The Twelve Labours
Twelve impossible tasks imposed on Heracles by King Eurystheus as penance for killing his own family in a madness sent by Hera.
The Meaning of The Twelve Labours
Hera, who had hated Heracles since his birth as proof of Zeus's infidelity, drove him mad. In his frenzy he killed his wife Megara and their children. When sanity returned, he sought purification from the Oracle at Delphi, who told him to serve King Eurystheus of Tiryns for twelve years.
The first labour was the Nemean Lion, whose hide no weapon could pierce. Heracles strangled it and wore its skin as armour. The second was the Lernaean Hydra, a serpent that grew two heads for every one cut off. With his nephew Iolaus cauterising each stump, Heracles defeated it and dipped his arrows in its venomous blood.
Role in Greek Thought
He captured the Ceryneian Hind sacred to Artemis, caught the Erymanthian Boar alive, and cleaned the vast Augean Stables by diverting two rivers through them in a single day. He drove away the Stymphalian Birds with a bronze rattle forged by Hephaestus.
The labours grew harder. He captured the Cretan Bull, tamed the man-eating Mares of Diomedes, and seized the girdle of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons. He stole the cattle of the triple-bodied giant Geryon from the far west.
Famous Examples
The final labours tested the boundary between the mortal and divine. He fetched the golden apples of the Hesperides, holding up the sky while Atlas retrieved them. His last task was the most fearsome — to bring Cerberus, the three-headed guardian of the Underworld, to the surface. Heracles wrestled the beast with his bare hands and carried it to Eurystheus, who hid in a bronze jar at the sight.
Symbols
Fun Fact
Eurystheus originally set ten labours, but refused to count the Hydra (Iolaus helped) and the Augean Stables (Heracles asked for payment), adding two more.
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
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💭 conceptNarrative
The twelve impossible tasks imposed upon Heracles as penance for killing his family in a divine madness
Herculean Task
💭 conceptExtreme difficulty, superhuman effort
A task requiring enormous strength or effort, from the twelve labours imposed on Heracles by King Eurystheus.
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💭 conceptpunishment, defiance
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💭 conceptNarrative
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💭 conceptNarrative
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💭 conceptFutility, endless repetition, pointless labour
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💭 conceptNarrative
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