaned in years. Heracles diverted the rivers Alpheus and Peneus to wash them out in a single day. Augeas refused to pay the agreed reward, which later became a separate grievance.
- 6. Stymphalian Birds: Man-eating birds with bronze beaks and feathers that infested Lake Stymphalus. Heracles used a bronze rattle (given by Athena) to startle them into flight and shot them down with arrows.
- 7. Cretan Bull: A bull that breathed fire and ravaged Crete. Heracles captured it and brought it back to Greece. Eurystheus wanted to sacrifice it to Hera, but she refused the offering, and the bull was released to roam Marathon.
- 8. Mares of Diomedes: The Thracian king Diomedes kept four man-eating horses. Heracles fed Diomedes to his own mares, which calmed them, and then drove them back to Eurystheus.
- 9. Girdle of Hippolyta: The Amazon queen Hippolyta wore a belt given by Ares. Heracles was sent to fetch it. In one version Hippolyta willingly gave it; in another, Hera stirred up a fight and Heracles killed her.
- 10. Cattle of Geryon: Geryon was a three-bodied giant who lived on the island Erytheia. Heracles killed him and his two-headed dog Orthrus, then drove the cattle back across Europe.
- 11. Apples of the Hesperides: Golden apples guarded by a hundred-headed dragon (Ladon) and the nymphs called Hesperides. Heracles tricked Atlas into fetching them while he held up the sky, then killed the dragon. In some versions he did it alone.
- 12. Cerberus: The three-headed dog guarding the gates of the Underworld. Heracles descended into Hades, wrestled Cerberus without weapons, and carried him up to Eurystheus, who was so terrified he hid in a jar.
How the Labors Were Completed: Methods and Help
Heracles rarely worked alone. His nephew Iolaus helped with the Hydra, Athena gave him the rattle for the Stymphalian Birds, and he had divine aid in various tasks. The labors also show a pattern: some required brute strength (the lion, the boar, the bull), others cunning (the hind, the stables, the apples), and some a combination of both. The tasks took him to the edges of the known world, from Crete to the Caucasus to the far west, which made the cycle a kind of geography of the ancient Greek imagination.
Common Misconceptions and Debated Details
One common mistake is thinking the labors were a punishment for murder alone. In ancient sources, the madness and the killings were the trigger, but the labors were also a way for Heracles to achieve immortality and atone. Another misconception is that Hercules was a purely Roman invention; in fact, the Greek hero Heracles was already fully developed, and the Romans adopted him with minor changes. The number of labors was not fixed until later; early vase paintings show only some of the tasks, and the order varied. The story of the Augean Stables being invalid because Heracles accepted payment is found in Apollodorus, but other authors do not mention it.
After the Labors: What Happened Next
After completing the twelve labors, Heracles was free, but his troubles were not over. He joined the Argonauts for part of their voyage, fought in the Trojan War (in some accounts), and had many other adventures. He eventually died after being poisoned by the centaur Nessus’s blood, and his mortal body was burned on a pyre. Zeus then brought him to Olympus, where he married Hebe, the goddess of youth, and lived among the gods. This apotheosis was the reward for his suffering and his labors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are there 12 labors if the original list had 10?
Eurystheus refused to count the Hydra because Iolaus helped, and the Augean Stables because Heracles had been paid. So he ordered two more: the apples of the Hesperides and Cerberus. This is the standard explanation given by Apollodorus in the Library.
Did Hercules really kill his family?
Yes, in the most common version. Hera sent a madness upon him, and in that state he killed his wife Megara and their children. This is the event that led to the labors. Some later authors, like Euripides in his play Heracles, say he killed them after the labors, but the canonical order is before.
What was the easiest labor?
Most ancient sources agree the Augean Stables was the least dangerous, since it involved no fighting a monster. But it was still a huge task, and Heracles used a clever trick with rivers. In contrast, the Nemean Lion and the Hydra were the most dangerous, and the apples and Cerberus required a descent into the Underworld.
Are the labors based on real events?
No, they are mythological. However, some scholars have suggested that the labors may have been inspired by real places and animals (like the Cretan bull or the horses of Diomedes), but there is no historical evidence for any of the feats. They are symbolic stories about heroism, atonement, and the human struggle against impossible odds.
Who was Eurystheus?
Eurystheus was the king of Tiryns and Mycenae, a cousin of Heracles. He was born before Heracles because Hera delayed Heracles’ birth and sped up Eurystheus’s, so that he would be the ruler. He was a cowardly and petty figure, often hiding in a bronze jar when Heracles brought him the monsters.
What is the moral of the labors?
The labors are often read as a story about redemption through suffering and service. Heracles, despite being the strongest man alive, had to humble himself and serve a lesser king. The tasks also show that intelligence and perseverance are as important as strength. In later philosophy, especially Stoicism, the labors became a metaphor for the trials of life and the pursuit of virtue.
Related
- Beowulf in Mythology: Origins and Truth
- Sigurd in Mythology: Norse Hero Explained
- Atalanta in Mythology: Huntress, Runner, and Heroine
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