Hercules and His 12 Labors

Herculse and HIs 12 Labors

Hercules is the Roman name for the Greek divine hero Heracles, who was the son of Zeus (Roman equivalent Jupiter) and the mortal Alcmene. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.

The Romans adapted the Greek hero's iconography and myths for their literature and art under the name Hercules. In later Western art and literature and in popular culture, Hercules is more commonly used than Heracles as the name of the hero. Hercules was a multifaceted figure with contradictory characteristics, which enabled later artists and writers to pick and choose how to represent him.

Hercules was made temporarily insane by his stepmother the Goddess Hera and as a result he killed his wife Megara, and their three children. When his sanity returned, he went to see the oracle in Delphi, She told him he must go and perform ten labors devised for him by Eurystheus king of Mycenae. Eurystheus devises a series of ten impossibly difficult tasks spurred on by the goddess Hera.

Reluctantly, Hercules agreed to submit to the will of the hated Eurystheus, to whom Hera had given the throne that Zeus had intended for Hercules. But fortunately for Hercules he had the help of Hermes and Athena, deities who showed up when he really needed help.