The Story of Hercules

Quick Facts

• Quick Facts• The name Hercules is derived from the name “Hercle” means “Glory of Hera”• Hercules is a handsome, muscular young man.• 12 Labours of Hercules include:• Slay the Nemean Lion.• Slay the nine-headed Lernaean Hydra.• Capture the Golden Hind of Artemis.• Capture the Erymanthian Boar.• Clean the Augean stables in a single day.• Slay the Stymphalian Birds.• Capture the Cretan Bull.• Steal the Mares of Diomedes.• Obtain the girdle of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons.• Obtain the cattle of the monster Geryon.• Steal the apples of the Hesperides• Capture and bring back Cerberus.

• He is the God of strength, heroes, sports, athletes, health, agriculture, fertility, trade, oracles and divine protector of mankind.• Gate Keeper of Olympus• Hercules' first wife was Megara• He killed Megara and their children when he was cursed by Hera.• He Completed Twelve Labours in 12 Years

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The Story

•Hercules’ story begins with the story of his father Zeus. Zeus was the God of the Sky. He had a wife named Hera, which was also his own sister. Zeus being immortal and all thought he can have as many women as he wanted. He fooled around with many women and Hera kept on getting mad. One of the women that Zeus fooled around with was Alcmene. Alcmene gave to birth to twins, but the twins didn’t look anything like each other; one was big, the size of a 6 month old baby and had red hair growing already, while the other was much smaller and had the size of a regular baby and was bald. The smaller one was named Iphicles, and the other was named Hercules. Everyone thought that Hercules must be the son of a god.

•Soon the rumors spread all the way to Hera, and immediately she knew that it must be the son of Zeus. She was furious and then she asked for her brother Poseidon's help. She ask him for 2 serpents and she sent those serpents to kill Hercules. The serpents tried to crush Hercules and his brother, Iphicles, while they were sleeping. Hercules ended up choking the serpents to death. The nurses came back and later they found that Iphicles had some broken ribs but Hercules didn't.

•Hera had another plan to kill Hercules. It would take some time because she didn't want Zeus to find out that she killed his son. Hera went to Hercules and then she messed with his mind and when he saw his wife, he bashed her head in, and when he saw his children, he bash their heads in as well. When he was sane again he saw what he had done and wanted to go kill himself, luckily his friend Theseus was there to console him and keep him from killing himself. He was brought to Athens and he was not convicted of murder since he had no idea what was going on when his family died. Then they went to Delphi a priestess heard what happened and she told Hercules to go to the Taskmaker Eurytheus, which was the king of Mycanae.

• Eurytheus heard Hercules was coming to be his slave and he was ready to work him like a dog. He also was pushed by Hera to make Hercules die, Hera still couldn't ever forgive any son of Zeus that was not a son of hers. Eurytheus gave him twelve labors; the first labor was to kill the lion of Nemea. Next he had to kill the Hydra, and then he had to bring back a live stag that had golden horns. The fourth labor was to catch a boar that hid in Mount Erymanthus. Then he had to find a way to get rid of the Stymphalian Birds; after that he had to clean the Augean Stables. His seventh labor was to bring back a raging bull that has gone loose. The eighth labor was to kill the horses of King Diomedes. Number nine was to get back the girdle of the Amazon Queen, Hyppolyta. Next he had to bring Geryon’s oxen, and then he had to bring back the three-headed dog that belonged to hades. The final labor was to bring back the golden apples of Hesperides, which gives eternal life.

•After completing all twelve labors, which took twelve years, Hercules still had more adventures. He went to King Augeas who promised him 3000 oxen if Hercules could clean the stables in one day, Hercules did, but he didn’t get the oxen that was promised, so he came back to overthrow him and he replaced him with his son. Hercules then made the Olympics to celebrate the new king.

•Hercules also finds a new wife, Deianeira, the princess of Calydon. The river god Achelous was also trying to win Deianeira, so he turned into a bull to try to show how manly he was, but then Hercules challenges him to a fight and Hercules ends up winning. Hercules now has another wife and they go to Theban to live the rest of their lives.

•As they were heading back, the came in front of Nessus, a centaur that carried Deianeira across a river, but then Hercules saw that Nessus had his hands all over her so Hercules took a couple of arrows and shot the centaur, and before the centaur died, Nessus gave Deianeira some of his blood which he said was a love potion to make Hercules keep his love for Deianeira if Hercules ever loves another women.

• Hercules in another story meets a maiden named Viola, who is a very beautiful and sweet. Hercules wants to marry Viola, but his father wouldn’t let her, so Hercules kills her father and runs away with Viola. News of Hercules and Viola went to Deianeira and she was afraid that Hercules would not love her again, she used Nessus blood on a cape and puts in on Hercules, to her surprise the blood on Nessus can kill Hercules and Hercules was yelling in pain, Deianeira then realized that Nessus was just taking revenge on Hercules, so the Deianeira killed herself. Hercules then is burn by Filotetes, his human part is sent to Hades and his god part goes to Olympus

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