Heracles or Hercules—who is the hero of the 12 labors?

Dernière modification le 27/09/2026.

Also known as Hercules, Heracles is the greatest hero of Greek mythology for having completed his twelve labors.

Introduction

Heracles (Ἡρακλῆς) is a demigod, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, often described as one of—if not the greatest—Greek heroes because of the feats he accomplished through his Twelve Labors. Endowed with prodigious strength, he is often described as the personification of strength.

History

Birth

In order to seduce Alcmene, who lived in Thebes, Zeus took on the appearance of her husband Amphitryon—who was away on a journey—and asked Hypnos, the god of sleep, to put all men to sleep for three days. Deceived, she did not realize the ruse, and a few months later, she gave birth to two sons: Heracles, by Zeus, and Iphicles, by Amphitryon. Amphitryon did not recognize Heracles as his son, but raised him as such.

Hera’s Jealousy

Hera, Zeus’s jealous wife, did everything in her power to kill Heracles, the elder of the two children. So she delayed his birth and then placed two snakes in his cradle, but the child, endowed with prodigious strength, strangled them. His education was comprehensive; he learned the use of weapons and philosophy.

The Lion of Cithéron

While still young, he set out to hunt the lion of Cithéron. This beast was devouring the herds of Amphitryon and Thespios, and Heracles tracked it down for fifty nights. Thespios took him in and, seeing his courage, decided he was the perfect candidate to father his fifty daughters. And so, every night, one of his daughters slept with him—all but one, who refused, wishing to become a priestess.

After fifty days, Heracles managed to knock the lion unconscious with a club made of olive wood. He left after that and had fifty children by the daughters of Thespios; one of them gave birth to the twins Antileon and Hippeus.

Megara

Heracles went to Thebes, where the Mycenaean king Erginos was imposing a heavy tax on King Creon. Heracles defeated the Mycenaeans and their king. As a reward, Creon gave him the hand of his daughter, Megara (or Megare).

The years passed, and Heracles had children with Megara. Everything was going well, but Hera was not done yet; for she drove Heracles mad, and he killed his wife and children. Thespios purified him, and so that he might atone for his terrible sin, he sent him to the Temple of Delphi, to the Pythia, the oracle of Apollo.

She orders Heracles to go to his cousin Eurystheus. Eurystheus will give him twelve insurmountable tasks to complete, and he will have one year to accomplish each one. Once all these tasks are completed, he will be absolved of his sins. So Heracles goes to Eurystheus, who assigns him these twelve labors, each one a true challenge.

The Twelve Labors

1. Slay the Nemean Lion

This creature, the Sphinx’s brother, had skin so tough that nothing could pierce it. But Heracles strangled it and made armor out of its skin. After completing this labor, Eurystheus, deeply impressed by Heracles, would assign him the remaining labors from a distance.

2. Defeat the Lernaean Hydra

The Lernaean Hydra is a fearsome creature with nine heads—one of which is immortal—that lives in the marshes. When one of its mortal heads is cut off, two more grow back in its place.

Heracles cut off all the heads, then burned them so they would not grow back. Then he buried the last head—the one in the middle, which was immortal—under a rock. With the Hydra’s blood, he made a poison.

3. Capture the Cérynite Doe

This animal with golden horns belonged to Artemis. Heracles relentlessly tracked this tireless creature for a year. He followed it all the way to Hyperborea, where the beast, sufficiently exhausted, could be captured.

4. Bring back the Erymanthian Boar alive

This animal was enormous in size and possessed incredible strength. Heracles trapped it, chained it up, and carried it on his shoulders. During this quest, he faced several centaurs, one of whom, Pholos, wanted to offer him a taste of their wine.

5. Clean King Augeas’ stables in one day

Since they hadn’t been washed in years, they were in such a state of filth that they gave off an indescribable stench. Heracles, in addition to the challenge posed by the task itself, issued a challenge to Augeas: if he managed to complete the task, he would win one-tenth of the herd. So Augias, who didn’t believe it was possible, accepted. But Heracles diverted two nearby rivers and made them flow through the stables to clean them out; thus, he won the challenge.

6. Eliminate the birds from Lake Stymphalus

These birds had beaks, legs, and wings made of bronze. Heracles made a great deal of noise to flush them out and killed them as they fled.

7. Capture the Cretan Bull

He was the father of the Minotaur, whose breath was fiery. King Minos, having promised Poseidon to sacrifice to him the first animal to emerge from the water, led this magnificent bull out. Minos kept it in his herd and sacrificed another animal instead, which enraged Poseidon, who drove the bull mad. Heracles leaped onto the bull and led it to Eurystheus, who then set it free.

8. Remove Diomedes’ mares

These mares were unique in that they were fed human flesh. Heracles managed to become the stablemaster and then stole them away. Pursued by Diomedes’ men, he brought the herd to safety, then dealt with his pursuers, led by Diomedes. Not content merely to defeat them, Heracles fed Diomedes to the herd.

9. Bring back the Amazon Queen’s belt

This belt belonged to the current queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta. Heracles met her and seduced her. She was about to give him her belt, but in the meantime, Hera—disguised as an Amazon—convinced the Amazons that Heracles intended to kidnap their queen. They attacked him, and he, believing he had been betrayed by Hippolyta, killed her. He took her belt and then defeated all the Amazons who were in hot pursuit of him.

10. Steal Geryon’s magnificent herd

After killing Orthros, the two-headed dog guarding the herd, Heracles had to face Geryon, the creature with three heads, six hands, and three bodies joined at the waist. Once victorious, he brought the herd back to Eurystheus, who offered it as a sacrifice to Hera.

11. Bring back the golden apples from the Garden of the Hesperides

In the Garden of the Hesperides lived the giant Atlas, who was tasked with carrying the Earth on his shoulders. The giant, knowing where the golden apples were, offered to pick them for Heracles on the condition that Heracles take his place for a moment to carry the world. Atlas hesitated because he feared the serpent Ladon, who guarded the tree. Heracles slew the monster with a single arrow, then took the giant’s place to carry the Earth while he picked the apples.

Atlas returned with the apples and suggested to Heracles that he carry them back himself (and regain his freedom in the process). Heracles agreed, but he asked Atlas to take the Earth back for a moment so he could place a cushion under his shoulders. Atlas agreed, but fell into the trap: he once again had the Earth on his shoulders, and Heracles was able to leave with the apples.

12. Bring back Cerberus, the guardian dog of the Underworld

Heracles descended into the Underworld and found Cerberus guarding the gates. He fought with his bare hands against the fearsome hound that prevented the living from entering the Underworld and the dead from leaving it.

He finally managed to tie up its legs and bring it back to Eurystheus, who hid inside a jar, frightened by the beast. Eurystheus then asked him to take Cerberus back to the Underworld.

Omphale and Dejanira

After this final labor, Heracles was free, but his adventures were not over. He killed a prince and found himself enslaved by Omphale, the queen of Lydia. She forced him to dress as a woman and perform women’s tasks, such as sewing. Later, once free again, he met Deianira on his journey and saved her just as she was about to be assaulted by a centaur. He married her shortly thereafter, but she would later be the cause of his downfall.

One day, upon returning from war, Heracles fell in love with one of the prisoners from the countryside, named Iole. Jealous, Deianira then made a poisoned tunic. She gave it to her husband, who died after putting it on. Heracles then ascended Mount Olympus, where he became a god. Against all expectations, he reconciled with Hera and even went so far as to help her later on. Thus, for example, he is found among Jason’s Argonauts on their quest for the Golden Fleece.

“He wandered across the vast land and sea, and suffered; but he triumphed through his valor, and, alone, he accomplished many daring and unparalleled feats.”
Homeric Hymn