The Labours of Herakles (Hercules) - Part 1, in the
Peloponnese
Throughout antiquity the Greek hero Herakles (Roman: Hercules)
was the subject of numerous stories and countless works of art.
According to mythology he was the son of Zeus, king of the gods,
and the mortal woman Alkmene. Herakles succeeded in his exploits in
spite of being opposed by Hera, the jealous wife of Zeus. He was a
precocious child: while still in his cradle he strangled two snakes
sent by Hera to attack him with his bare hands. To the Greeks he
was a larger-than-life character: both Superman and Everyman.
Though he heroically fought and killed monsters he also had many
human failings: he was quick-tempered, not terribly bright and fond
of wine, food and women.
The deeds and adventures of Herakles were many and various, but
the 'Twelve Labours of Herakles' are perhaps retold most often. The
twelve tasks were performed at the behest of Eurystheus, King of
Argos or Mycenae. Herakles was supported in his efforts by the
goddess Athena, and sometimes helped by his nephew Iolaos. The
first six labours took place in the Peloponnese, the second six
took the hero to the fringes of the Greek world and beyond.
Herakles' first labour in the Peloponnese was the killing of the
Nemean lion, a huge beast invulnerable to weapons. Herakles
strangled it with his bare hands, and ever afterwards wore its skin
as a cloak. Next the hero despatched the many-headed water-snake
known as the Hydra of Lerna, and the Erymanthian boar, a fierce
wild boar rampaging on Mount Erymanthos. It took him a year to
capture the Keryneian hind, a shy creature sacred to Artemis. The
goddess allowed him to take it to Eurystheus on the understanding
that he later let it go free. The Stymphalian birds, deadly
creatures who shot out their feathers like arrows, were his next
victims, while his final task in the Peloponnese was the cleansing
of the Augean stables. The cattle of King Augeias had fouled the
stables over many years, but the resourceful hero simply diverted
the course of a river to wash them clean.
For the final six labours of Herakles see 'Part 2 - beyond the
Greek world'.