Things you didn't know about the 12 Labors of Hercules

The Greek divine hero Heracles, better known today by his Roman name, Hercules, is easily one of the most famous legendary heroes of Greek mythology. With strength as infamous as Sampson's, Hercules was likewise no stranger to tragedy and hardship. The impossible feats made possible by Hercules, which caused him to become a worldwide and long-lasting sensation in the popular culture and media of thousands of years of civilizations, were all undertaken in the divine hero's search for redemption. The stories of the 12 Labors of Hercules are as riveting today as they were in ancient Greece.

Intrigued? Read on to learn about the trials and tribulations of the Greek hero Hercules.

Who was Hercules?

Hercules, or Heracles as he was known in the times of the Ancient Greeks, was one of Greek and Roman mythology's most celebrated heroes. From birth, he exhibited exceptional physical prowess, and fit neatly into the ancient hero archetype.

The birth of Hercules

Hercules was the product of an affair between Zeus (pictured), king of the gods, and a mortal princess named Alcmene. While the traits inherited from his father made Hercules capable of superhuman feats, the circumstances of his birth earned him the scorn and hatred of Zeus' wife, Hera.

Hera's wrath

Hera was known for seeking revenge against her husband's illegitimate children, but seemed to harbor a particularly strong hatred for Hercules, and tried to kill the child on numerous occasions. Once, Hera sent snakes to baby Hercules' bed, but even as an infant he was able to strangle the snakes and emerge unharmed.

Hercules' madness

Later in life, after Hercules was married with children, Hera once again sought to destroy him, this time by cursing Hercules with a temporary madness that led him to kill his beloved wife and children. Once he came to his senses, Hercules realized he had destroyed what he loved most in his life.

Hercules consults the oracle

Lost, broken, and needing to atone for his atrocities, Hercules traveled to consult the legendary oracle of Delphi for guidance. The oracle told Hercules to pray to Apollo. Apollo, in turn, told Hercules that in his quest for atonement he must put himself at the service of King Eurystheus. Unbeknownst to Hercules. Eurystheus was under the influence of Hera, who told the king to assign Hercules a series of tasks that seemed impossible for any mortal to survive. Today, these are known as the 12 Labors of Hercules.

One: The Nemean lion

The Nemean lion, known to every Ancient Greek to be ferocious and supposedly invincible, did prove a formidable opponent, but Hercules was able to complete his first labor by famously strangling the beast. According to some legends, Hercules wore the lion's golden pelt as his only armor for the rest of his life.

Two: The Lernean hydra

The next task involved slaying an even more ferocious monster, the hydra of Lerna. This terrifying, nine-headed sea monster had allegedly been bred by Hera for the single goal of besting Hercules.

Killing the hydra proved much more difficult than slaying the Nemean lion. Eight of the hydra's nine heads regenerated any time Hercules cut them off, and the ninth head was immortal. To finally win, Hercules cauterized each head stump immediately after decapitation to make sure they couldn't grow back. For the final immortal head, Hercules used a golden sword that was gifted to him by the goddess Athena.

Three: The golden hind

Hercules' challenge had barely begun once he located the hind. As the chase began, Hercules and the hind were in hot pursuit for a full year, until the hero finally surprised the hind as it was sleeping and captured it in a net.

Four: The Erymanthian boar

With the help of Chiron, leader of the centaurs, Hercules was easily able to catch the beast and bring it to the king. The king, however, was immediately and inconsolably frightened by the boar, and begged Hercules to get rid of it. Regardless, one more labor had been completed on Hercules' road to redemption.

Five: The stables of King Augeas

Apparently the stables, which housed more than 1,000 cattle, hadn't been cleaned in 30 years. In a stroke of genius, Hercules didn't try to clean the stables by hand, but instead physically rerouted two nearby rivers to wash away all of the stables' filth.

Six: The Stymphalian birds

After entering the swamp where the birds resided, Hercules scared the birds into the air using a rattle gifted to him by Athena, and proceeded to shoot the birds out of the air one by one with his bow and arrow.

Seven: The Cretan bull

Hercules was able to sneak up behind the violent bull and choke it into submission. Hercules brought the bull back to Eurystheus, but the king let it loose soon afterwards in the city of Marathon, where it became known as the Marathonian bull.

Eight: The mares of Diomedes

Bringing a small army with him, Hercules quickly bested the Thracian army, and led the horses down to the sea. After one of the horses ate a close friend of Hercules, the hero brought Diomedes to the shore and fed him to his own horses.

Nine: The belt of Hippolyta

Hippolyta, a fan of Hercules who respected his strength and bravery, had initially agreed to gift him the belt without conflict. However, Hera infiltrated the Amazonian ranks and convinced Hippolyta's armies to attack Hercules and his men, believing they meant to kidnap Hippolyta. A bloody battle followed, and Hercules was forced to slay Hippolyta in order to get the belt.

Ten: The cattle of Geryon

After slaying Geryon's guard dog and shepherd with one swing of his club each, Hercules faced Geryon himself. It was a tough battle, but Hercules was eventually able to pierce Geryon's forehead with an arrow poisoned by the blood of the hydra.

Eleven: The golden apples of Hesperides

The 11th labor tasked Hercules with stealing the famed golden apples of the Hesperides, also known as the Western Nymphs. It was impossible for Hercules to enter the garden of the Hesperides, so he tricked the god Atlas, father of the nymphs, to fetch the apples for him.