Who was saved by Hercules from the sea monster. Myths about Hercules. The twelfth feat. Golden apples of the Hesperides

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

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

The first feat of Hercules (summary)

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

The second feat of Hercules (summary)

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

The third feat of Hercules (summary)

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

The fourth feat of Hercules (summary)

The fourth feat of Hercules - Keriney doe

The fifth feat of Hercules (summary)

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

The sixth feat of Hercules (summary)

The king of Elis, Avgiy, the son of the sun god Helios, received from his father numerous herds of white and red bulls. His huge barnyard has not been cleared for 30 years. Hercules offered to clear the stall for a day for Augeas, asking for a tenth of his herds in return. Considering that the hero could not cope with the work in one day, Avgiy agreed. Hercules blocked the rivers Alpheus and Peneus with a dam and diverted their water to the barnyard of Avgii - all the manure was washed away from it in a day.

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

The seventh feat of Hercules (summary)

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

The eighth feat of Hercules (summary)

The Thracian king Diomedes owned horses of marvelous beauty and strength, which could only be kept in a stall with iron chains. Diomedes fed his horses with human meat, killing strangers who came to him. Hercules led the horses by force and defeated Diomedes, who rushed in pursuit, in battle. During this time, the horses tore to pieces the companion of Hercules, Abder, who guarded them on the ships.

The ninth feat of Hercules (summary)

The queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta, wore a belt given to her by the god Ares as a sign of her power. The daughter of Eurystheus, Admet, wished to have this belt. Hercules with a detachment of heroes sailed to the kingdom of the Amazons, to the shores of Pontus Euxinus (Black Sea). Hippolyta, at the request of Hercules, wanted to give the belt voluntarily, but other Amazons attacked the hero and killed several of his companions. Hercules slew the seven strongest warriors in battle and put their army to flight. Hippolyta gave him the belt as a ransom for the captured Amazon Melanippe.

On the way back from the country of the Amazons, Hercules saved Hesion at the walls of Troy, the daughter of the Trojan king Laomendont, doomed, like Andromeda, to sacrifice to the sea monster. Hercules killed the monster, but Laomedon did not give him the promised reward - the horses of Zeus belonging to the Trojans. For this, Hercules a few years later made a trip to Troy, took it and killed the whole family of Laomedont, leaving only one of his sons, Priam, alive. Priam ruled Troy during the glorious Trojan War.

The tenth feat of Hercules (summary)

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

Having killed the guards of Geryon - the giant Eurytion and the two-headed dog Orfo - Hercules captured the cows and drove them to the sea. But then Gerion himself rushed at him, covering his three bodies with three shields and throwing three spears at once. However, Hercules shot him with a bow and finished him off with a club, and he transported the cows on the boat of Helios across the Ocean. On the way to Greece, one of the cows ran away from Hercules to Sicily. To free her, the hero had to kill the Sicilian king Eriks in a duel. Then Hera, hostile to Hercules, sent rabies to the herd, and the cows that fled from the shores of the Ionian Sea were barely caught in Thrace. Eurystheus, having received the cows of Geryon, sacrificed them to Hera.

Eleventh feat of Hercules (summary)

By order of Eurystheus, Hercules descended through the abyss of Tenar into the gloomy kingdom of the god of the dead Hades, in order to take away his guard from there - the three-headed dog Cerberus, whose tail ended in the head of a dragon. At the very gates of the underworld, Hercules freed the Athenian hero Theseus, who, along with his friend Perifoy, was punished by the gods for trying to steal his wife Persephone from Hades. In the realm of the dead, Hercules met the shadow of the hero Meleager, whom he promised to become the protector of his lonely sister Dejanira and marry her. The lord of the underworld, Hades, himself allowed Hercules to take Cerberus away - but only if the hero manages to tame him. Finding Cerberus, Hercules began to fight him. He half strangled the dog, pulled him out of the ground and brought him to Mycenae. The cowardly Eurystheus, at one glance at the terrible dog, began to beg Hercules to take her back, which he did.

Eleventh Labor of Hercules - Cerberus

The twelfth feat of Hercules (summary)

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

Hercules fighting Antaeus. Artist O. Coudet, 1819

Photo - Jastrow

Atlas himself went to his garden for three golden apples, but Hercules at that time needed to hold the vault of heaven for him. Atlas wanted to deceive Hercules: he offered to personally take the apples to Eurystheus, provided that at that time Hercules would continue to hold the sky for him. But the hero, realizing that the cunning titan would not return, did not give in to deception. Hercules asked Atlas to change him under the sky for a short rest, and he took the apples and left.

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

Other exploits of Hercules

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

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

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

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

Death of Hercules

Following this, Hercules set off on a campaign against King Eurytus, who insulted him. Having defeated Eurytus, Hercules captured his daughter, the beautiful Iola, whom he was supposed to receive even after the previous competition with her father in archery. Upon learning that Hercules was going to marry Iola, Dejanira, in an attempt to return her husband's love, sent him a cloak soaked in the blood of the centaur Ness soaked in the poison of the Lernean hydra. As soon as Hercules put on this cloak, he stuck to his body. The poison penetrated the skin of the hero and began to cause terrible torment. Dejanira, having learned about her mistake, committed suicide. This myth became the plot of the tragedy of Sophocles "Trachinian"

Realizing that death was near, Hercules ordered that his eldest son, Gill, take him to the Thessalian mountain Eta and lay a funeral pyre there. Hercules gave his bow with poisoned arrows to the hero Philoctetes, a future participant in the Trojan War, who agreed to set fire to the flame.

As soon as the fire caught fire, the gods Athena and Hermes descended from the sky in thunder and lightning, who carried Hercules to Olympus in a golden chariot. Hercules married there the eternally young goddess Hebe and was accepted into the host of immortals.

After the death of Hercules, the cowardly Eurystheus began to persecute his children (Heraclides). They had to take refuge in Athens, with the son of Theseus, Demophon. The army of Eurystheus invaded the Athenian land, but was defeated by an army led by the eldest son of Hercules, Gill. The Heraclids became the ancestors of one of the four main branches of the Greek people - the Dorians. Three generations after Gylus, the Dorian invasion of the south culminated in the conquest of the Peloponnese, which the Heraclides considered the legitimate heritage of their father, treacherously taken from him by the cunning of the goddess Hera. In news of the captures of the Dorians, legends and myths are already mixed with memories of genuine historical events.

One day, the evil Hera sent a terrible disease to Hercules. The great hero lost his mind, madness took possession of him. In a fit of rage, Hercules killed all his children and the children of his brother Iphicles. When the attack passed, deep grief seized Hercules. Purified from the filth of the involuntary murder he had committed, Hercules left Thebes and went to the sacred Delphi to ask the god Apollo what to do. Apollo ordered Hercules to go to the homeland of his ancestors in Tiryns and serve Eurystheus for twelve years. Through the mouth of the Pythia, the son of Latona predicted to Hercules that he would receive immortality if he performed the twelve great labors at the command of Eurystheus. Hercules settled in Tiryns and became the servant of the weak, cowardly Eurystheus...

First Labor: Nemean Lion

Hercules did not have to wait long for the first order of King Eurystheus. He instructed Hercules to kill the Nemean lion. This lion, begotten by Typhon and Echidna, was of monstrous size. He lived near the city of Nemea and devastated all the surroundings. Hercules boldly set out on a dangerous feat. Arriving in Nemea, he immediately went to the mountains to find the lion's lair. It was already noon when the hero reached the slopes of the mountains. There was not a single living soul to be seen anywhere: neither shepherds nor farmers. All living things fled from these places in fear of the terrible lion. Hercules searched for a long time on the wooded slopes of the mountains and in the gorges of the lion's lair, finally, when the sun began to lean towards the west, Hercules found the lair in the gloomy gorge; it was in a huge cave, which had two exits. Hercules blocked one of the exits with huge stones and began to wait for the lion, hiding behind the stones. Toward evening, when dusk was already approaching, a monstrous lion with a long, shaggy mane appeared. Hercules pulled the string of his bow and fired three arrows at the lion one after another, but the arrows bounced off his skin - it was hard as steel. The lion roared menacingly, his growl rolled like thunder through the mountains. Looking around in all directions, the lion stood in the gorge and searched with eyes burning with rage for the one who dared to shoot arrows at him. But then he saw Hercules and rushed at the hero with a huge jump. Like lightning, the club of Hercules flashed and fell like a thunderbolt on the head of a lion. The lion fell to the ground, stunned by a terrible blow; Hercules rushed at the lion, grabbed him with his mighty arms and strangled him. Having shouldered a dead lion on his mighty shoulders, Hercules returned to Nemea, sacrificed to Zeus and established the Nemean games in memory of his first feat. When Hercules brought the lion he had killed to Mycenae, Eurystheus turned pale with fear, looking at the monstrous lion. King Mycenae realized what superhuman strength Hercules possesses. He forbade him even to approach the gates of Mycenae; when Hercules brought evidence of his exploits, Eurystheus looked with horror at them from the high Mycenaean walls.

Second Labor: Lernaean Hydra

After the first feat, Eurystheus sent Hercules to kill the Lernean hydra. It was a monster with the body of a snake and nine heads of a dragon. Like the Nemean lion, the hydra was spawned by Typhon and Echidna. The hydra lived in a swamp near the city of Lerna and, crawling out of its lair, destroyed entire herds and devastated all the surroundings. The fight against the nine-headed hydra was dangerous because one of its heads was immortal. Hercules set out on his journey to Lerna with Iphicles' son Iolaus. Arriving at the swamp near the city of Lerna, Hercules left Iolaus with a chariot in a nearby grove, and he himself went to look for the hydra. He found her in a cave surrounded by a swamp. Having red-hot his arrows, Hercules began to let them go one by one into the hydra. The hydra was enraged by the arrows of Hercules. She crawled out, wriggling her body covered with shiny scales, from the darkness of the cave, rose menacingly on her huge tail and already wanted to rush at the hero, but the son of Zeus stepped on her body with his foot and crushed her to the ground. With its tail, the hydra wrapped itself around the legs of Hercules and tried to knock him down. Like an unshakable rock, the hero stood and, with a wave of a heavy club, knocked down the heads of the hydra one after another. Like a whirlwind, a club whistled through the air; the heads of the hydra flew off, but the hydra was still alive. Then Hercules noticed that in the hydra, two new ones grow in place of each knocked down head. The help of the hydra also appeared. A monstrous cancer crawled out of the swamp and dug its tongs into Hercules' leg. Then the hero called his friend Iolaus for help. Iolaus killed the monstrous cancer, set fire to a part of the nearby grove and burned the necks of the hydra with burning tree trunks, from which Hercules knocked down their heads with his club. New heads have ceased to grow from the hydra. Weaker and weaker she resisted the son of Zeus. Finally, the immortal head flew off the hydra. The monstrous hydra was defeated and collapsed dead to the ground. The conqueror Hercules buried her immortal head deeply and piled a huge rock on it so that it could not come out into the light again. Then the great hero cut the body of the hydra and plunged his arrows into her poisonous bile. Since then, the wounds from the arrows of Hercules have become incurable. With great triumph Hercules returned to Tiryns. But there, a new assignment from Eurystheus awaited him.

Third Labor: The Stymphalian Birds

Eurystheus instructed Hercules to kill the Stymphalian birds. Almost all the neighborhoods of the Arcadian city of Stimfal turned these birds into the desert. They attacked both animals and people and tore them apart with their copper claws and beaks. But the most terrible thing was that the feathers of these birds were made of hard bronze, and the birds, having taken off, could drop them, like arrows, on the one who would take it into his head to attack them. It was difficult for Hercules to fulfill this order of Eurystheus. The warrior Pallas Athena came to his aid. She gave Hercules two copper tympanums, the god Hephaestus forged them, and ordered Hercules to stand on a high hill near the forest where the Stymphalian birds nested and strike the tympanums; when the birds take off - shoot them with a bow. So did Hercules. Climbing up the hill, he struck the tympanum, and such a deafening sound arose that the birds flew over the forest in a huge flock and began to circle in horror over it. They rained down their feathers, sharp as arrows, on the ground, but the feathers did not fall into Hercules standing on the hill. The hero grabbed his bow and began to strike the birds with deadly arrows. In fear, the Stymphalian birds soared beyond the clouds and disappeared from the eyes of Hercules. The birds flew away far beyond the borders of Greece, to the shores of the Euxine Pontus, and never again returned to the vicinity of Stymphalus. So Hercules fulfilled this order of Eurystheus and returned to Tiryns, but he immediately had to go on an even more difficult feat.

Fourth feat: Keriney doe

Eurystheus knew that a wonderful Kerinean doe lives in Arcadia, sent by the goddess Artemis to punish people. This deer devastated the fields. Eurystheus sent Hercules to catch her and ordered him to deliver the doe to Mycenae alive. This deer was extraordinarily beautiful, her horns were golden, and her legs were copper. Like the wind, she rushed through the mountains and valleys of Arcadia, never knowing fatigue. For a whole year, Hercules pursued the Kerinean doe. She rushed through the mountains, through the plains, jumped over the abyss, swam across the rivers. Farther and farther north ran the doe. The hero did not lag behind her, he pursued her, not losing sight of her. Finally, Hercules reached the extreme north in pursuit of the pad - the country of the Hyperboreans and the sources of Istra. Here the deer stopped. The hero wanted to grab her, but she slipped away and, like an arrow, rushed back to the south. The chase began again. Hercules managed only in Arcadia to overtake a doe. Even after such a long chase, she did not lose her strength. Desperate to catch a doe, Hercules resorted to his arrows that did not know a miss. He wounded the golden-horned doe with an arrow in the leg, and only then did he manage to catch it. Hercules shouldered a wonderful doe on his shoulders and was about to carry it to Mycenae, when an angry Artemis appeared before him and said: “Didn’t you know, Hercules, that this doe is mine? Why did you insult me by hurting my beloved doe? Don't you know that I do not forgive insults? Or do you think that you are more powerful than the Olympian gods? With reverence, Hercules bowed before the beautiful goddess and answered: - Oh, the great daughter of Latona, do not blame me! I have never offended the immortal gods living on the bright Olympus; I always honored the celestials with rich sacrifices and never considered myself equal to them, although I myself am the son of Zeus the Thunderer. I did not pursue your doe of my own free will, but at the command of Eurystheus. The gods themselves commanded me to serve him, and I dare not disobey Eurystheus! Artemis forgave Hercules for his guilt. The great son of the Thunderer Zeus brought the Kerinean fallow deer alive to Mycenae and gave it to Eurystheus.

Fifth feat: Erymanthus boar and the battle with the centaurs

After hunting for a copper-footed doe, which lasted a whole year, Hercules did not rest long. Eurystheus again gave him a commission: Hercules was supposed to kill the Erymanthian boar. This boar, possessing monstrous strength, lived on Mount Erimanthe and devastated the surroundings of the city of Psofis. He did not give mercy to people either and killed them with his huge fangs. Hercules went to Mount Erimanfu. On the way, he visited the wise centaur Fall. Phol accepted the great son of Zeus with honor and arranged a feast for him. During the feast, the centaur opened a large vessel of wine to treat the hero better. The fragrance of marvelous wine wafted far away. Heard this fragrance and other centaurs. They were terribly angry with Phol because he opened the vessel. Wine belonged not only to Foul, but was the property of all centaurs. The centaurs rushed to Fall's dwelling and attacked him and Hercules by surprise, when the two of them were feasting merrily, decorating their heads with wreaths of ivy. Hercules was not afraid of the centaurs. He quickly jumped up from his bed and began to throw huge smoking brands at the attackers. The centaurs fled, and Hercules wounded them with his poisonous arrows. The hero pursued them all the way to Malea. There the centaurs took refuge with a friend of Hercules, Chiron, the wisest of the centaurs. Following them, Hercules burst into the cave. In anger, he pulled his bow, an arrow flashed in the air and pierced the knee of one of the centaurs. Hercules did not strike the enemy, but his friend Chiron. Great grief seized the hero when he saw whom he had wounded. Hercules hurries to wash and bandage his friend's wound, but nothing can help. Hercules knew that the wound from the arrow, poisoned by the bile of the hydra, was incurable. Chiron also knew that he was in danger of a painful death. In order not to suffer from a wound, he subsequently voluntarily descended into the gloomy kingdom of Hades. In deep sadness, Hercules left Chiron and soon reached Mount Erimanth. There, in a dense forest, he found a formidable boar and drove him out of the thicket with a cry. Hercules pursued the boar for a long time, and finally drove him into deep snow on the top of the mountain. The boar got stuck in the snow, and Hercules, rushing at him, tied him up and carried him alive to Mycenae. When Eurystheus saw the monstrous boar, he hid in a large bronze vessel out of fear.

The sixth feat: Animal farm of king Avgiy

Soon, Eurystheus gave a new assignment to Hercules. He had to clear the entire barnyard of Avgius, the king of Elis, the son of the radiant Helios, from manure. The sun god gave his son innumerable riches. The flocks of Avgeas were especially numerous. Among his herds there were three hundred bulls with snow-white legs, two hundred bulls were red like Sidon purple, twelve bulls dedicated to the god Helios were white like swans, and one bull, distinguished by its extraordinary beauty, shone like a star. Hercules suggested that Augeas clean up his entire vast barnyard in one day, if he agrees to give him a tenth of his herds. Augius agreed. It seemed impossible for him to do such a job in one day. Hercules, on the other hand, broke the wall that surrounded the barnyard from two opposite sides, and diverted the water of two rivers, Alpheus and Peneus, into it. The water of these rivers in one day carried away all the manure from the barnyard, and Hercules again laid down the walls. When the hero came to Avgiy to demand a reward, the proud king did not give him the promised tenth of the herds, and Heracles had to return to Tiryns with nothing. The great hero took terrible revenge on the king of Elis. A few years later, already freed from the service of Eurystheus, Hercules invaded Elis with a large army, defeated Avgius in a bloody battle and killed him with his deadly arrow. After the victory, Hercules gathered an army and all the rich booty near the city of Pisa, made sacrifices to the Olympic gods and established the Olympic Games, which since then have been celebrated by all Greeks every four years on the sacred plain planted by Hercules himself dedicated to the goddess Pallas Athena. The Olympic Games are the most important of all Greek festivities, during which universal peace was declared throughout Greece. A few months before the games, ambassadors were sent throughout Greece and the Greek colonies, inviting them to the games at Olympia. Games were held every four years. There were competitions in running, wrestling, fisticuffs, discus and spear throwing, as well as chariot races. The winners of the games received an olive wreath as a reward and enjoyed great honor. The Greeks kept track of the Olympic Games, considering the first to take place in 776 BC. e. There were Olympic Games until 393 AD. e., when they were banned by the emperor Theodosius as incompatible with Christianity. After 30 years, Emperor Theodosius II burned the temple of Zeus at Olympia and all the luxurious buildings that adorned the place where the Olympic Games took place. They turned into ruins and were gradually covered by the sand of the Alfea River. Only excavations carried out at the site of Olympia in the 19th century. n. e., mainly from 1875 to 1881, gave us the opportunity to get an accurate idea of \u200b\u200bthe former Olympia and the Olympic Games. Hercules took revenge on all the allies of Avgius. The king of Pylos, Neleus, paid especially. Hercules, having come with an army to Pylos, took the city and killed Neleus and his eleven sons. The son of Neleus, Periklimen, was not saved either, to whom Poseidon, the ruler of the sea, gave the gift of turning into a lion, a snake and a bee. Hercules killed him when, turning into a bee, Periclymenes mounted one of the horses harnessed to Hercules' chariot. Only Neleus' son Nestor survived. Subsequently, Nestor became famous among the Greeks for his exploits and great wisdom.

Seventh feat: Cretan bull

To fulfill the seventh order of Eurystheus, Hercules had to leave Greece and go to the island of Crete. Eurystheus instructed him to bring a Cretan bull to Mycenae. This bull was sent to the king of Crete by Minos, the son of Europe, Poseidon, the shaker of the earth; Minos was supposed to sacrifice a bull to Poseidon. But Minos is sorry to sacrifice such a beautiful bull - he left him in his herd, and sacrificed one of his bulls to Poseidon. Poseidon was angry with Minos and sent rabies on the bull that came out of the sea. A bull rushed all over the island and destroyed everything in its path. The great hero Hercules caught the bull and tamed it. He sat on the broad back of a bull and swam on it across the sea from Crete to the Peloponnese. Hercules brought the bull to Mycenae, but Eurystheus was afraid to leave the bull of Poseidon in his herd and set him free. Sensing freedom again, a mad bull rushed through the entire Peloponnese to the north and finally ran to Attica on the Marathon field. There he was killed by the great Athenian hero Theseus.

Eighth Labor: Horses of Diomedes

After taming the Cretan bull, Hercules, on behalf of Eurystheus, had to go to Thrace to the king of the bistones, Diomedes. This king had marvelous beauty and strength of horses. They were chained with iron chains in their stalls, since no fetters could hold them. King Diomedes fed these horses with human meat. He threw them to be eaten by all the foreigners who, driven by the storm, stuck to his city. It was to this Thracian king that Hercules appeared with his companions. He took possession of the horses of Diomedes and took them to his ship. Diomedes himself overtook Hercules on the shore with his warlike bistones. Entrusting the protection of the horses to his beloved Abder, the son of Hermes, Hercules entered into battle with Diomedes. Hercules had few companions, but Diomedes was still defeated and fell in battle. Hercules returned to the ship. How great was his despair when he saw that the wild horses had torn to pieces his beloved Abder. Hercules arranged a magnificent funeral for his favorite, poured a high hill on his grave, and next to the grave he founded a city and named it Abdera in honor of his favorite. Hercules brought the horses of Diomedes to Eurystheus, and he ordered them to be released into the wild. The wild horses fled to the mountains of Lycaion, covered with dense forest, and were there torn to pieces by wild beasts.

Hercules at Admetus

Mainly based on the tragedy of Euripides "Alcestis"
When Hercules sailed on a ship across the sea to the shores of Thrace for the horses of King Diomedes, he decided to visit his friend, King Admet, since the path lay past the city of Ther, where Admet ruled.
Hercules chose a difficult time for Admetus. Great grief reigned in the house of King Fer. His wife Alcestis was to die. Once the goddesses of fate, the great moiras, at the request of Apollo, determined that Admet could get rid of death if, in the last hour of his life, someone agreed to voluntarily descend instead of him into the gloomy kingdom of Hades. When the hour of death came, Admet asked his elderly parents that one of them agreed to die in his place, but the parents refused. None of the inhabitants of Fer agreed to die voluntarily for King Admet. Then the young, beautiful Alcestis decided to sacrifice her life for her beloved husband. On the day when Admet was to die, his wife prepared for death. She washed the body and put on burial clothes and ornaments. Approaching the hearth, Alcestis turned to the goddess Hestia, who gives happiness in the house, with an ardent prayer:
- Oh, great goddess! For the last time I kneel here before you. I pray you, protect my orphans, because today I must descend into the kingdom of gloomy Hades. Oh, do not let them die, as I die, untimely! May their life here, at home, be happy and rich.
Then Alcestis went around all the altars of the gods and decorated them with myrtle.
Finally, she went to her chambers and fell into tears on her bed. Her children came to her - a son and a daughter. They sobbed bitterly at their mother's breasts. The maids of Alcestis also wept. In desperation, Admet embraced his young wife and begged her not to leave him. Already ready for the death of Alcestis; the god of death Tanat, hated by the gods and people, is already approaching with inaudible steps to the palace of Tsar Fer, in order to cut a lock of hair from the head of Alcestis with a sword. The golden-haired Apollo himself asked him to postpone the hour of death of the wife of his beloved Admet, but Tanat is inexorable. Alcestis feels the approach of death. She exclaims in horror:
“Oh, the two-oared boat of Charon is already approaching me, and the carrier of the souls of the dead shouts menacingly to me, driving the boat: “Why are you delaying? Hurry, hurry! Don’t wait for time! Don’t delay us. Everything is ready! Oh let me go! My legs are getting weak. Death is coming. Black night covers my eyes! Oh children, children! Your mother is no longer alive! Live happily! Admet, your life was dearer to me than my own life. Let the sun shine on you, not on me. Admet, you love our children as much as I do. Oh, do not take a stepmother into their house, so that she does not offend them!
The unfortunate Admet suffers.
- You take all the joy of life with you, Alcestis! - he exclaims, - all my life now I will grieve for you. Oh, gods, gods, what a wife you are taking from me!
Alcestis says in a barely audible voice:
- Goodbye! My eyes have already closed. Farewell, children! Now I am nothing. Farewell, Admet!
- Oh, look again at least once! Don't leave the kids! Oh, let me die too! Admet exclaimed with tears.
Alcestis' eyes closed, her body grows cold, she died. Weeps inconsolably over the dead Admet and bitterly complains about his fate. He tells his wife to prepare a magnificent funeral. For eight months he orders everyone in the city to mourn for Alcestis, the best of women. The whole city is full of sorrow, as everyone loved the good queen.
They were already preparing to carry the body of Alcestis to her tomb, as Hercules comes to the city of Thera. He goes to the palace of Admetus and meets his friend at the gates of the palace. With honor Admet met the great son of the auspicious Zeus. Not wanting to sadden the guest, Admet tries to hide his grief from him. But Hercules immediately noticed that his friend was deeply saddened, and asked about the reason for his grief. Admet gives an unclear answer to Hercules, and he decides that Admet's distant relative died, whom the king sheltered after the death of his father. Admet orders his servants to take Hercules to the guest room and arrange a rich feast for him, and lock the doors to the female half so that groans of grief do not reach Hercules' ears. Unaware of the misfortune that befell his friend, Hercules feasts merrily in the palace of Admetus. He drinks cup after cup. It is hard for servants to wait on a cheerful guest - because they know that their beloved mistress is no longer alive. No matter how hard they try, on the orders of Admet, to hide their grief, yet Hercules notices tears in their eyes and sadness on their faces. He calls one of the servants to feast with him, says that the wine will give him oblivion and smooth out the wrinkles of sadness on his forehead, but the servant refuses. Then Hercules guesses that grievous grief befell the house of Admet. He starts asking the servant what happened to his friend, and finally the servant tells him:
- Oh, stranger, Admet's wife descended today into the kingdom of Hades.
Heracles was saddened. It hurt him that he feasted in a wreath of ivy and sang in the house of a friend who suffered such great grief. Hercules decided to thank the noble Admet for the fact that, despite the grief that befell him, he nevertheless received him so hospitably. The decision quickly matured in the great hero to take away from the gloomy god of death Tanat his prey - Alcestis.
Having learned from the servant where the tomb of Alcestis is located, he hurries there as soon as possible. Hiding behind the tomb, Hercules is waiting for Tanat to fly in to get drunk at the grave of sacrificial blood. Here the flapping of the black wings of Tanat was heard, there was a breath of grave cold; the gloomy god of death flew to the tomb and greedily pressed his lips to the sacrificial blood. Hercules jumped out of the ambush and rushed to Tanat. He seized the god of death with his mighty hands, and a terrible struggle began between them. Straining all his strength, Hercules fights with the god of death. Tanat squeezed the chest of Hercules with his bony hands, he breathes his chilling breath on him, and from his wings the cold of death blows on the hero. Nevertheless, the mighty son of the Thunderer Zeus defeated Tanat. He tied Tanat and demanded as a ransom for freedom that the god of death be returned to life by Alcestis. Tanat gave Hercules the life of Admet's wife, and the great hero led her back to her husband's palace.
Admet, returning to the palace after the funeral of his wife, bitterly mourned his irreplaceable loss. It was hard for him to stay in the deserted palace, Where should he go? He envies the dead. He hates life. He calls death. Tanat stole all his happiness and took him to the kingdom of Hades. What could be harder for him than the loss of his beloved wife! Admet regrets that she did not allow Alcestis to die with her, then their death would have united them. Hades would have received two faithful souls instead of one. Together these souls of Acheron would have crossed. Suddenly, Hercules appeared before the mournful Admet. He leads by the hand a woman covered with a veil. Hercules asks Admet to leave this woman, which he inherited after a hard struggle, in the palace until he returns from Thrace. Admet refuses; he asks Hercules to take the woman to someone else. It is hard for Admet to see another woman in his palace when he lost the one he loved so much. Hercules insists and even wants Admet to bring a woman into the palace himself. He does not allow the servants of Admet to touch her. Finally, Admet, unable to refuse his friend, takes the woman by the hand to lead her into his palace. Hercules tells him:
- You took it, Admet! So protect her! Now you can say that the son of Zeus is a true friend. Look at the woman! Doesn't she look like your wife Alcestis? Stop mourning! Be happy with life again!
- Oh, great gods! - Admet exclaimed, lifting the woman's veil, - my wife Alcestis! Oh no, it's only a shadow of her! She stands silently, she did not say a word!
- No, it's not a shadow! - answered Hercules, - this is Alcestis. I got it in a hard fight with the lord of souls Tanat. She will be silent until she is freed from the power of the underground gods, bringing them redemptive sacrifices; she will be silent until night changes day three times; Only then will she speak. Now farewell, Admet! Be happy and always observe the great custom of hospitality, consecrated by my father himself - Zeus!
- Oh, great son of Zeus, you gave me the joy of life again! - exclaimed Admet, - how can I thank you? Stay my guest. I will order in all my possessions to celebrate your victory, I will order great sacrifices to be made to the gods. Stay with me!
Hercules did not stay with Admet; a feat awaited him; he had to fulfill the order of Eurystheus and get him the horses of King Diomedes.

Labor 9: Hippolyta's Belt

The ninth feat of Hercules was his campaign in the country of the Amazons for the belt of Queen Hippolyta. This belt was given to Hippolyta by the god of war Ares, and she wore it as a sign of her power over all the Amazons. The daughter of Eurystheus Admet, the priestess of the goddess Hera, wanted to have this belt without fail. To fulfill her desire, Eurystheus sent Hercules for the belt. Having gathered a small detachment of heroes, the great son of Zeus set off on a long journey on a ship alone. Although the detachment of Hercules was small, there were many glorious heroes in this detachment, I was in it the great hero of Attica Theseus.
The heroes have a long way to go. They had to reach the farthest shores of the Euxine Pontus, since there was a country of the Amazons with the capital Themyscira. On the way, Hercules landed with his companions on the island of Paros, where the sons of Minos ruled. On this island, the sons of Minos killed two companions of Hercules. Hercules, angry at this, immediately began a war with the sons of Minos. He killed many of the inhabitants of Paros, while others, having driven into the city, kept under siege until the besieged ambassadors were sent to Hercules and began to ask him to take two of them instead of the dead companions. Then Hercules lifted the siege and instead of the dead he took the grandsons of Minos, Alcaeus and Sthenelus.
From Paros, Hercules arrived in Mysia to King Lycus, who received him with great hospitality. The king of the Bebriks unexpectedly attacked Lik. Hercules defeated the king of the Bebriks with his detachment and destroyed his capital, and gave all the land of the Bebriks to Lik. King Lik named this country in honor of Heracles Heraclea. After this feat, Hercules went on, and finally arrived at the city of the Amazons, Themyscira.
The fame of the exploits of the son of Zeus has long reached the country of the Amazons. Therefore, when the ship of Hercules landed at Themyscira, the Amazons came out with the queen to meet the hero. They looked with surprise at the great son of Zeus, who stood out, like an immortal god, among his fellow heroes. Queen Hippolyta asked the great hero Hercules:
- Glorious son of Zeus, tell me what brought you to our city? Do you bring us peace or war?
So Hercules answered the queen:
- Queen, it was not of my own free will that I came here with an army, having made a long journey across a stormy sea; I was sent by the ruler of Mycenae, Eurystheus. His daughter Admet wants to have your belt, a gift from the god Ares. Eurystheus instructed me to get your belt.
Hippolyta was unable to refuse anything to Hercules. She was already ready to voluntarily give him the belt, but the great Hera, wanting to destroy the hated Hercules, took the form of an Amazon, intervened in the crowd and began to convince the warriors to attack the army of Hercules.
“Hercules is not telling the truth,” Hera said to the Amazons, “he came to you with insidious intent: the hero wants to kidnap your queen Hippolyta and take her as a slave to his house.
The Amazons believed Hera. They grabbed their weapons and attacked the army of Hercules. Ahead of the Amazon army rushed Aella, fast as the wind. She attacked Hercules first, like a stormy whirlwind. The great hero repulsed her onslaught and put her to flight, Aella thought to escape from the hero with a quick flight. All her speed did not help her, Hercules overtook her and struck her with his sparkling sword. Fell in battle and Protoya. She slew seven heroes from among the companions of Hercules with her own hand, but she did not escape the arrow of the great son of Zeus. Then seven Amazons attacked Hercules at once; they were companions of Artemis herself: no one was equal to them in the art of wielding a spear. Covering themselves with shields, they launched their spears at Hercules. but the spears flew past this time. All of them were slain by the hero with his club; one after another they burst to the ground, flashing their weapons. The Amazonian Melanippe, who led the army into battle, was captured by Hercules, and together with her captured Antiope. The formidable warriors were defeated, their army fled, many of them fell at the hands of the heroes pursuing them. The Amazons made peace with Hercules. Hippolyta bought the freedom of the mighty Melanippe with the price of her belt. The heroes took Antiope with them. Hercules gave it as a reward to Theseus for his great courage.
So Hercules got the girdle of Hippolyta.

Heracles rescues Hesione, daughter of Laomedon

On the way back to Tiryns from the country of the Amazons, Hercules arrived on ships with his army to Troy. A heavy sight appeared before the eyes of the heroes when they landed on the shore near Troy. They saw the beautiful daughter of the king of Troy, Laomedont, Hesion, chained to a rock near the seashore. She was doomed, like Andromeda, to be torn to pieces by a monster emerging from the sea. This monster was sent as a punishment to Laomedon by Poseidon for refusing to pay him and Apollo a fee for the construction of the walls of Troy. The proud king, who, according to the verdict of Zeus, had to serve both gods, even threatened to cut off their ears if they demanded payment. Then, the angry Apollo sent a terrible pestilence to all the possessions of Laomedon, and Poseidon - a monster that devastated, sparing no one, the surroundings of Troy. Only by sacrificing the life of his daughter could Laomedon save his country from a terrible disaster. Against his will, he had to chain his daughter Hesion to a rock by the sea.
Seeing the unfortunate girl, Hercules volunteered to save her, and for the salvation of Hesion, he demanded from Laomedont as a reward for those horses that the Thunderer Zeus gave to the king of Troy as a ransom for his son Ganymede. He was once kidnapped by the eagle of Zeus and carried to Olympus. Laomedon agreed to Hercules' demands. The great hero ordered the Trojans to build a rampart on the seashore and hid behind it. As soon as Hercules took cover behind the rampart, a monster emerged from the sea and, opening its huge mouth, rushed at Hesion. With a loud cry, Hercules ran out from behind the shaft, rushed at the monster and plunged his double-edged sword deep into his chest. Heracles saved Hesiona.
When the son of Zeus demanded the promised reward from Laomedont, it became a pity for the king to part with the marvelous horses, he did not give them to Hercules and even drove him away with threats from Troy. Hercules left the possession of Laomedont, holding his anger deep in his heart. Now he could not take revenge on the king who had deceived him, since his army was too small and the hero could not hope to soon capture impregnable Troy. The great son of Zeus could not stay under Troy for a long time - he had to rush with Hippolyta's belt to Mycenae.

Tenth feat: Cows of Gerion

Shortly after returning from a campaign in the country of the Amazons, Hercules set off on a new feat. Eurystheus instructed him to drive to Mycenae the cows of the great Geryon, the son of Chrysaor and the Oceanid Kalliroi. Far was the way to Geryon. Hercules had to reach the westernmost edge of the earth, those places where the radiant sun god Helios descends from the sky at sunset. Hercules went on a long journey alone. He passed through Africa, through the barren deserts of Libya, through the countries of wild barbarians, and finally reached the ends of the earth. Here he erected two giant stone pillars on both sides of the narrow sea strait as an eternal monument to his feat.
After this, Hercules had to wander a lot more, until he reached the shores of the gray Ocean. In thought, the hero sat on the shore near the ever-noisy waters of the Ocean. How was it possible for him to reach the island of Eritheia, where Geryon pastured his herds? The day was already drawing to a close. Here appeared the chariot of Helios, descending to the waters of the Ocean. The bright rays of Helios blinded Hercules, and an unbearable, scorching heat enveloped him. Hercules jumped up in anger and grabbed his formidable bow, but bright Helios did not get angry, he smiled affably at the hero, he liked the extraordinary courage of the great son of Zeus. Helios himself invited Hercules to cross to Eritheia in a golden boat, in which the sun god sailed every evening with his horses and chariot from the western to the eastern edge of the earth to his golden palace. The delighted hero boldly jumped into the golden boat and quickly reached the shores of Eritheia.
As soon as he landed on the island, the formidable two-headed dog Orfo sensed him and rushed at the hero with barking. Hercules killed him with one blow of his heavy club. Not only Orfo guarded the herds of Gerion. Hercules also had to fight with the shepherd of Gerion, the giant Eurytion. The son of Zeus quickly coped with the giant and drove the cows of Gerion to the seashore, where the golden boat of Helios stood. Gerion heard the lowing of his cows and went to the herd. Seeing that his dog Orfo and the giant Eurytion were killed, he chased after the stealer of the herd and overtook him on the seashore. Gerion was a monstrous giant: he had three bodies, three heads, six arms and six legs. He covered himself with three shields during the battle, he immediately threw three huge spears at the enemy. Hercules had to fight with such a giant, but the great warrior Pallas Athena helped him. As soon as Hercules saw him, he immediately shot his deadly arrow at the giant. An arrow pierced the eye of one of Gerion's heads. The first arrow was followed by the second, followed by the third. Hercules waved menacingly with his all-destroying club, like lightning, the hero Geryon struck it, and a three-body giant fell to the ground like a lifeless corpse. Hercules transported the cows of Geryon from Eritheia in the golden boat of Helios across the stormy Ocean and returned the boat to Helios. Half of the feat was over.
Much work lay ahead. It was necessary to drive the bulls to Mycenae. Through all of Spain, through the Pyrenees, through Gaul and the Alps, through Italy, Hercules drove the cows. In southern Italy, near the city of Rhegium, one of the cows escaped from the herd and swam across the strait to Sicily. There, King Eriks, the son of Poseidon, saw her, and took the cow into his herd. Hercules searched for a cow for a long time. Finally, he asked the god Hephaestus to guard the herd, and he crossed over to Sicily and there he found his cow in the herd of King Eriks. The king did not want to return her to Hercules; hoping for his strength, he challenged Hercules to single combat. The winner was to be rewarded with a cow. Eriks could not afford such an opponent as Hercules. The son of Zeus squeezed the king in his mighty arms and strangled him. Hercules returned with a cow to his herd and drove him further. On the shores of the Ionian Sea, the goddess Hera sent rabies to the whole herd. The mad cows ran in all directions. Only with great difficulty Hercules caught most of the cows already in Thrace and finally drove them to Eurystheus in Mycenae. Eurystheus sacrificed them to the great goddess Hera.
Pillars of Hercules, or Pillars of Hercules. The Greeks believed that the rocks along the shores of the Strait of Gibraltar were placed by Hercules.

Eleventh move. Cerberus kidnapping.

There were no more monsters left on the earth. Heracles destroyed them all. But underground, guarding the possessions of Hades, lived the monstrous three-headed dog Cerberus. Eurystheus ordered him to be delivered to the walls of Mycenae.

Hercules had to descend into the kingdom of no return. Everything about him was terrifying. Cerberus himself was so powerful and terrible that the very sight of him chilled the blood in his veins. In addition to three disgusting heads, the dog had a tail in the form of a huge snake with an open mouth. The snakes also writhed around his neck. And such a dog had to be not only defeated, but also brought alive from the underworld. Only the lords of the kingdom of the dead, Hades and Persephone, could give their consent to this.

Hercules had to appear before their eyes. At Hades, they were black, like coal, formed at the site of the burning of the remains of the dead, at Persephone they were light blue, like cornflowers on arable land. But one could read genuine surprise in both of them: what does this impudent man need here, who violated the laws of nature and descended alive into their gloomy world?

Bowing respectfully, Hercules said:

Do not be angry, mighty lords, if my request seems bold to you! The will of Eurystheus, hostile to my desire, dominates me. It was he who instructed me to deliver to him your faithful and valiant Cerberus guardian.

Hades' face twitched with displeasure.

Not only did you yourself come here alive, you set out to show the living someone whom only the dead can see.

Forgive my curiosity, - Persephone intervened. - But I would like to know how you think about your feat. After all, Cerberus has not yet been given into the hands of anyone.

I don’t know, Hercules admitted honestly. But let me fight him.

Ha! Ha! - Hades laughed so loudly that the vaults of the underworld shook. - Try it! But just fight on equal terms, not using weapons.

On the way to the gates of Hades, one of the shadows approached Hercules and made a request.

Great hero, said the shadow, you are destined to see the sun. Will you agree to do my duty? I have left my sister Dejanira, whom I did not have time to marry.

Tell me your name and where you come from, - said Hercules.

I am from Calydon, the shadow replied. There they called me Meleager. Hercules, bowing low to the shadow, said:

I heard about you as a boy and always regretted that I could not meet you. Stay calm. I myself will take your sister as a wife.

Cerberus, as befits a dog, was in his place at the gates of Hades, barking at the souls who tried to approach Styx in order to get out into the world. If earlier, when Hercules entered the gate, the dog did not pay attention to the hero, now he attacked him with an evil growl, trying to gnaw through the hero's throat. Hercules grabbed two necks of Cerberus with both hands, and struck a powerful blow on the third head with his forehead. Cerberus wrapped his tail around the legs and torso of the hero, tearing the body with his teeth. But Hercules' fingers continued to tighten, and soon the half-strangled dog went limp and wheezed.

Not allowing Cerberus to recover, Hercules dragged him to the exit. When it began to get light, the dog came to life and, throwing up his head, howled terribly at the unfamiliar sun. Never before has the earth heard such heartbreaking sounds. Poisonous foam fell from the gaping mouths. Wherever even one drop of it fell, poisonous plants grew.

Here are the walls of Mycenae. The city seemed deserted, dead, since already from a distance everyone heard that Hercules was returning with a victory. Eurystheus, looking at Cerberus through the crack in the gate, yelled:

Let him go! Let go!

Hercules did not hesitate. He released the chain on which he led Cerberus, and the faithful dog Hades rushed to his master with huge leaps...

The twelfth feat. Golden apples of the Hesperides.

At the western extremity of the earth, near the Ocean, where the day converged with the Night, the beautiful-voiced nymphs of the Hesperides lived. Their divine singing was heard only by Atlas, holding on his shoulders the vault of heaven and the souls of the dead, sadly descending into the underworld. Nymphs walked in a wonderful garden, where a tree grew, bending heavy branches to the ground. Golden fruits sparkled and hid in their greenery. They gave everyone who touches them immortality and eternal youth.

These are the fruits that Eurystheus ordered to bring, and not in order to be equal to the gods. He hoped that Hercules would not fulfill this assignment.

Throwing a lion's skin over his back, throwing a bow over his shoulder, taking a club, the hero walked briskly to the garden of the Hesperides. He's used to getting the impossible done.

Hercules walked for a long time until he reached the place where heaven and earth converged on Atlanta, as on a giant support. With horror, he looked at the titan holding an incredible weight.

I am Hercules, - the hero answered. - I was ordered to bring three golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides. I heard that you alone can pick these apples.

Joy flashed in Atlanta's eyes. He was up to something bad.

I can't reach the tree, - Atlas said. - Yes, and my hands, as you can see, are busy. Now, if you hold my burden, I will gladly fulfill your request.

I agree, ”Hercules answered and stood next to the titan, who was many heads taller than him.

Atlas sank, and a monstrous weight fell on the shoulders of Hercules. Sweat covered his forehead and all over his body. Legs went ankle-deep into the ground trampled down by Atlanta. The time it took the giant to get the apples seemed like an eternity to the hero. But Atlant was in no hurry to take back his burden.

If you want, I myself will take the precious apples to Mycenae, ”he suggested to Hercules.

The simple-hearted hero almost agreed, fearing to offend the titan who had rendered him a service, but Athena intervened in time - it was she who taught him to respond with cunning to cunning. Pretending to be pleased with Atlas's offer, Hercules immediately agreed, but asked the titan to hold the vault while he made a lining under his shoulders.

As soon as Atlas, deceived by the feigned joy of Hercules, shouldered the usual burden on his overworked shoulders, the hero immediately raised his club and bow and, ignoring the indignant cries of Atlas, set off on his way back.

Eurystheus did not take the apples of the Hesperides, obtained by Hercules with such labor. After all, he needed not apples, but the death of a hero. Hercules gave the apples to Athena, who returned them to the Hesperides.

This ended the service of Hercules to Eurystheus, and he was able to return to Thebes, where new exploits and new troubles awaited him.

Hesione, daughter of Laomedont, freed by Hercules from a sea monster

Hesiona Greek Daughter of Laomedont and his wife Leucippe.

Hesiona became an indirect victim of her father's treachery. When Laomedon strengthened Troy, on the orders of Zeus, Poseidon also helped him in this. For this, Laomedon promised to reward them royally, but at the end of the work he refused to pay them and even threatened to cut off their ears if they solicited her. Therefore, Apollo sent pestilence to Troy, and Poseidon - a sea monster.

The Trojan soothsayers found out that the only way to get rid of the monster was to sacrifice it to Hesion. Then Laomedon ordered Hesion to be chained to a rock by the sea, but even earlier than the monster, he appeared off the coast of Troy, returning from. Hercules offered Laomedont to save Hesion if he would give him the horses that Zeus gave Tros as a ransom for him as a reward. Laomedon agreed.

When the monster emerged from the depths of the sea and approached Hesion, Hercules rushed at him and, after a merciless battle, killed him. However, Laomedont remained true to himself: he did not give up the promised horses and drove Hercules away, showering him with threats and insults. Hercules did not forget this insult. Freed from his service with Eurystheus, he gathered his friends, sailed to Troy on six ships, took it by storm and killed Laomedont.

Hercules gave the captive Hesion by right of the winner to his friend Telamon, who married her after the death of his first wife Periboea. Their son Teucer subsequently fought on the side of the Trojan War.

Another Hesion, daughter of the titan Iapetus, was the wife of Prometheus.

Four images of Hesiona are known on antique vases. Artists of the new time rarely addressed her. The opera Hesiona was written by A. Kampra (1700).

In the photo: Hesiona evening dress. On the top illustration: "Hercules saves Hesion", a medieval miniature.

Seeing the unfortunate girl, Hercules volunteered to save her, and for the salvation of Hesion, he demanded from Laomedont as a reward for those horses that the Thunderer Zeus gave to the king of Troy as a ransom for his son Ganymede. He was once kidnapped by the eagle of Zeus and carried to Olympus. Laomedon agreed to Hercules' demands. The great hero ordered the Trojans to build a rampart on the seashore and hid behind it. As soon as Hercules took cover behind the rampart, a monster emerged from the sea and, opening its huge mouth, rushed at Hesion. With a loud cry, Hercules ran out from behind the shaft, rushed at the monster and plunged his double-edged sword deep into his chest. Heracles saved Hesiona.

When the son of Zeus demanded the promised reward from Laomedont, it became a pity for the king to part with the marvelous horses, he did not give them to Hercules and even drove him away with threats from Troy. Hercules left the possession of Laomedont, holding his anger deep in his heart. Now he could not take revenge on the king who had deceived him, since his army was too small and the hero could not hope to soon capture impregnable Troy. The great son of Zeus could not stay under Troy for a long time - he had to rush with Hippolyta's belt to Mycenae.

Cows of Gerion

(tenth feat)

After this, Hercules had to wander a lot more, until he reached the shores of the gray Ocean. In thought, the hero sat on the shore near the ever-noisy waters of the Ocean. How was it possible for him to reach the island of Eritheia, where Geryon pastured his herds? The day was already drawing to a close. Here appeared the chariot of Helios, descending to the waters of the Ocean. The bright rays of Helios blinded Hercules, and an unbearable, scorching heat enveloped him. Hercules jumped up in anger and grabbed his formidable bow, but bright Helios did not get angry, he smiled affably at the hero, he liked the extraordinary courage of the great son of Zeus. Helios himself invited Hercules to cross to Eritheia in a golden boat, in which the sun god sailed every evening with his horses and chariot from the western to the eastern edge of the earth to his golden palace. The delighted hero boldly jumped into the golden boat and quickly reached the shores of Eritheia.

As soon as he landed on the island, the formidable two-headed dog Orfo sensed him and rushed at the hero with barking. Hercules killed him with one blow of his heavy club. Not only Orfo guarded the herds of Gerion. Hercules also had to fight with the shepherd of Gerion, the giant Eurytion. The son of Zeus quickly coped with the giant and drove the cows of Gerion to the seashore, where the golden boat of Helios stood. Gerion heard the lowing of his cows and went to the herd. Seeing that his dog Orfo and the giant Eurytion were killed, he chased after the stealer of the herd and overtook him on the seashore. Gerion was a monstrous giant: he had three bodies, three heads, six arms and six legs. He covered himself with three shields during the battle, he immediately threw three huge spears at the enemy. Hercules had to fight with such a giant, but the great warrior Pallas Athena helped him. As soon as Hercules saw him, he immediately shot his deadly arrow at the giant. An arrow pierced the eye of one of Gerion's heads. The first arrow was followed by the second, followed by the third. Hercules waved menacingly with his all-destroying club, like lightning, the hero Geryon struck it, and a three-body giant fell to the ground like a lifeless corpse. Hercules transported the cows of Geryon from Eritheia in the golden boat of Helios across the stormy Ocean and returned the boat to Helios. Half of the feat was over.

Much work lay ahead. It was necessary to drive the bulls to Mycenae. Through all of Spain, through the Pyrenees, through Gaul and the Alps, through Italy, Hercules drove the cows. In southern Italy, near the city of Rhegium, one of the cows escaped from the herd and swam across the strait to Sicily. There, King Eriks, the son of Poseidon, saw her, and took the cow into his herd. Hercules searched for a cow for a long time. Finally, he asked the god Hephaestus to guard the herd, and he crossed over to Sicily and there he found his cow in the herd of King Eriks. The king did not want to return her to Hercules; hoping for his strength, he challenged Hercules to single combat. The winner was to be rewarded with a cow. Eriks could not afford such an opponent as Hercules. The son of Zeus squeezed the king in his mighty arms and strangled him. Hercules returned with a cow to his herd and drove him further. On the shores of the Ionian Sea, the goddess Hera sent rabies to the whole herd. The mad cows ran in all directions. Only with great difficulty Hercules caught most of the cows already in Thrace and finally drove them to Eurystheus in Mycenae. Eurystheus sacrificed them to the great goddess Hera.

Kerberos

(eleventh feat)

As soon as Heracles returned to Tiryns, Eurystheus sent him again to the feat. This was already the eleventh feat that Hercules was to perform in the service of Eurystheus. Hercules had to overcome incredible difficulties during this feat. He was supposed to descend into the gloomy, full of horrors of the underworld of Hades and bring to Eurystheus the guardian of the underworld, the terrible hellish dog Kerber. Kerberos had three heads, snakes wriggled around his neck, his tail ended in the head of a dragon with a huge mouth. Hercules went to Laconia and through the gloomy abyss at Tenar descended into the darkness of the underworld. At the very gates of the kingdom of Hades, Hercules saw the heroes Theseus and Perithous, king of Thessaly, rooted to the rock. The gods punished them so because they wanted to steal his wife Persephone from Hades. Theseus prayed to Hercules:

- Oh, great son of Zeus, free me! You see my suffering! You alone can save me from them!

Hercules extended his hand to Theseus and freed him. When he wanted to free Perifoy as well, the earth trembled, and Hercules realized that the gods did not want his release. Hercules submitted to the will of the gods and went on into the darkness of eternal night. The herald of the gods Hermes, the conductor of the souls of the dead, entered the underworld kingdom of Hercules, and the beloved daughter of Zeus herself, Pallas Athena, was the companion of the great hero. When Hercules entered the kingdom of Hades, the shadows of the dead scattered in horror. Only the shadow of the hero Meleager did not run at the sight of Hercules. With a prayer she turned to the great son of Zeus:

- Oh, great Hercules, I pray you for one thing in memory of our friendship, take pity on my orphaned sister, beautiful Dejanira! She remained defenseless after my death. Take her as your wife, great hero! Be her protector!

Hercules promised to fulfill the request of a friend and went further after Hermes. The shadow of the terrible Gorgon Medusa rose towards Hercules, she menacingly stretched out her copper hands and waved her golden wings, snakes stirred on her head. The fearless hero grabbed the sword, but Hermes stopped him with the words:

- Do not grab the sword, Hercules! After all, it's just an ethereal shadow! She doesn't threaten you with death!

Hercules saw many horrors on his way; finally, he appeared before the throne of Hades. The ruler of the kingdom of the dead and his wife Persephone looked with delight at the great son of the Thunderer Zeus, who fearlessly descended into the kingdom of darkness and sorrow. He, majestic, calm, stood before the throne of Hades, leaning on his huge club, in a lion's skin draped over his shoulders, and with a bow over his shoulders. Hades graciously greeted the son of his great brother Zeus and asked what made him leave the light of the sun and descend into the kingdom of darkness. Bowing before Hades, Hercules answered:

- Oh, the ruler of the souls of the dead, the great Hades, do not be angry with me for my request, all-powerful! You know, after all, that it was not of my own free will that I came to your kingdom, that it was not of my own free will that I would ask you. Let me, Lord Hades, take your three-headed dog Kerberos to Mycenae. Eurystheus ordered me to do this, whom I serve at the command of the bright Olympian gods.

Hades replied to the hero:

- I will fulfill, son of Zeus, your request; but you must tame Cerberus without weapons. If you tame him, then I will let you take him to Eurystheus.

For a long time Heracles searched for Kerberos in the underworld. Finally, he found him on the banks of the Acheron. Hercules wrapped his arms, strong as steel, around the neck of Cerberus. The dog Aida howled menacingly; the whole underworld was filled with his howl. He struggled to escape from the arms of Hercules, but only the mighty hands of the hero squeezed the neck of Kerberos more tightly. Kerber wrapped his tail around the hero's legs, the dragon's head dug its teeth into his body, but all in vain. The mighty Hercules squeezed his neck harder and harder. Finally, the half-strangled dog Aida fell at the feet of the hero. Hercules tamed him and led him from the kingdom of darkness to Mycenae. Frightened by daylight Kerberos; he was covered with cold sweat, poisonous foam dripped from his three mouths onto the ground; wherever a drop of foam dripped, poisonous herbs grew.

Hercules brought Kerberos to the walls of Mycenae. The cowardly Eurystheus was horrified at one glance at the terrible dog. Almost on his knees, he begged Hercules to take back to the kingdom of Hades Kerberos. Hercules fulfilled his request and returned Hades to his terrible guard Cerberus.

Apples of the Hesperides

(twelfth feat)

The most difficult feat of Hercules in the service of Eurystheus was his last, twelfth feat. He had to go to the great titan Atlas, who holds the vault of heaven on his shoulders, and get three golden apples from his gardens, which were watched by the daughters of Atlas, the Hesperides. These apples grew on a golden tree grown by the goddess of the earth Gaia as a gift to the great Hera on the day of her wedding with Zeus. To accomplish this feat, it was necessary first of all to find out the way to the gardens of the Hesperides, guarded by a dragon who never closed his eyes to sleep.

Nobody knew the way to the Hesperides and Atlas. Hercules wandered for a long time through Asia and Europe, he passed through all the countries that he had passed before along the way for the cows of Geryon; everywhere Hercules asked about the way, but no one knew him. In his search, he went to the farthest north, to the Eridanus River, forever rolling its stormy, boundless waters. On the banks of Eridanus, beautiful nymphs met the great son of Zeus with honor and gave him advice on how to find out the way to the gardens of the Hesperides. Hercules was supposed to surprise the prophetic old man Nereus when he came ashore from the depths of the sea, and learn from him the way to the Hesperides; except Nereus, no one knew this way. Hercules searched for Nemeus for a long time. Finally, he managed to find Nereus on the seashore. Hercules attacked the sea god. The struggle with the sea god was difficult. To free himself from the iron embrace of Hercules, Nereus took on all sorts of forms, but still the hero did not let him out. Finally, he tied the weary Nereus, and in order to gain freedom, the sea god had to reveal to Hercules the secret of the way to the gardens of the Hesperides. Having learned this secret, the son of Zeus released the sea elder and set off on a long journey.

Again he had to go through Libya. Here he met the giant Antey, the son of Poseidon, the god of the seas, and the goddess of the earth, Gaia, who gave birth to him, nurtured and raised him. Antaeus forced all travelers to fight him and mercilessly killed everyone he defeated in the fight. The giant demanded that Hercules also fight him. No one could defeat Antaeus in single combat, not knowing the secret from where the giant received more and more strength during the struggle. The secret was this: when Antaeus felt that he was beginning to lose strength, he touched the earth, his mother, and his strength was renewed: he drew them from his mother, the great goddess of the earth. But as soon as Antaeus was torn off the ground and lifted into the air, his strength disappeared. Hercules fought for a long time with Antaeus. several times he knocked him to the ground, but only Antaeus's strength increased. Suddenly, during the struggle, the mighty Hercules Anthea lifted high into the air - the strength of the son of Gaia dried up, and Hercules strangled him.

Then Hercules went and came to Egypt. There, tired from the long journey, he fell asleep in the shade of a small grove on the banks of the Nile. The king of Egypt, the son of Poseidon and the daughter of Epaphus Lysianassa, Busiris, saw the sleeping Hercules, and ordered to bind the sleeping hero. He wanted to sacrifice Hercules to his father Zeus. For nine years there was a crop failure in Egypt; the soothsayer Thrasius, who came from Cyprus, predicted that the crop failure would stop only if Busiris annually sacrificed a foreigner to Zeus. Busiris ordered the soothsayer Thrasius to be seized and was the first to sacrifice him. From that time on, the cruel king sacrificed to the Thunderer all the strangers who came to Egypt. They also brought Hercules to the altar, but the great hero tore the ropes with which he was bound, and killed Busiris himself and his son Amphidamantus at the altar. So the cruel king of Egypt was punished.

Hercules had to meet a lot more on the way of his dangers, until he reached the ends of the earth, where the great titan Atlas stood. With amazement, the hero looked at the mighty titan, holding the entire heavenly vault on his broad shoulders.

- Oh, the great titan Atlas! - Hercules turned to him, - I am the son of Zeus, Hercules. I was sent to you by Eurystheus, the king of the rich gold of Mycenae. Eurystheus ordered me to get three golden apples from you from a golden tree in the gardens of the Hesperides.

“I will give you three apples, son of Zeus,” Atlas replied, “while I go after them, you must take my place and hold the heavenly vault on your shoulders.

Hercules agreed. He took the place of Atlas. An incredible weight fell on the shoulders of the son of Zeus. He exerted all his strength and held the vault of heaven. The weight was terribly pressing on the mighty shoulders of Hercules. He bent under the weight of the sky, his muscles swelled like mountains, sweat covered his entire body from tension, but superhuman strength and the help of the goddess Athena gave him the opportunity to hold the vault of heaven until Atlas returned with three golden apples. Returning, Atlas said to the hero:

- Here are three apples, Hercules; if you want, I myself will take them to Mycenae, and you hold the vault of heaven until my return; then I will take your place again.

- Hercules understood the cunning of Atlas, he realized that the titan wants to completely free himself from his hard work, and applied cunning against cunning.

“Okay, Atlas, I agree! Hercules replied. “Just let me first make myself a pillow, I’ll put it on my shoulders so that the vault of heaven doesn’t press them so terribly.

Atlas stood back in his place and shouldered the weight of the sky. Hercules raised his bow and quiver of arrows, took his club and golden apples and said:

Farewell, Atlas! I held the vault of the sky while you went for the apples of the Hesperides, but I do not want to carry the entire weight of the sky on my shoulders forever.

With these words, Hercules left the titan, and again Atlas had to hold, as before, the vault of heaven on his mighty shoulders. Hercules returned to Eurystheus and gave him the golden apples. Eurystheus gave them to Hercules, and he gave the apples to his patroness, the great daughter of Zeus, Pallas Athena. Athena returned the apples to the Hesperides so that they would forever remain in the gardens.

After his twelfth feat, Hercules was freed from the service of Eurystheus. Now he could return to the seven gates of Thebes. But the son of Zeus did not stay there for long. Waiting for his new exploits. He gave his wife Megara as a wife to his friend Iolaus, and he himself went back to Tiryns.

But not only victories awaited him, Hercules and serious troubles awaited him, since the great goddess Hera still pursued him.

Hercules and Eurytus

On the island of Euboea, in the city of Oikhaliya, King Eurytus ruled. The glory of Eurytus, as the most skilled archer, went far throughout Greece. The archer Apollo himself was his teacher, even gave him a bow and arrows. Once, in his youth, Hercules also studied archery with Eurytus. It was this king who announced throughout Greece that he would give his beautiful daughter Iola as a wife to the hero who would defeat him in an archery contest. Hercules, who had just finished his service with Eurystheus, went to Oichalia, where many heroes of Greece gathered, and took part in the competition. Hercules easily defeated King Eurytus and demanded that he give him his daughter Iola as his wife. Evrit did not fulfill his promise. Forgetting the sacred custom of hospitality, he began to mock the great hero. He said that he would not give his daughter to the one who was a slave of Eurystheus. Finally, Eurytus and his arrogant sons drove Heracles, drunk during the feast, out of the palace and even out of Oichalia. Hercules left Oichalia. Full of deep sadness, he left Euboea, because the great hero fell in love with the beautiful Iola. Holding in his heart anger at Eurytus, who insulted him, he returned to Tiryns.

After some time, the most cunning of the Greeks, Autolycus, the son of Hermes, stole the flock from Eurytus. Eurytus blamed Hercules for this crash. The king of Oikhaliya thought that the hero had stolen his flocks, wanting to avenge the offense. Only Ifit, the eldest son of Eurytus, did not want to believe that the great Hercules could steal his father's herds. Ifit even volunteered to find the herds, if only to prove the innocence of Hercules, with whom he had the closest friendship. During the search, Ifit came to Tiryns. Hercules received his friend warmly. Once, when the two of them stood on the high walls of the fortress of Tiryns, built on a high rock, Hercules suddenly took possession of a violent anger sent against him by the great goddess Hera. Hercules remembered in anger the insult that Eurytus and his sons inflicted on him; no longer in control of himself, he seized Ifit and threw him off the wall of the fortress. The unfortunate Ifit crashed to death. This murder, committed against his will, angered Hercules Zeus, as he violated the sacred custom of hospitality and the sanctity of the bonds of friendship. As punishment, the great thunderer sent a serious illness to his son.

Hercules suffered for a long time, finally, exhausted by the disease, he went to Delphi to ask Apollo how to get rid of this punishment of the gods. But the soothsayer Pythia did not give him an answer. She even expelled Hercules from the temple as having defiled himself with murder. Enraged by this, Hercules stole from the temple a tripod from which the Pythia gave divinations. This angered Apollo. The golden-haired god appeared to Hercules and demanded the return of the tripod from him, but Hercules refused him. A fierce struggle ensued between the sons of Zeus - the immortal god Apollo and the mortal - the greatest of the heroes Hercules. Zeus did not want the death of Hercules. He threw his brilliant lightning from Olympus between his sons and, having separated them, stopped the fight. The brothers reconciled. Then the Pythia gave the following answer to Hercules:

“You will only be healed when you are sold into slavery for three years. Give the money received for you to Eurytus as a ransom for his son Ifit, who was killed by you.

Again Hercules had to lose his freedom. He was betrayed into slavery to Queen Lydia, daughter of Jardan, Omphale. Hermes himself took the money received for Hercules to Eurytus. But the proud king of Oichalia did not accept them, he remained as before an enemy of Hercules.

Hercules and Deianeira

After Eurytus drove Hercules out of Oichalia, the great hero came to Calydon, the city of Aetolia. Oinei ruled there. Hercules came to Oeneus to ask for the hand of his daughter Dejanira, as he promised Meleager to marry her in the kingdom of shadows. In Calydon, Hercules met a formidable opponent. Many heroes sought the hand of the beautiful Dejanira, and among them the river god Aheloy. Finally, Oineus decided that the hand of Dejanira would be received by the one who emerged victorious in the struggle. All suitors refused to fight the mighty Achelous. Only Hercules remained. He had to fight with the god of the river. Seeing the determination of Hercules to measure strength with him, Aheloy said to him:

- You say that you were born by Zeus and Alcmene? You lie that Zeus is your father!

And Aheloy began to mock the great son of Zeus and defame his mother Alcmene. Furrowing his brows, Hercules looked sternly at Achelous; his eyes flashed with fire of anger, and he said:

“Aheloy, my hands serve me better than my tongue!” Be a winner in words, but I will be a winner in deeds.

With a firm step, Hercules approached Achelous and clasped him with his mighty arms. The huge Aheloy stood firmly; the great Hercules could not topple him; all his efforts were in vain. So Aheloy stood, as an unshakable rock stands, and the waves of the sea do not shake it, hitting it with a thunderous noise. Hercules and Achelous are fighting chest to chest, like two bulls clinging with their crooked horns. Three times Hercules attacked Achelous, the fourth time, escaping from the hands of Achelous, the hero grabbed him from behind. Like a heavy mountain, he crushed the river god to the very ground. Aheloy could hardly, having gathered all his strength, free his hands, covered with sweat; no matter how he strained his strength, Hercules pressed him harder and harder to the ground. Aheloy bowed with a groan, his knees bent, and he touched the ground with his head. In order not to be defeated, Aheloy resorted to cunning; he turned into a snake. As soon as Aheloy turned into a snake and slipped out of the hands of Hercules, Hercules exclaimed laughing:

- Even in the cradle I learned to fight with snakes! True, you are superior to other snakes, Aheloy, but you are not equal to the Lernean hydra. Although she grew two new heads instead of a cut one, nevertheless I defeated her.

Hercules grabbed the neck of the snake with his hands and squeezed it like iron tongs. He struggled to escape from the hands of the hero Aheloy, but could not. Then he turned into a bull and again attacked Hercules. Hercules grabbed the bull-Aheloy by the horns and threw him to the ground. Hercules threw him down with such terrible force that he broke one of his horns. He was defeated by Aheloy and gave the Fires to Dejanira as a wife to Hercules.

After the wedding, Hercules remained in the palace of Oeneus; but he did not stay long with him. Once, during a feast, Hercules hit the son of Architel, Evnom, because the boy poured water on his hands, prepared for washing his feet. The blow was so strong that the boy fell dead. Hercules was saddened, and although Architel forgave him the involuntary murder of his son, the hero Calydon nevertheless left and went with his wife Dejanira and Tiryns.

During the journey, Hercules came with his wife to the river Even. Through this stormy river, the centaur Nessus transported travelers for a fee on his broad back. Nessus offered to move Deianira to the other side, and Hercules put her on the back of a centaur. The hero himself threw his club and bow to the other side and swam across the stormy river. Hercules had just come ashore, when he suddenly heard the loud cry of Dejanira. She called for help from her husband. The centaur, captivated by her beauty, wanted to kidnap her. The son of Zeus shouted menacingly to Nessus:

– Where are you running? Don't you think that your legs will save you? No, you won't be saved! No matter how fast you run, will my arrow still reach you?

Hercules pulled his bow, and an arrow flew from a tight bowstring. The deadly arrow overtook Nessus, pierced his back, and its tip went through the centaur's chest. The mortally wounded Ness fell to his knees. The stream drinks blood from his wound, mixed with the poison of the Lernean hydra. Ness did not want to die unavenged; he collected his blood and gave it to Dejanira, saying:

- Oh, daughter of Oinea, I carried you last through the turbulent waters of Even! Take my blood and keep it! If Hercules stops loving you, this blood will return his love to you, and not a single woman will be dearer to him than you, rub only Hercules' clothes with it.

She took the blood of Nessus Dejanira and hid it. Ness died. Hercules and Dejanira arrived in Tiryns and lived there until the involuntary murder of Hercules' friend Ifit forced them to leave the glorious city.

Hercules and Omphales

For the murder of Ifit, Hercules was sold into slavery to Queen Lydia Omphale. Hercules had never experienced such hardships as in the service of the proud Lydian queen. The greatest of heroes endured constant humiliation from her. It seemed that Omphala finds pleasure in bullying the son of Zeus. Having dressed Hercules in women's clothes, she made him spin and weave with her maids. The hero who struck the Lernean hydra with his heavy club, the hero who brought the terrible Cerberus from the kingdom of Hades, strangled the Nemean lion with his hands and held the weight of the firmament of heaven on his shoulders, the hero, at whose name his enemies trembled, had to sit, bent over, at the weaving loom or spinning wool with hands accustomed to wielding a sharp sword, pulling a tight bowstring and smashing enemies with a heavy club. And Omphale, putting on the lion skin of Hercules, which covered it all and dragged along the ground after it, in his golden shell, girded with his sword and with difficulty shouldering the heavy club of the hero, stood in front of the son of Zeus and mocked him - her slave. Omphale, as it were, set out to extinguish in Hercules all his invincible strength. Hercules had to demolish everything, because he was in complete slavery to Omphala, and this should have lasted three long years.

Only occasionally let the hero out of her palace Omphala. One day, leaving the palace of Omphala, Hercules fell asleep in the shade of a grove, in the vicinity of Ephesus. During sleep, kercop dwarfs crept up to him and wanted to steal his weapons from him, but Hercules woke up just at the time when the kercops grabbed his bow and arrows. The hero caught them and tied their hands and feet. Hercules passed a large pole between the bound legs of the kerkop and carried them to Ephesus. But the kercops made Hercules laugh so much with their antics that the great hero let them go.

During slavery at Omphala, Hercules came to Aulis, to King Silei, who forced all strangers who came to him to work like slaves in the vineyards. He made Heracles work. The angry hero tore out all the vines from Silea and killed the king himself, who did not honor the sacred custom of hospitality. During the slavery of Omphale, Hercules took part in the campaign of the Argonauts. But, finally, the term of punishment ended, and the great son of Zeus was again free.

Hercules takes Troy

As soon as Hercules was freed from slavery at Omphala, he immediately gathered a large army of heroes and set off on eighteen ships to Troy to take revenge on the king Laomedont who had deceived him. Arriving at Troy, he entrusted the protection of the ships to Oiklus with a small detachment, while he himself with the whole army moved to the walls of Troy. As soon as Hercules left with the army from the ships, Laomedont attacked Oicles, killed Oicles and killed almost his entire detachment. Hearing the noise of the battle near the ships, Hercules returned, put Laomedont to flight and drove him to Troy. The siege of Troy did not last long. Heroes broke into the city, climbing high walls. The first to enter the city was the hero Telamon. Hercules, the greatest of heroes, could not bear to be surpassed by anyone. Drawing his sword, he rushed at Telamon, who was ahead of him. Seeing that imminent death threatened him, Telamon quickly bent down and began to collect stones. Hercules was surprised and asked:

“What are you doing, Telamon?

- Oh, the greatest son of Zeus, I am erecting an altar to Hercules the victor! - answered the cunning Telamon and with his answer humbled the anger of the son of Zeus.

During the capture of the city, Hercules killed Laomedont and all his sons with his arrows; only the youngest of them, Gift, was spared by the hero. Hercules gave the beautiful daughter of Laomedont, Hesion, as a wife to Telamon, who distinguished himself by his courage, and allowed her to choose one of the captives and set him free. Hesiona chose her brother Podarka.

- He must become a slave before all the prisoners! - Hercules exclaimed, - only if you give a ransom for him, will he be released.

Hesiona removed the veil from her head and gave it as a ransom for her brother. Since then, they began to call Gift - Priam (that is, bought). Hercules gave him power over Troy, and he went with his army to new exploits.

When Hercules sailed across the sea with his army, returning from Troy, the goddess Hera, wanting to destroy the hated son of Zeus, sent a great storm. And so that Zeus would not see what danger threatens his son, Hera begged the god of sleep Hypnos to put the aegis-powerful Zeus to sleep. The storm brought Hercules to the island of Kos.

The inhabitants of Kos took the ship of Hercules for a robber and, throwing stones at it, did not allow it to land on the shore. At night, Hercules landed on the island, defeated the inhabitants of Kos, killed their king, the son of Poseidon Eurypylus, and devastated the entire island.

Zeus was terribly angry when, waking up, he found out what danger his son Hercules was exposed to. In anger, he chained Hera in indestructible golden chains and hung her between earth and sky, tying two heavy anvils to her feet. Each of the Olympians who wanted to come to the aid of Hera was overthrown from the high Olympus by Zeus, formidable in anger. He also searched for Hypnos for a long time, the ruler of the gods and mortals would have overthrown him from Olympus, if the goddess Night had not sheltered the god of sleep.

Rejoicing that his son would soon be born, the auspicious Zeus said to the gods: Hear, gods and goddesses, what I will tell you: it is my heart that tells me to say! Today a great hero will be born; he will rule over all his relatives who descend from my son, the great Perseus...

Having matured, Hercules defeated the king Orchomenus Ergin, to whom Thebes paid a large tribute every year. He killed Ergin during the battle, and imposed a tribute on the Minian Orchomenus, which was twice as much as that paid by Thebes. For this feat, the king of Thebes Creon gave Hercules his daughter Megara as a wife, and the gods sent him three beautiful sons ...

Hercules searched for a long time on the wooded slopes of the mountains and in the gorges of the lion's lair, finally, when the sun began to lean towards the west, Hercules found the lair in the gloomy gorge; it was in a huge cave, which had two exits. Hercules blocked one of the exits with huge stones and began to wait for the lion, hiding behind the stones ...

Eurystheus again gave him a commission: Hercules was supposed to kill the Erymanthian boar. This boar, possessing monstrous strength, lived on Mount Erimanthe and devastated the surroundings of the city of Psofis. He did not give mercy to people either and killed them with his huge fangs. Hercules went to Mount Erimanfu. On the way he visited the wise centaur Fall...

Hercules chose a difficult time for Admetus. Great grief reigned in the house of King Fer. His wife Alcestis was to die. Once upon a time, the goddesses of fate, the great moiras, at the request of Apollo, determined that Admet could get rid of death if, in the last hour of his life, someone agreed to voluntarily descend instead of him into the gloomy kingdom of Hades...

The fame of the exploits of the son of Zeus has long reached the country of the Amazons. Therefore, when the ship of Hercules landed at Themyscira, the Amazons came out with the queen to meet the hero. They looked with surprise at the great son of Zeus, who stood out, like an immortal god, among his fellow heroes. Queen Hippolyta asked the great hero Heracles...

On the way back to Tiryns from the country of the Amazons, Hercules arrived on ships with his army to Troy. A heavy sight appeared before the eyes of the heroes when they landed on the shore near Troy. They saw the beautiful daughter of the king of Troy, Laomedont, Hesion, chained to a rock near the seashore. She was doomed, like Andromeda, to be torn to pieces by a monster emerging from the sea...

Father Zeus sent his beloved daughter Pallas Athena to the island of Kos to Hercules to call on the great hero to help in their fight against the giants. The goddess Gaia gave birth to giants from the drops of blood of Uranus overthrown by Cronus. They were monstrous giants with snakes instead of legs, with shaggy long hair on their heads and beards...

There they built a huge fire and placed the greatest of heroes on it. The suffering of Hercules is becoming stronger, the poison of the Lernean hydra penetrates deeper into his body. Hercules tears the poisoned cloak from himself, it sticks tightly to the body; together with the cloak, Hercules tears off pieces of skin, and terrible torments become even more unbearable. The only salvation from these superhuman torments is death...

After the death of Hercules, his children and his mother Alcmene lived in Tiryns with Hercules' eldest son, Gylus. They did not live long there. Out of hatred for Hercules, Eurystheus drove the children of the greatest hero from the possessions of their father and pursued them wherever they tried to hide. The children of Hercules wandered all over Greece for a long time: finally, the elderly Iolaus, nephew and friend of Hercules, took them in...