Heracles: the 12 tasks

Heracles' prehistory

• Heracles was born to Zeus, the supreme god of the Greeks and the mortal wife Alcmene. Since he was a demigod, he had enormous strength - even as a child.
• Hera, the wife of Zeus, was not enthusiastic about her husband's work and could not enjoy the idea even after years. Because of this, she tried to kill Heracles through various interventions. Poisonous snakes and similar dangers were put in the way of the boy as a toddler, but he was able to master all of them. Zeus secretly supported his son and looked for ways to protect him.
• One day, Hercules was already an adult and had a wife, Hera let a ghost go astray and drive him crazy. In his madness he killed his wife and children. As compensation, he was supposed to complete 12 tasks, also known as the 12 deeds.
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The 12 tasks presented

• Heracles' first task was to kill the famous Nemean lion. This was a big cat whose fur could not be penetrated by a sword. The hero solved the problem by suffocating the animal.
• The second task is about the death of the hydra. But if you cut off one head, two new ones grew. The Greek burned the wounds and made sure that regrowth was no longer possible. He split the last head.


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• The third task was to capture the Kerynite doe. However, this is said to have had a higher speed than an arrow. Heracles caught them with a net after a year.
• Now it was about the Erymanthian Boar. It was easier to hunt because it was driven into a large field full of snow, where it quickly became tired.
• Then the hero was supposed to muck out large stables that were filled with a lot of dirt. Here, as with the previous tasks, he got creative and simply led two rivers through the stables.
• Now the Stymphalian birds should be killed. These were large birds that, as monsters, repeatedly harassed people. Heracles roused the birds and now shot them with poisoned arrows.
• The next task was to take the Greeks to the island of Crete, where they captured the bull of Poseidon. He brought it back and had also mastered this task.
• Now it was getting difficult. The hero was given the task of taming Diomedes' horses. The problem with this was that they were carnivorous. After they ate their own master, they were taken away.
• The last of the 12 tasks involved, among other things, the belt of the heroine Hippolyte, which he received directly. It was more difficult with the giant's herd of cattle, but they were defeated by the hero.
• The penultimate task was certainly interesting. There he had to pick a golden apple from the Hesprids. Atlas, who held the sky, took on this task for him, while the Greek had to hold the sky for him. When the man refused to return, Heracles briefly asked him to carry the burden again. This ruse enabled the hero to flee.
• Now all that was left to do was bring Kerberos from the underworld. It was a dog with three heads. Hades, its owner, allowed the trip - the work was done.