Heracles
Heracles performed twelve seemingly impossible labours as penance for killing his family in a madness sent by Hera — the most famous cycle of heroic tasks in mythology.
The Legend of Heracles
Driven mad by Hera, Heracles killed his own children in Thebes. Apollo's oracle at Delphi commanded him to serve King Eurystheus of Mycenae. He slew the Nemean Lion, killed the Hydra with Iolaus's help, captured the Cerynitian Hind sacred to Artemis, and brought back the Erymanthian Boar. He cleaned the Augean stables, drove off the Stymphalian Birds, captured the Cretan Bull of Poseidon, and tamed the Mares of Diomedes. He took Hippolyta's girdle from the Amazons, stole Geryon's cattle, fetched the Apples of the Hesperides with Atlas, and dragged Cerberus from Hades. Athena guided him throughout.
Parents
Zeus and Alcmene
Children
Many, including Hyllus
Symbols
Fun Fact
"Herculean" — meaning requiring enormous strength or effort — is one of the most common mythological adjectives in English.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Heracles
🗡 heroGreatest of all Greek heroes
The son of Zeus and Alcmene who performed twelve impossible labours and was the only hero to achieve full godhood after death.
Twelve Labours of Heracles
💭 conceptNarrative
The twelve impossible tasks imposed upon Heracles as penance for killing his family in a divine madness
Androgeos
🗡 heroAthletics, sacrifice
Son of King Minos whose murder at Athens caused the tribute of seven youths and seven maidens to the Minotaur
Aegyptus
🗡 heroNone recorded
A mythological king with fifty sons who demanded marriage to the fifty daughters of his brother Danaus, precipitating one of the most infamous mass killings in Greek mythology
Jason
🗡 heroLeader of the Argonauts
The hero who assembled the Argonauts and sailed to Colchis to retrieve the Golden Fleece, aided by Medea's sorcery.
Eurystheus
🗡 herofate
King of Mycenae who assigned Heracles his twelve labours, born prematurely through Hera's manipulation to gain power over the demigod.
Bellerophon
🗡 heroThe hero who tamed Pegasus
The Corinthian hero who tamed the winged horse Pegasus and slew the Chimera, but fell from heaven when he tried to reach Olympus.
Heracles
🗡 heroGreatest of the Greek heroes, demigod of strength
The greatest hero of Greek mythology, son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmene. Famous for his extraordinary strength and his Twelve Labors.
Megara
🗡 heroNone recorded
First wife of Heracles, given to him as a reward and later killed in his madness
Neleus
🗡 herokingship
Son of Poseidon and Tyro, founder of Pylos, father of Nestor, killed by Heracles for refusing purification.
Laomedon
🗡 herotreachery
King of Troy who cheated both Apollo and Poseidon of their wages and set the pattern of Trojan oath-breaking.
Perseus
🗡 heroHero who slew Medusa
The son of Zeus and Danae who beheaded Medusa, rescued Andromeda, and founded the Perseid dynasty of Mycenae.