As a consequence for the tragic murder of his offspring, Heracles sought guidance from the Oracle at Delphi, who instructed him to undertake twelve daunting tasks for Eurystheus, the ruler of Tiryns and Mycenae. Eurystheus had assumed the throne of Mycenae after his father, Sthenelos, forcibly claimed it from Amphitryon, Heracles’ biological father. Consequently, this meant that Heracles rightfully deserved the kingship instead of Eurystheus. Despite this, Heracles was mandated to complete any twelve tasks set forth by Eurystheus, rendering a subordinate position that was both humiliating and part of his atonement. The initial set of six tasks unfolded in the Peloponnese, while the subsequent six spanned the Greek realm.
1. The Nemean Lion
The first task directed by Eurystheus was to slay the fearsome Nemean Lion, a creature of formidable legend and the progeny of Typhoeus. Heracles located the lion’s lair, blocked its entrance, and attempted to kill the beast with his bow and arrows. However, the arrows proved ineffective against the lion’s impenetrable hide. In a show of raw strength, Heracles ultimately strangled the creature and brought its lifeless body back to Tiryns, instilling reverence yet fear in Eurystheus. Rejecting the lion, Eurystheus made Heracles skin it. The skin was then fashioned into a cloak, and the lion’s head became a helmet, marking Heracles’ signature look for all his subsequent escapades.
2. The Lernean Hydra
Following this triumph, Eurystheus assigned Heracles the daunting task of vanquishing the Hydra, a serpentine beast residing in a murky swamp near Lerna. This creature boasted numerous heads that would regenerate after being severed. Armed with a sword, Heracles attempted to attack the Hydra, but was met with failure as new heads sprouted from those he had cut off. Recognizing he needed assistance, he summoned Iolaüs, his charioteer, who brought a blazing brand to cauterize the stumps of the necks after Heracles decapitated each head. Together, they succeeded in eliminating all but one immortal head, which Heracles sealed beneath a massive stone. The Hydra’s venomous blood proved useful as Heracles dipped his arrows in it, making them lethal.
3. The Cerynitian Hind
Heracles’ next challenge involved capturing the sacred Cerynitian Hind, a deer with golden horns dedicated to Artemis. Given the hind’s sacredness, killing it was out of the question; Heracles had to capture it alive. After an extensive one-year pursuit across the Peloponnese woods, he successfully caught the deer in Arcadia, surprising it during its rest. En route back to Tiryns, he encountered Apollo and Artemis. While Artemis was initially displeased, she permitted the capture as long as it remained unharmed and was released afterwards.
4. Erymanthian Boar
Post the release of the hind, the next task saw Heracles tasked with capturing the Erymanthian Boar that had been wreaking havoc in the region. On his quest, he met Pholus, a polite centaur who welcomed him with hospitality. However, the hospitality drew attention from other centaurs, resulting in chaos as they sought to seize the wine available. Although they managed to ward off the centaurs, an unfortunate accident led to Pholus being fatally wounded by one of Heracles’ poisoned arrows. Subsequently, Heracles captured the boar by driving it into deep snow and transported it back alive to display to Eurystheus, who, terrified by the creature’s enormity, concealed himself in a pithos.
At this juncture, word spread across Greece about Jason’s quest for noble heroes to join him in his pursuit of the Golden Fleece. Temporarily stepping away from his tasks, Heracles became part of Jason’s crew but was soon left behind in Mysia while searching for his beloved Hylas. Unable to locate him, Heracles eventually returned to Tiryns to continue his labors.
5. Augeian Stables
Eurystheus then tasked Heracles with cleaning the Augeian Stables within a single day. King Augeias of Elis owned these stables, which had accumulated decades of filth. Proposing a deal for one-tenth of Augeias’ cattle, Heracles accomplished the feat by diverting two rivers to wash away the waste. However, once the task was completed, Augeias reneged on their agreement, leading to Heracles’ frustration and a return to Tiryns with no reward.
6. Stymphalian Birds
Next, Heracles was sent to eliminate the man-eating Stymphalian birds that had infested Lake Stymphalus. To drive the birds into flight, he created a loud clamor by clashing shields together, then skillfully picked them off with his arrows as they took to the skies.
7. The Cretan Bull
The seventh labor requested Heracles to capture the formidable Cretan bull, the progenitor of the Minotaur. After successfully trapping the bull, Heracles brought it back but soon set it free upon Eurystheus’ disinclination to keep such a beast. The bull eventually roamed to the vicinity of Athens, where Theseus subsequently killed it in his own quest.
8. The Mare of Diomedes
For his eighth task, Heracles was required to seize the man-eating mares of Diomedes, the King of Thrace. With assistance from his companion Abderus, Heracles successfully kidnapped the mares. However, the endeavor quickly turned tragic as Abderus was sadly devoured by the mares while Heracles was otherwise occupied dealing with Diomedes and his men. Mourning his lover, Heracles buried Abderus’ remains before transporting the mares back to Eurystheus, who again refused to keep them, allowing them to escape to their fate in the wild.
9. Hippolyte’s Belt
Heracles’ next challenge involved retrieving the belt owned by the Amazon queen Hippolyte. Accompanied by Theseus, they ventured into Themiscyra, where Hippolyte willingly agreed to hand over her belt. However, disaster struck when Hera, disguised as an Amazon, stirred the community against Heracles, leading to the queen’s death during the ensuing skirmish. Some accounts differ, suggesting Hippolyte was taken to Athens by Theseus, who made her the mother of his son, Hippolytus.
10. The Cattle of Geryon
Heracles was then ordered to pilfer the cattle belonging to Geryon, the three-bodied ruler of Erytheia, who owned a two-headed dog named Orthus as a guardian. Opting for a route via Africa, Heracles marked his journey at the Strait of Gibraltar. He encountered the sun god Helius, who lent him a golden cup to traverse to Erytheia. Upon arrival, Heracles fought and vanquished both Geryon and Orthus.
11. The Golden Apples of the Hesperides
Approaching the final stages of his tasks, Heracles set forth to gather the golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides. Seeking guidance from Prometheus, who he freed from torment, he was directed to enlist Atlas to retrieve the apples while he supported the world. Atlas complied but aimed to remain with the apples. Anticipating this betrayal, Heracles feigned agreement, asking Atlas to take the world’s burden temporarily. Once Atlas resumed his task, Heracles claimed the apples and delivered them to Eurystheus before returning them to their rightful place through Athena.
12. Cerberus
Heracles’ last labor was to recover Cerberus, the three-headed dog from Hades, without resorting to violence. After undergoing initiation into the Eleusinian Mysteries, he descended into the Underworld with Hermes’ guidance. Encountering friends Theseus and Peirithoüs, he freed Theseus before seeking permission from Hades to take Cerberus. Upon his triumph in retrieving the creature, Eurystheus hid until it was gone, and with his labors finally completed, Heracles regained his freedom and was promised immortality upon his eventual demise.
