He cut off each of the monster’s heads while Iolaus burned each wound with a torch. For this task, Hercules had the help of his nephew Iolaus. Second, Hercules traveled to the city of Lerna to slay the nine-headed Hydra-a poisonous, snake-like creature who lived underwater, guarding the entrance to the Underworld. For the rest of his life, he wore the animal’s pelt as a cloak. (Some storytellers say that Zeus had fathered this magical beast as well.) Hercules trapped the lion in its cave and strangled it.
The Nemean Lionįirst, Apollo sent Hercules to the hills of Nemea to kill a lion that was terrorizing the people of the region. Once Hercules completed every one of the labors, Apollo declared, he would be absolved of his guilt and achieve immortality. He ordered Hercules to perform 12 labors for the Mycenaen king Eurystheus. WATCH: The Greek Gods on HISTORY Vault The 12 Labors of HerculesĪpollo understood that Hercules’ crime had not been his fault-Hera’s vengeful actions were no secret-but still he insisted that the young man make amends. Guilty and heartbroken, Hercules tracked down Apollo, the god of truth and healing (and another of Zeus’ sons), and begged to be punished for what he had done. When her stepson was a young adult, she cast a kind of spell on him that drove him temporarily insane and caused him to murder his beloved wife and their two children. The infant Hercules was unusually strong and fearless, however, and he strangled the snakes before they could strangle him.īut Hera kept up her dirty tricks. Then, after Hercules was born, Hera sent two snakes to kill him in his crib. (Perseus, who was also said to be one of Zeus’ sons, famously beheaded the snake-haired Gorgon Medusa.)ĭid you know? The constellation Hercules is the fifth-largest one in the sky. According to legend, his father was Zeus, ruler of all the Greek gods on Mount Olympus and all the mortals on earth, and his mother was Alcmene, the granddaughter of the hero Perseus. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, the idea of a mythical fruit, coveted by the gods, is still as captivating today as it was hundreds of years ago, and the stories of the apples have been carried from ancient Greece into modern-day retellings, legends, and songs.Hercules was not a god, but was born a mortal, although like many mythic heroes, he had a complicated family tree. Whether the golden apples of myth were a real type of fruit, such as oranges or quinces, is unknown. When Paris took Helen to Troy, the king vowed to find her, and the Trojan War began. Helen, however, was already married to the king of Sparta. Paris gave the apple to Aphrodite, and Helen fell in love with him. Aphrodite offered Paris the love of Helen, the most beautiful human. To settle the dispute, Zeus called on Paris to judge who should have the apple.Įach goddess offered Paris a great gift in return for saying that she was the most beautiful. The apple read “for the most beautiful.” Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena all claimed that the apple must be for them. To show her displeasure, Eris arrived anyway and threw a golden apple. Zeus held a banquet but did not invite Eris, the goddess of discord. Many people are familiar with the story of the Trojan War, but according to mythology, the war was started by a golden apple. In this version, Hercules must slay the dragon to retrieve the apples. In another version of the story, the Hesperides use a dragon, named Ladon, to guard the apples. Atlas holds the world on his shoulders, and Hercules offers to hold it for a time instead if Atlas will get the apples. In one version, Hercules retrieves the apples by asking Atlas, who is related to the Hesperides and can therefore take the apples without suspicion, for help. The Hesperides were nymphs of evening and sunset, and they guarded their garden well. For the 11th labor, Hercules is sent to steal three golden apples from the gardens of the Hesperides. In the tales of Hercules, the hero is given 12 labors to perform. After the third apple, Melanion wins the race and is given Atalanta’s hand in marriage. Each time it seems she might pass him, Melanion throws another apple. As the race begins, Melanion throws the apples at Atalanta’s feet to distract her. Aphrodite gives Melanion three golden apples.
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