The Labors of Hercules
British Museum Collection (150-180 AD Roman Sarcophagi depicting the various labors of Hercules)
The most popular of Greek heroes, Hercules (Herakles) was celebrated in stories, sculptures, paintings and coins. He was born in Thebes, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, Amphitryon's wife, and the twin brother of Iphicles, while his mortal parents were in exile from Argolis, their true homeland. Amphitryon, his mortal father, was a grand-son of Perseus, the legendary founder of Mycenae, and Alcmene, his mother, was Amphitryon's cousin, herself a grand-daughter of Perseus. Because of Hera's jealousy of Alcmene, Heracles was deprived of the kingdom of Mycenae in favor of his father's cousin Eurystheus, yet another grand-son of Perseus, who later subjected him to his famous labors.
The legends relating to Heracles are so many that it is impossible to quote them all here. While a baby, he managed to suck the breast of Hera in order to acquire immortality, despite her hatred for him. When he and his twin brother were still toddlers, one night they were asleep, Hera introduced two monstrous snakes in their room. While Iphicles started to cry as soon as he saw the snakes, Heracles seized one in each hand and suffocated them. This is how Amphitryon found out which one was his son and which one was Zeus'. Heracles grew to gigantic proportions and soon started to undertake wondrous deeds.
The goddess Hera, determined to make trouble for Hercules, made him lose his mind. In a confused and angry state, he killed his own wife and children. When he awoke from his temporary insanity, Hercules was shocked and upset by what he had done. He prayed to the god Apollo for guidance, and the god's oracle told him he would have to serve Eurystheus, the king of Tiryns and Mycenae, for twelve years, in punishment for the murders. As part of his sentence, Hercules had to perform twelve Labors, feats so difficult that they seemed impossible. Fortunately, Hercules had the help of Hermes and Athena, sympathetic deities who showed up when he really needed help. By the end of these Labors, Hercules was, without a doubt, Greece's greatest hero.His struggles made Hercules the perfect embodiment of an idea the Greeks called pathos, the experience of virtuous struggle and suffering which would lead to fame and, in Hercules' case, immortality.
The legends relating to Heracles are so many that it is impossible to quote them all here. While a baby, he managed to suck the breast of Hera in order to acquire immortality, despite her hatred for him. When he and his twin brother were still toddlers, one night they were asleep, Hera introduced two monstrous snakes in their room. While Iphicles started to cry as soon as he saw the snakes, Heracles seized one in each hand and suffocated them. This is how Amphitryon found out which one was his son and which one was Zeus'. Heracles grew to gigantic proportions and soon started to undertake wondrous deeds.
The goddess Hera, determined to make trouble for Hercules, made him lose his mind. In a confused and angry state, he killed his own wife and children. When he awoke from his temporary insanity, Hercules was shocked and upset by what he had done. He prayed to the god Apollo for guidance, and the god's oracle told him he would have to serve Eurystheus, the king of Tiryns and Mycenae, for twelve years, in punishment for the murders. As part of his sentence, Hercules had to perform twelve Labors, feats so difficult that they seemed impossible. Fortunately, Hercules had the help of Hermes and Athena, sympathetic deities who showed up when he really needed help. By the end of these Labors, Hercules was, without a doubt, Greece's greatest hero.His struggles made Hercules the perfect embodiment of an idea the Greeks called pathos, the experience of virtuous struggle and suffering which would lead to fame and, in Hercules' case, immortality.
Labor 1 - Nemean Lion
Initially, Hercules was required to complete ten labors, not twelve. King Eurystheus decided Hercules' first task would be to bring him the skin of an invulnerable lion which terrorized the hills around Nemea.
Setting out on such a seemingly impossible labor, Hercules came to a town called Cleonae, where he stayed at the house of a poor workman-for-hire, Molorchus. When his host offered to sacrifice an animal to pray for a safe lion hunt, Hercules asked him to wait 30 days. If the hero returned with the lion's skin, they would sacrifice to Zeus, king of the gods. If Hercules died trying to kill the lion, Molorchus agreed to sacrifice instead to Hercules, as a hero.
When Hercules got to Nemea and began tracking the terrible lion, he soon discovered his arrows were useless against the beast. Hercules picked up his club and went after the lion. Following it to a cave which had two entrances, Hercules blocked one of the doorways, then approached the fierce lion through the other. Grasping the lion in his mighty arms, and ignoring its powerful claws, he held it tightly until he'd choked it to death. Hercules returned to Cleonae, carrying the dead lion, and found Molorchus on the 30th day after he'd left for the hunt. Instead of sacrificing to Hercules as a dead man, Molorchus and Hercules were able to sacrifice together, to Zeus.
When Hercules made it back to Mycenae, Eurystheus was amazed that the hero had managed such an impossible task. The king became afraid of Hercules, and forbade him from entering through the gates of the city. Furthermore, Eurystheus had a large bronze jar made and buried partway in the earth, where he could hide from Hercules if need be. After that, Eurystheus sent his commands to Hercules through a herald, refusing to see the powerful hero face to face.
Initially, Hercules was required to complete ten labors, not twelve. King Eurystheus decided Hercules' first task would be to bring him the skin of an invulnerable lion which terrorized the hills around Nemea.
Setting out on such a seemingly impossible labor, Hercules came to a town called Cleonae, where he stayed at the house of a poor workman-for-hire, Molorchus. When his host offered to sacrifice an animal to pray for a safe lion hunt, Hercules asked him to wait 30 days. If the hero returned with the lion's skin, they would sacrifice to Zeus, king of the gods. If Hercules died trying to kill the lion, Molorchus agreed to sacrifice instead to Hercules, as a hero.
When Hercules got to Nemea and began tracking the terrible lion, he soon discovered his arrows were useless against the beast. Hercules picked up his club and went after the lion. Following it to a cave which had two entrances, Hercules blocked one of the doorways, then approached the fierce lion through the other. Grasping the lion in his mighty arms, and ignoring its powerful claws, he held it tightly until he'd choked it to death. Hercules returned to Cleonae, carrying the dead lion, and found Molorchus on the 30th day after he'd left for the hunt. Instead of sacrificing to Hercules as a dead man, Molorchus and Hercules were able to sacrifice together, to Zeus.
When Hercules made it back to Mycenae, Eurystheus was amazed that the hero had managed such an impossible task. The king became afraid of Hercules, and forbade him from entering through the gates of the city. Furthermore, Eurystheus had a large bronze jar made and buried partway in the earth, where he could hide from Hercules if need be. After that, Eurystheus sent his commands to Hercules through a herald, refusing to see the powerful hero face to face.
SICILY, Syracuse. Double Decadrachm ca. 400 B.C. Herakles wrestling Nemean lion
CALABRIA, Tarentum. Circa 325-280 BC. AR Diobol 1.30g. Herakles wrestling the Nemean Lion. Vlasto 1348 (image courtesy of CNG)
CILICIA. Tarsos (c.370 B.C.), AR Stater, 10.68g. (image courtesy of NY sale 27)
EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Drachm Hercules 1st Labor Nemean Lion
LYDIA, Blaundus. Caracalla. 32mm Hercules and the Nemean lion (image courtesy of CNG)
BITHYNIA, Nicaea. Gordian III. AD 238-244. Æ Hectassarion (32mm, 18.21 g, 1h). radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust left, holding spear and shield decorated with gorgoneion, Hercules reclining left upon lion advancing. RG 710,700 (image courtesy of CNG; ex. Bill Hearn Collection)
Labor 2 - Lernean Hydra
The second labor of Hercules was to kill the Lernean Hydra. From the murky waters of the swamps near a place called Lerna, the hydra would rise up and terrorize the countryside. A monstrous serpent with nine heads, the hydra attacked with poisonous venom. One of the nine heads was immortal and therefore indestructible.
Hercules set off to hunt the nine-headed menace, but he did not go alone. His trusty nephew, Iolaus, was by his side. Iolaus, who shared many adventures with Hercules, accompanied him on many of the twelve labors. Legend has it that Iolaus won a victory in chariot racing at the Olympics and he is often depicted as Hercules' charioteer. So, the pair drove to Lerna and by the springs of Amymone, they discovered the lair of the hydra.
First, Hercules lured the creature from the safety of its den by shooting flaming arrows at it. Once the hydra emerged, Hercules seized it. The monster was not so easily overcome, though, for it wound one of its coils around Hercules' foot and made it impossible for the hero to escape. With his club, Hercules attacked the many heads of the hydra, but as soon as he smashed one head, two more would burst forth in its place! To make matters worse, the hydra had a friend of its own, a huge crab began biting the trapped foot of Hercules. Quickly disposing of this nuisance, most likely with a swift bash of his club, Hercules called on Iolaus to help him out of this tricky situation.
Each time Hercules bashed one of the hydra's heads, Iolaus held a torch to the headless tendons of the neck. The flames prevented the growth of replacement heads, and finally, Hercules had the better of the beast. Once he had removed and destroyed the eight mortal heads, Hercules chopped off the ninth, immortal head. This he buried at the side of the road leading from Lerna to Elaeus, and for good measure, he covered it with a heavy rock. As for the rest of the hapless hydra, Hercules slit open the corpse and dipped his arrows in the venomous blood. Eurystheus was not impressed with Hercules' feat, however. He said that since Iolaus had helped his uncle, this labor should not count as one of the ten.
The second labor of Hercules was to kill the Lernean Hydra. From the murky waters of the swamps near a place called Lerna, the hydra would rise up and terrorize the countryside. A monstrous serpent with nine heads, the hydra attacked with poisonous venom. One of the nine heads was immortal and therefore indestructible.
Hercules set off to hunt the nine-headed menace, but he did not go alone. His trusty nephew, Iolaus, was by his side. Iolaus, who shared many adventures with Hercules, accompanied him on many of the twelve labors. Legend has it that Iolaus won a victory in chariot racing at the Olympics and he is often depicted as Hercules' charioteer. So, the pair drove to Lerna and by the springs of Amymone, they discovered the lair of the hydra.
First, Hercules lured the creature from the safety of its den by shooting flaming arrows at it. Once the hydra emerged, Hercules seized it. The monster was not so easily overcome, though, for it wound one of its coils around Hercules' foot and made it impossible for the hero to escape. With his club, Hercules attacked the many heads of the hydra, but as soon as he smashed one head, two more would burst forth in its place! To make matters worse, the hydra had a friend of its own, a huge crab began biting the trapped foot of Hercules. Quickly disposing of this nuisance, most likely with a swift bash of his club, Hercules called on Iolaus to help him out of this tricky situation.
Each time Hercules bashed one of the hydra's heads, Iolaus held a torch to the headless tendons of the neck. The flames prevented the growth of replacement heads, and finally, Hercules had the better of the beast. Once he had removed and destroyed the eight mortal heads, Hercules chopped off the ninth, immortal head. This he buried at the side of the road leading from Lerna to Elaeus, and for good measure, he covered it with a heavy rock. As for the rest of the hapless hydra, Hercules slit open the corpse and dipped his arrows in the venomous blood. Eurystheus was not impressed with Hercules' feat, however. He said that since Iolaus had helped his uncle, this labor should not count as one of the ten.
EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Drachm Hercules 2nd labor The Lernean Hydra
EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Drachm Hercules 2nd labor The Lernean Hydra
Gordian III. 35mm Hercules and Lernean Hydra
THRACE, Hadrianopolis. Gordian III. 25mm Hercules and Lernian Hydra (image courtesy of CNG)
CILICIA, Tarsus. Caracalla Herakles Hydra. (image courtesy of Busso Peus)
Labor 3 - Hind of Cerynei
For the third labor, Eurystheus ordered Hercules to bring him the Hind of Ceryneia. Ceryneia is a town in Greece, about 50 miles from Eurystheus' palace in Mycenae. A hind is simply a female red deer. One might think it would have been easy for a hero like Hercules to go shoot a deer and bring it back to Eurystheus, but this was no ordinary deer. This was a special deer, because it had golden horns and hoofs of bronze. Not only that, the deer was sacred to the goddess of hunting and the moon, Diana. That meant that Hercules could neither kill the deer nor hurt her.
Hercules set out on this adventure, and he hunted the deer for a whole year. At last, when the deer had become weary with the chase, she looked for a place to rest on a mountain called Artemisius, and then made her way to the river Ladon. Realizing that the deer was about to get away, Hercules shot her just as she was about to cross the stream. He caught the deer, put her on his shoulders and turned back to Mycenae. As Hercules hurried on his way, he was met by Diana and Apollo. Diana was very angry because Hercules tried to kill her sacred animal. She was about to take the deer away from Hercules, and surely she would have punished him, but Hercules told her the truth. He said that he had to obey the oracle and do the labors Eurystheus had given him. Diana let go of her anger and healed the deer's wound. Hercules carried it alive to Mycenae.
For the third labor, Eurystheus ordered Hercules to bring him the Hind of Ceryneia. Ceryneia is a town in Greece, about 50 miles from Eurystheus' palace in Mycenae. A hind is simply a female red deer. One might think it would have been easy for a hero like Hercules to go shoot a deer and bring it back to Eurystheus, but this was no ordinary deer. This was a special deer, because it had golden horns and hoofs of bronze. Not only that, the deer was sacred to the goddess of hunting and the moon, Diana. That meant that Hercules could neither kill the deer nor hurt her.
Hercules set out on this adventure, and he hunted the deer for a whole year. At last, when the deer had become weary with the chase, she looked for a place to rest on a mountain called Artemisius, and then made her way to the river Ladon. Realizing that the deer was about to get away, Hercules shot her just as she was about to cross the stream. He caught the deer, put her on his shoulders and turned back to Mycenae. As Hercules hurried on his way, he was met by Diana and Apollo. Diana was very angry because Hercules tried to kill her sacred animal. She was about to take the deer away from Hercules, and surely she would have punished him, but Hercules told her the truth. He said that he had to obey the oracle and do the labors Eurystheus had given him. Diana let go of her anger and healed the deer's wound. Hercules carried it alive to Mycenae.
EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Drachm Hercules 3rd labor The Hind of Cerynei
THRACE, Perinthus. Caracalla AD after 211. Æ Medallion 39.91g Hercules subdues the Cerynean Hind (image courtesy of NAC)
PONTUS, Sebastopolis-Heracleopolis. Septimius Severus. 193-211 A.D. 30mm Hercules captures the Cerynean Hind
Probus 276-282 AD
AV Aureus 21 mm, 6.50g, 11h
Siscia Mint
Obv: IMP C M AVR PROBVS P F
AVG Laureate bust of Probus to left,
wearing imperial mantle and holding
eagle-tipped scepter in his right hand.
Rev: HERCVLI ARCADIO Hercules'
3rd labour, the Ceryneian Hind:
Hercules to right, kneeling on back of
the Ceryneian Hind with his left knee,
grasping its antlers with both hands.
Ref: Cf. Calicó 4155a (obv legend/bust).
Pink VI/1, -. Cf. RIC. 585 (obv legend/bust).
unpublished variety; plugged/repaired at 1h
(formerly Author's collection)
Labor 4 - Erymanthean Boar
For the fourth labor, Eurystheus ordered Hercules to bring him the Erymanthian boar alive. Now, a boar is a huge, wild pig with a bad temper, and tusks growing out of its mouth. This one was called the Erymanthian boar, because it lived on a mountain called Erymanthus. Every day the boar would come crashing down from his lair on the mountain, attacking men and animals all over the countryside, gouging them with its tusks, and destroying everything in its path.
On his way to hunt the boar, Hercules stopped to visit his friend Pholus, who was a centaur and lived in a cave near Mount Erymanthus. Hercules was hungry and thirsty, so the kindly centaur cooked Hercules some meat in the fireplace, while he himself ate his meat raw.
When Hercules asked for wine, Pholus said that he was afraid to open the wine jar, because it belonged to all the centaurs in common. But Hercules said not to worry, and opened it himself. Soon afterward the rest of the centaurs smelled the wine and came to Pholus's cave. They were angry that someone was drinking all of their wine. The first two who dared to enter were armed with rocks and fir trees. Hercules grabbed burning sticks from the fireplace and threw them at the centaurs, then went after them with his club. He shot arrows at the rest of them and chased after them for about twenty miles. The rest of the centaurs fled in different directions. One of the centaurs, Chiron, received a wound that no amount of medicine would heal.
While Hercules was gone, Pholus pulled an arrow from the body of one of the dead centaurs. He wondered that so little a thing could kill such a big creature. Suddenly, the arrow slipped from his hand. It fell onto his foot and killed him on the spot. So when Hercules returned, he found Pholus dead. He buried his centaur friend, and proceeded to hunt the boar.
It wasn't too hard for Hercules to find the boar. He could hear the beast snorting and stomping as it rooted around for something to eat. Hercules chased the boar round and round the mountain, shouting as loud as he could. The boar, frightened and out of breath, hid in a thicket. Hercules poked his spear into the thicket and drove the exhausted animal into a deep patch of snow. Then he trapped the boar in a net, and carried it all the way to Mycenae.
For the fourth labor, Eurystheus ordered Hercules to bring him the Erymanthian boar alive. Now, a boar is a huge, wild pig with a bad temper, and tusks growing out of its mouth. This one was called the Erymanthian boar, because it lived on a mountain called Erymanthus. Every day the boar would come crashing down from his lair on the mountain, attacking men and animals all over the countryside, gouging them with its tusks, and destroying everything in its path.
On his way to hunt the boar, Hercules stopped to visit his friend Pholus, who was a centaur and lived in a cave near Mount Erymanthus. Hercules was hungry and thirsty, so the kindly centaur cooked Hercules some meat in the fireplace, while he himself ate his meat raw.
When Hercules asked for wine, Pholus said that he was afraid to open the wine jar, because it belonged to all the centaurs in common. But Hercules said not to worry, and opened it himself. Soon afterward the rest of the centaurs smelled the wine and came to Pholus's cave. They were angry that someone was drinking all of their wine. The first two who dared to enter were armed with rocks and fir trees. Hercules grabbed burning sticks from the fireplace and threw them at the centaurs, then went after them with his club. He shot arrows at the rest of them and chased after them for about twenty miles. The rest of the centaurs fled in different directions. One of the centaurs, Chiron, received a wound that no amount of medicine would heal.
While Hercules was gone, Pholus pulled an arrow from the body of one of the dead centaurs. He wondered that so little a thing could kill such a big creature. Suddenly, the arrow slipped from his hand. It fell onto his foot and killed him on the spot. So when Hercules returned, he found Pholus dead. He buried his centaur friend, and proceeded to hunt the boar.
It wasn't too hard for Hercules to find the boar. He could hear the beast snorting and stomping as it rooted around for something to eat. Hercules chased the boar round and round the mountain, shouting as loud as he could. The boar, frightened and out of breath, hid in a thicket. Hercules poked his spear into the thicket and drove the exhausted animal into a deep patch of snow. Then he trapped the boar in a net, and carried it all the way to Mycenae.
EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Drachm Hercules 4th labor Erymanthean boar (image courtesy of CNG/Triton XI)
THRACE, Perinthus. Septimius Severus. AD 193-211. Æ Medallion 40mm Erymanthian Boar (image courtesy of CNG)
BITHYNIA, Nicaea. Marcus Aurelius. 28mm 15.63 g. Heracles and the Erymanthian boar unpublished (image courtesy of CNG)
Labor 5 - Augean Stables
For the fifth labor, Eurystheus ordered Hercules to clean up King Augeas' stables. Hercules knew this job would mean getting dirty and smelly, but sometimes even a hero has to do these things. Then Eurystheus made Hercules' task even harder, he had to clean up after the cattle of Augeas in a single day.
Now King Augeas owned more cattle than anyone in Greece. Some say that he was a son of one of the great gods, and others that he was a son of a mortal.
Every night the cowherds, goatherds and shepherds drove the thousands of animals to the stables. Hercules went to King Augeas, and without telling anything about Eurystheus, said that he would clean out the stables in one day, if Augeas would give him a tenth of his fine cattle.
Augeas couldn't believe his ears, but promised. Hercules brought Augeas's son along to watch. First the hero tore a big opening in the wall of the cattle yard where the stables were. Then he made another opening in the wall on the opposite side of the yard. Next, he dug wide trenches to two rivers which flowed nearby. He turned the course of the rivers into the yard. The rivers rushed through the stables, flushing them out, and all the mess flowed out the hole in the wall on other side of the yard.
When Augeas learned that Eurystheus was behind all this, he would not pay Hercules his reward. Not only that, he denied that he had even promised to pay a reward. Augeas said that if Hercules didn't like it, he could take the matter to a judge to decide. The judge took his seat. Hercules called the son of Augeas to testify. The boy swore that his father had agreed to give Hercules a reward. The judge ruled that Hercules would have to be paid. In a rage, Augeas ordered both his own son and Hercules to leave his kingdom at once. So the boy went to the north country to live with his aunts, and Hercules headed back to Mycenae. But Eurystheus said that this labor didn't count, because Hercules was paid for having done the work.
For the fifth labor, Eurystheus ordered Hercules to clean up King Augeas' stables. Hercules knew this job would mean getting dirty and smelly, but sometimes even a hero has to do these things. Then Eurystheus made Hercules' task even harder, he had to clean up after the cattle of Augeas in a single day.
Now King Augeas owned more cattle than anyone in Greece. Some say that he was a son of one of the great gods, and others that he was a son of a mortal.
Every night the cowherds, goatherds and shepherds drove the thousands of animals to the stables. Hercules went to King Augeas, and without telling anything about Eurystheus, said that he would clean out the stables in one day, if Augeas would give him a tenth of his fine cattle.
Augeas couldn't believe his ears, but promised. Hercules brought Augeas's son along to watch. First the hero tore a big opening in the wall of the cattle yard where the stables were. Then he made another opening in the wall on the opposite side of the yard. Next, he dug wide trenches to two rivers which flowed nearby. He turned the course of the rivers into the yard. The rivers rushed through the stables, flushing them out, and all the mess flowed out the hole in the wall on other side of the yard.
When Augeas learned that Eurystheus was behind all this, he would not pay Hercules his reward. Not only that, he denied that he had even promised to pay a reward. Augeas said that if Hercules didn't like it, he could take the matter to a judge to decide. The judge took his seat. Hercules called the son of Augeas to testify. The boy swore that his father had agreed to give Hercules a reward. The judge ruled that Hercules would have to be paid. In a rage, Augeas ordered both his own son and Hercules to leave his kingdom at once. So the boy went to the north country to live with his aunts, and Hercules headed back to Mycenae. But Eurystheus said that this labor didn't count, because Hercules was paid for having done the work.
EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Drachm Hercules 5th labor mucking out Augean stables
(image courtesy of CNG; ex. Bill Hearn collection)
EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. 138-161 AD. Æ Drachm Augean Stables (image courtesy of CNG)
Labor 6 - Stymphalian Birds
After Hercules returned from his success in the Augean stables, Eurystheus came up with an even more difficult task. For the sixth Labor, Hercules was to drive away an enormous flock of birds which gathered at a lake near the town of Stymphalos.
Arriving at the lake, which was deep in the woods, Hercules had no idea how to drive the huge gathering of birds away. The goddess Athena came to his aid, providing a pair of bronze krotala, noisemaking clappers similar to castanets. These were no ordinary noisemakers. They had been made by an immortal craftsman, Hephaistos, the god of the forge.
Climbing a nearby mountain, Hercules clashed the krotala loudly, scaring the birds out of the trees, then shot them with bow and arrow, or possibly with a slingshot, as they took flight. Some versions of the legend say that these Stymphalian birds were vicious man-eaters. Pausanias wrote that during his time a type of bird from the Arabian desert was called Stymphalian, describing them as equal to lions or leopards in their fierceness. He speculated that the birds Hercules encountered in the legend were similar to these Arabian birds.
After Hercules returned from his success in the Augean stables, Eurystheus came up with an even more difficult task. For the sixth Labor, Hercules was to drive away an enormous flock of birds which gathered at a lake near the town of Stymphalos.
Arriving at the lake, which was deep in the woods, Hercules had no idea how to drive the huge gathering of birds away. The goddess Athena came to his aid, providing a pair of bronze krotala, noisemaking clappers similar to castanets. These were no ordinary noisemakers. They had been made by an immortal craftsman, Hephaistos, the god of the forge.
Climbing a nearby mountain, Hercules clashed the krotala loudly, scaring the birds out of the trees, then shot them with bow and arrow, or possibly with a slingshot, as they took flight. Some versions of the legend say that these Stymphalian birds were vicious man-eaters. Pausanias wrote that during his time a type of bird from the Arabian desert was called Stymphalian, describing them as equal to lions or leopards in their fierceness. He speculated that the birds Hercules encountered in the legend were similar to these Arabian birds.
EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Drachm Hercules 6th labor Stymphalian birds. (image courtesy of CNG/Triton XI)
ARKADIA, Stymphalos. Circa 350 BC. Obol .90g. Head of Stymphalian bird. BCD 1703
Moesia inferior, Nikopolis ad Istrum, Septimius Severus, AD 193-211 Hercules and Stymphalian birds.
Labor 7 - Cretan Bull
After dealing with the Stymphalian Birds, Hercules easily disposed of the Cretan Bull. At that time, Minos, King of Crete, controlled many of the islands in the seas around Greece, and was such a powerful ruler that the Athenians sent him tribute every year.
There are many bull stories about Crete. Zeus, in the shape of a bull, had carried Minos' mother Europa to Crete, and the Cretans were fond of the sport of bull leaping, in which contestants grabbed the horns of a bull and were thrown over its back. Minos himself, in order to prove his claim to the throne, had promised the sea god Poseidon that he would sacrifice whatever the god sent him from the sea. Poseidon sent a bull, but Minos thought it was too beautiful to kill, and so he sacrificed another bull. Poseidon was furious with Minos for breaking his promise. In his anger, he made the bull rampage all over Crete, and caused Minos' wife Pasiphae to fall in love with the animal. As a result, Pasiphae gave birth to the Minotaur, a monster with the head of a bull and the body of a man. Minos had to shut up this beast in the Labyrinth, a huge maze underneath the palace, and every year he fed it prisoners from Athens.
When Hercules got to Crete, he easily wrestled the bull to the ground and drove it back to King Eurystheus. Eurystheus let the bull go free. It wandered around Greece, terrorizing the people, and ended up in Marathon, near Athens. Hercules then drove the bull back to Mycenae where the Athenian hero Theseus killed the Cretan Bull. Later, he sailed to Crete, found his way to the center of the Labyrinth, and killed the Minotaur as well (see Theseus mythology section).
After dealing with the Stymphalian Birds, Hercules easily disposed of the Cretan Bull. At that time, Minos, King of Crete, controlled many of the islands in the seas around Greece, and was such a powerful ruler that the Athenians sent him tribute every year.
There are many bull stories about Crete. Zeus, in the shape of a bull, had carried Minos' mother Europa to Crete, and the Cretans were fond of the sport of bull leaping, in which contestants grabbed the horns of a bull and were thrown over its back. Minos himself, in order to prove his claim to the throne, had promised the sea god Poseidon that he would sacrifice whatever the god sent him from the sea. Poseidon sent a bull, but Minos thought it was too beautiful to kill, and so he sacrificed another bull. Poseidon was furious with Minos for breaking his promise. In his anger, he made the bull rampage all over Crete, and caused Minos' wife Pasiphae to fall in love with the animal. As a result, Pasiphae gave birth to the Minotaur, a monster with the head of a bull and the body of a man. Minos had to shut up this beast in the Labyrinth, a huge maze underneath the palace, and every year he fed it prisoners from Athens.
When Hercules got to Crete, he easily wrestled the bull to the ground and drove it back to King Eurystheus. Eurystheus let the bull go free. It wandered around Greece, terrorizing the people, and ended up in Marathon, near Athens. Hercules then drove the bull back to Mycenae where the Athenian hero Theseus killed the Cretan Bull. Later, he sailed to Crete, found his way to the center of the Labyrinth, and killed the Minotaur as well (see Theseus mythology section).
EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Drachm Hercules 7th labor Cretan bull capture. (image courtesy of CNG/Triton XI)
MOESIA INFERIOR, Nicopolis ad Istrum. Septimius Severus. AD 193-211. Pentassarion Cretan Bull. (image courtesy of CNG/Triton XI)
Labor 8 - Horses of Diomedes
After Hercules had captured the Cretan Bull, Eurystheus sent him to get the man-eating mares of Diomedes, the king of a Thracian tribe called the Bistones, and bring them back to him in Mycenae.
According to Apollodorus, Hercules sailed with a band of volunteers across the Aegean to Bistonia. There he and his companions overpowered the grooms who were tending the horses, and drove them to the sea. But by the time he got there, the Bistones had realized what had happened, and they sent a band of soldiers to recapture the animals. To free himself to fight, Hercules entrusted the mares to a youth named Abderos. Unfortunately, the mares got the better of young Abderos and dragged him around until he was killed.
Meanwhile Hercules fought the Bistones, killed Diomedes, and made the rest flee. In honor of the slain Abderos, Hercules founded the city of Abdera. The hero took the mares back to Eurystheus, but Eurystheus set them free. The mares wandered around until eventually they came to Mount Olympos, the home of the gods, where they were eaten by wild beasts.
Euripides gives two different versions of the story, but both of them differ from Apollodorus's in that Hercules seems to be performing the labor alone, rather than with a band of followers. In one, Diomedes has the four horses harnessed to a chariot, and Hercules has to bring back the chariot as well as the horses. In the other, Hercules tames the horses from his own chariot.
After Hercules had captured the Cretan Bull, Eurystheus sent him to get the man-eating mares of Diomedes, the king of a Thracian tribe called the Bistones, and bring them back to him in Mycenae.
According to Apollodorus, Hercules sailed with a band of volunteers across the Aegean to Bistonia. There he and his companions overpowered the grooms who were tending the horses, and drove them to the sea. But by the time he got there, the Bistones had realized what had happened, and they sent a band of soldiers to recapture the animals. To free himself to fight, Hercules entrusted the mares to a youth named Abderos. Unfortunately, the mares got the better of young Abderos and dragged him around until he was killed.
Meanwhile Hercules fought the Bistones, killed Diomedes, and made the rest flee. In honor of the slain Abderos, Hercules founded the city of Abdera. The hero took the mares back to Eurystheus, but Eurystheus set them free. The mares wandered around until eventually they came to Mount Olympos, the home of the gods, where they were eaten by wild beasts.
Euripides gives two different versions of the story, but both of them differ from Apollodorus's in that Hercules seems to be performing the labor alone, rather than with a band of followers. In one, Diomedes has the four horses harnessed to a chariot, and Hercules has to bring back the chariot as well as the horses. In the other, Hercules tames the horses from his own chariot.
EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Drachm Hercules 8th labor The Horses of Diomedes
Gordian III Hercules 8th Labor Horses of Diomedes
THRACE, Hadrianopolis. Commodus 177-192 AD. 28mm 10.65g Hercules and Diomedes. Jurukova 123 (image courtesy of Helios 7)
Labor 9 - Belt of Hippolyte
For the ninth labor, Eurystheus ordered Hercules to bring him the belt of Hippolyte. This was no ordinary belt and no ordinary warrior. Hippolyte was queen of the Amazons, a tribe of female warriors. These Amazons had nothing to do with the Amazon river in South America. Their name comes from a Greek word meaning missing one breast. This is because an Amazon's right breast got in the way when she threw a spear. The Amazons lived apart from men, and if they ever gave birth to children, they kept only the females and reared them to be warriors like themselves.
Queen Hippolyte had a special piece of armor. It was a leather belt that had been given to her by Ares, the war god, because she was the best warrior of all the Amazons. She wore this belt across her chest and used it to carry her sword and spear. Eurystheus wanted Hippolyte's belt as a present to give to his daughter, and he sent Hercules to bring it back. Hercules' friends realized that the hero could not fight against the whole Amazon army by himself, so they joined with him and set sail in a single ship. After a long journey, they reached the land of the Amazons and put in at the harbor. When Hercules and the Greeks got off the boat, Hippolyte came down to visit them.
She asked Hercules why he had come, and when he told her, she promised to give him the belt. But the goddess Hera knew that the arrival of Hercules meant nothing but trouble for the Amazons. Disguised as an Amazon warrior, Hera went up and down the army saying to each woman that the strangers who had arrived were going to carry off the queen. So the Amazons put on their armor.
The Amazons charged on horseback down to the ship. But when Hercules saw that they were wearing their armor and were carrying their weapons, he knew that he was under attack. Thinking fast, he drew his sword and killed Hippolyte. Then he undid her belt and took it away from her. Hercules and the Greeks fought the rest of the Amazons in a great battle. When the enemy had been driven off, Hercules sailed away. After a stopover at the city of Troy, Hercules returned to Mycenae, and he gave the belt to Eurystheus.
For the ninth labor, Eurystheus ordered Hercules to bring him the belt of Hippolyte. This was no ordinary belt and no ordinary warrior. Hippolyte was queen of the Amazons, a tribe of female warriors. These Amazons had nothing to do with the Amazon river in South America. Their name comes from a Greek word meaning missing one breast. This is because an Amazon's right breast got in the way when she threw a spear. The Amazons lived apart from men, and if they ever gave birth to children, they kept only the females and reared them to be warriors like themselves.
Queen Hippolyte had a special piece of armor. It was a leather belt that had been given to her by Ares, the war god, because she was the best warrior of all the Amazons. She wore this belt across her chest and used it to carry her sword and spear. Eurystheus wanted Hippolyte's belt as a present to give to his daughter, and he sent Hercules to bring it back. Hercules' friends realized that the hero could not fight against the whole Amazon army by himself, so they joined with him and set sail in a single ship. After a long journey, they reached the land of the Amazons and put in at the harbor. When Hercules and the Greeks got off the boat, Hippolyte came down to visit them.
She asked Hercules why he had come, and when he told her, she promised to give him the belt. But the goddess Hera knew that the arrival of Hercules meant nothing but trouble for the Amazons. Disguised as an Amazon warrior, Hera went up and down the army saying to each woman that the strangers who had arrived were going to carry off the queen. So the Amazons put on their armor.
The Amazons charged on horseback down to the ship. But when Hercules saw that they were wearing their armor and were carrying their weapons, he knew that he was under attack. Thinking fast, he drew his sword and killed Hippolyte. Then he undid her belt and took it away from her. Hercules and the Greeks fought the rest of the Amazons in a great battle. When the enemy had been driven off, Hercules sailed away. After a stopover at the city of Troy, Hercules returned to Mycenae, and he gave the belt to Eurystheus.
THRACE, Anchialos. Gordian III 238-244 A.D. AE 44mm Medallion. Hecules and Queen Hippolyte
THRACE, Perinthus. Elagabalus 41mm, 37.11g Amazon queen Hippolite Schonert Perinthos 721 Nomos 6, 184 (image courtesy of Nomos)
EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Drachm Hercules 9th labor The Belt of Hippolyte
Moesia, Tomis Elagabalus, 218-222 Æ 28mm., 12.11g. Herakles, with club drags Hyppolite, queen of Amazons, (image courtesy of Naville coins)
Labor 10 - Geryon's Cattle
To accomplish his tenth labor, Hercules had to journey to the end of the world. Eurystheus ordered the hero to bring him the cattle of the monster Geryon. Geryon was the son of Chrysaor and Callirrhoe. Chrysaor had sprung from the body of the Gorgon Medusa after Perseus beheaded her, and Callirrhoe was the daughter of two Titans, Oceanus and Tethys. With such distinguished lineage, it is no surprise that Geryon himself was quite unique. It seems that Geryon had three heads and three sets of legs all joined at the waist.
Geryon lived on an island called Erythia, which was near the boundary of Europe and Libya. On this island, Geryon kept a herd of red cattle guarded by Cerberus's brother, Orthus, a two-headed hound, and the herdsman Eurytion. Hercules set off on for Erythia, encountering and promptly killing many wild beasts along the way, and he came to the place where Libya met Europe. Here, Apollodorus tells us, Hercules built two massive mountains, one in Europe and one in Libya, to commemorate his extensive journey. Other accounts say that Hercules split one mountain into two. Either way, these mountains became known as the Gates or Pillars of Hercules. The strait Hercules made when he broke the mountain apart is now called the Strait of Gibraltar, between Spain and Morocco, the gateway from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean.
Sailing in a goblet which the Sun gave him in admiration, Hercules reached the island of Erythia. Not long after he arrived, Orthus, the two-headed dog, attacked Hercules, so Hercules killed him with his club. Eurytion followed, with the same result. Another herdsman in the area reported these events to Geryon. Just as Hercules was escaping with the cattle, Geryon attacked him. Hercules fought with him and shot him dead with his arrows. The stealing of the cattle was not such a difficult task, compared to the trouble Hercules had bringing the herd back to Greece. In Liguria, two sons of Poseidon, the god of the sea, tried to steal the cattle, so he killed them. At Rhegium, a bull got loose and jumped into the sea. The bull swam to Sicily and then made its way to the neighboring country. The native word for bull was italus, and so the country came to be named after the bull, and was called Italy.
The escaped bull was found by a ruler named Eryx, another of Poseidon's sons, and Eryx put this bull into his own herd. Meanwhile, Hercules was searching for the runaway animal. He temporarily entrusted the rest of the herd to the god Hephaestus, and went after the bull. He found it in Eryx's herd, but the king would return it only if the hero could beat him in a wrestling contest. Never one to shy away from competition, Hercules beat Eryx three times in wrestling, killed the king, took back the bull, and returned it to the herd. Hercules made it to the edge of the Ionian Sea, with the end of his journey finally in sight. Hera, however, was not about to let the hero accomplish this labor. She sent a gadfly to attack the cattle, and the herd scattered far and wide. Now, Hercules had to run around Thrace gathering the escaped cows. Finally, he regrouped the herd and, blaming his troubles on the river Strymon in Thrace, he filled the river with rocks, making it unnavigable. Then, he brought the cattle of Geryon to Eurystheus, who sacrificed the herd to Hera.
To accomplish his tenth labor, Hercules had to journey to the end of the world. Eurystheus ordered the hero to bring him the cattle of the monster Geryon. Geryon was the son of Chrysaor and Callirrhoe. Chrysaor had sprung from the body of the Gorgon Medusa after Perseus beheaded her, and Callirrhoe was the daughter of two Titans, Oceanus and Tethys. With such distinguished lineage, it is no surprise that Geryon himself was quite unique. It seems that Geryon had three heads and three sets of legs all joined at the waist.
Geryon lived on an island called Erythia, which was near the boundary of Europe and Libya. On this island, Geryon kept a herd of red cattle guarded by Cerberus's brother, Orthus, a two-headed hound, and the herdsman Eurytion. Hercules set off on for Erythia, encountering and promptly killing many wild beasts along the way, and he came to the place where Libya met Europe. Here, Apollodorus tells us, Hercules built two massive mountains, one in Europe and one in Libya, to commemorate his extensive journey. Other accounts say that Hercules split one mountain into two. Either way, these mountains became known as the Gates or Pillars of Hercules. The strait Hercules made when he broke the mountain apart is now called the Strait of Gibraltar, between Spain and Morocco, the gateway from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean.
Sailing in a goblet which the Sun gave him in admiration, Hercules reached the island of Erythia. Not long after he arrived, Orthus, the two-headed dog, attacked Hercules, so Hercules killed him with his club. Eurytion followed, with the same result. Another herdsman in the area reported these events to Geryon. Just as Hercules was escaping with the cattle, Geryon attacked him. Hercules fought with him and shot him dead with his arrows. The stealing of the cattle was not such a difficult task, compared to the trouble Hercules had bringing the herd back to Greece. In Liguria, two sons of Poseidon, the god of the sea, tried to steal the cattle, so he killed them. At Rhegium, a bull got loose and jumped into the sea. The bull swam to Sicily and then made its way to the neighboring country. The native word for bull was italus, and so the country came to be named after the bull, and was called Italy.
The escaped bull was found by a ruler named Eryx, another of Poseidon's sons, and Eryx put this bull into his own herd. Meanwhile, Hercules was searching for the runaway animal. He temporarily entrusted the rest of the herd to the god Hephaestus, and went after the bull. He found it in Eryx's herd, but the king would return it only if the hero could beat him in a wrestling contest. Never one to shy away from competition, Hercules beat Eryx three times in wrestling, killed the king, took back the bull, and returned it to the herd. Hercules made it to the edge of the Ionian Sea, with the end of his journey finally in sight. Hera, however, was not about to let the hero accomplish this labor. She sent a gadfly to attack the cattle, and the herd scattered far and wide. Now, Hercules had to run around Thrace gathering the escaped cows. Finally, he regrouped the herd and, blaming his troubles on the river Strymon in Thrace, he filled the river with rocks, making it unnavigable. Then, he brought the cattle of Geryon to Eurystheus, who sacrificed the herd to Hera.
EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Drachm Hercules 10th labor Geryon's Cattle
THRACE, Perinthos. Gallienus 253-268 AD. Herakles and the cattle of Geryon. Schonert 900 (image courtesy of Gorny & Mosch 196; ex. Bill Hearn collection)
Labor 11 - Apples of Hesperides
Eurystheus demanded two more labors from the hero, since he did not count the hydra or the Augean stables as properly done. Eurystheus commanded Hercules to bring him golden apples which belonged to Zeus, king of the gods. Hera had given these apples to Zeus as a wedding gift, so surely this task was impossible. Hera, who didn't want to see Hercules succeed, would never permit him to steal one of her prize possessions. These apples were kept in a garden at the northern edge of the world, and they were guarded not only by a hundred headed dragon, named Ladon, but also by the Hesperides, nymphs who were daughters of Atlas, the titan who held the sky and the earth upon his shoulders.
Hercules' first problem was that he didn't know where the garden was. He journeyed through Libya, Egypt, Arabia, and Asia, having adventures along the way. He was stopped by Kyknos, the son of the war god, Ares, who demanded that Hercules fight him. After the fight was broken up by a thunderbolt, Hercules continued on to Illyria, where he seized the sea god Nereus, who knew the garden's secret location. Nereus transformed himself into all kinds of shapes, trying to escape, but Hercules held tight and didn't release Nereus until he got the information he needed.
Continuing on his quest, Hercules was stopped by Antaeus, the son of the sea god, Poseidon, who also challenged Hercules to fight. Hercules defeated him in a wrestling match, lifting him off the ground and crushing him, because when Antaeus touched the earth he became stronger. After that, Hercules met up with Busiris, another of Poseidon's sons, was captured, and was led to an altar to be a human sacrifice. But Hercules escaped, killing Busiris. Jounreying on, Hercules came to the rock on Mount Caucasus where Prometheus was chained. Prometheus, a trickster who made fun of the gods and stole the secret of fire from them, was sentenced by Zeus to a horrible fate. He was bound to the mountain, and every day a monstrous eagle came and ate his liver, pecking away at Prometheus' tortured body. After the eagle flew off, Prometheus' liver grew back, and the next day he had to endure the eagle's painful visit all over again. This went on for 30 years, until Hercules showed up and killed the eagle.
In gratitude, Prometheus told Hercules the secret to getting the apples. He would have to send Atlas after them, instead of going himself. Atlas hated holding up the sky and the earth so much that he would agree to the task of fetching the apples, in order to pass his burden over to Hercules. Everything happened as Prometheus had predicted, and Atlas went to get the apples while Hercules was stuck in Atlas's place, with the weight of the world literally on his shoulders.
When Atlas returned with the golden apples, he told Hercules he would take them to Eurystheus himself, and asked Hercules to stay there and hold the heavy load for the rest of time. Hercules slyly agreed, but asked Atlas whether he could take it back again, just for a moment, while the hero put some soft padding on his shoulders to help him bear the weight of the sky and the earth. Atlas put the apples on the ground, and lifted the burden onto his own shoulders. And so Hercules picked up the apples and quickly ran off, carrying them back, uneventfully, to Eurystheus. Ironically, because the apples had belonged to the gods, the apples could not remain with Eurystheus. After all the trouble Hercules went through to get them, he had to return them to Athena, who took them back to the garden at the northern edge of the world.
Eurystheus demanded two more labors from the hero, since he did not count the hydra or the Augean stables as properly done. Eurystheus commanded Hercules to bring him golden apples which belonged to Zeus, king of the gods. Hera had given these apples to Zeus as a wedding gift, so surely this task was impossible. Hera, who didn't want to see Hercules succeed, would never permit him to steal one of her prize possessions. These apples were kept in a garden at the northern edge of the world, and they were guarded not only by a hundred headed dragon, named Ladon, but also by the Hesperides, nymphs who were daughters of Atlas, the titan who held the sky and the earth upon his shoulders.
Hercules' first problem was that he didn't know where the garden was. He journeyed through Libya, Egypt, Arabia, and Asia, having adventures along the way. He was stopped by Kyknos, the son of the war god, Ares, who demanded that Hercules fight him. After the fight was broken up by a thunderbolt, Hercules continued on to Illyria, where he seized the sea god Nereus, who knew the garden's secret location. Nereus transformed himself into all kinds of shapes, trying to escape, but Hercules held tight and didn't release Nereus until he got the information he needed.
Continuing on his quest, Hercules was stopped by Antaeus, the son of the sea god, Poseidon, who also challenged Hercules to fight. Hercules defeated him in a wrestling match, lifting him off the ground and crushing him, because when Antaeus touched the earth he became stronger. After that, Hercules met up with Busiris, another of Poseidon's sons, was captured, and was led to an altar to be a human sacrifice. But Hercules escaped, killing Busiris. Jounreying on, Hercules came to the rock on Mount Caucasus where Prometheus was chained. Prometheus, a trickster who made fun of the gods and stole the secret of fire from them, was sentenced by Zeus to a horrible fate. He was bound to the mountain, and every day a monstrous eagle came and ate his liver, pecking away at Prometheus' tortured body. After the eagle flew off, Prometheus' liver grew back, and the next day he had to endure the eagle's painful visit all over again. This went on for 30 years, until Hercules showed up and killed the eagle.
In gratitude, Prometheus told Hercules the secret to getting the apples. He would have to send Atlas after them, instead of going himself. Atlas hated holding up the sky and the earth so much that he would agree to the task of fetching the apples, in order to pass his burden over to Hercules. Everything happened as Prometheus had predicted, and Atlas went to get the apples while Hercules was stuck in Atlas's place, with the weight of the world literally on his shoulders.
When Atlas returned with the golden apples, he told Hercules he would take them to Eurystheus himself, and asked Hercules to stay there and hold the heavy load for the rest of time. Hercules slyly agreed, but asked Atlas whether he could take it back again, just for a moment, while the hero put some soft padding on his shoulders to help him bear the weight of the sky and the earth. Atlas put the apples on the ground, and lifted the burden onto his own shoulders. And so Hercules picked up the apples and quickly ran off, carrying them back, uneventfully, to Eurystheus. Ironically, because the apples had belonged to the gods, the apples could not remain with Eurystheus. After all the trouble Hercules went through to get them, he had to return them to Athena, who took them back to the garden at the northern edge of the world.
EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Drachm. Apples of the Hesperides. (image courtesy of CNG/Triton XI)
THRACE, Perinthus. Septimius Severus 193-211 AD. 41mm medallion 43.63g apples of the Hesperides
Antoninus Pius Medallion 38mm - Hercules in the Garden of the Hesperides - Gnecchi 87
Labor 12 - Cerberus
The most dangerous labor of all was the twelfth and final one. Eurystheus ordered Hercules to go to the Underworld and kidnap the beast called Cerberus. The ancient Greeks believed that after a person died, his or her spirit went to the world below and dwelled for eternity in the depths of the earth. The Underworld was the kingdom of Hades, also called Pluto, and his wife, Persephone. Depending on how a person lived his or her life, they might or might not experience never-ending punishment in Hades. All souls, whether good or bad, were destined for the kingdom of Hades.
Cerberus was a vicious beast that guarded the entrance to Hades and kept the living from entering the world of the dead. According to Apollodorus, Cerberus was a strange mixture of creatures, he had three heads of wild dogs, a dragon or serpent for a tail, and heads of snakes all over his back. Hesiod, though, says that Cerberus had fifty heads and devoured raw flesh. Cerberus' parents were the monster Echinda (half woman, half serpent) and Typhon (a fire breathing giant covered with dragons and serpents). Even the gods of Olympus were afraid of Typhon. Among the children attributed to this awful couple were Orthus (or Othros), the Hydra of Lerna, and the Chimaera. Orthus was a two headed hound which guarded the cattle of Geryon. With the Chimaera, Orthus fathered the Nemean Lion and the Sphinx. The Chimaera was a three headed fire breathing monster, part lion, part snake, and part goat. Hercules seemed to have a lot of experience dealing with this family, he killed Orthus, when he stole the cattle of Geryon, and strangled the Nemean Lion.
Before making the trip to the Underworld, Hercules decided that he should take some extra precautions. This was, after all, a journey from which no mortal had ever returned. Hercules knew that once in the kingdom of Hades, he might not be allowed to leave and rejoin the living. The hero went to Eleusis and saw Eumolpus, a priest who began what were known as the Eleusinian Mysteries. The mysteries were sacred religious rites which celebrated the myth of Demeter and her daughter Persephone. The ancients believed that those who learned the secrets of the mysteries would have happiness in the Underworld. After the hero met a few conditions of membership, Eumolpus initiated Hercules into the mysteries.
Hercules went to a place called Taenarum in Laconia. Through a deep, rocky cave, Hercules made his way down to the Underworld. He encountered monsters, heroes, and ghosts as he made his way through Hades. He even engaged in a wrestling contest. Then, finally, he found Pluto and asked the god for Cerberus. The lord of the Underworld replied that Hercules could indeed take Cerberus with him, but only if he overpowered the beast with nothing more than his own brute strength.
A weaponless Hercules set off to find Cerberus. Near the gates of Acheron, one of the five rivers of the Underworld, Hercules encountered Cerberus. Undaunted, the hero threw his strong arms around the beast, perhaps grasping all three heads at once, and wrestled Cerberus into submission. The dragon in the tail of the fierce flesh eating guard dog bit Hercules, but that did not stop him. Cerberus had to submit to the force of the hero, and Hercules brought Cerberus to Eurystheus. Unlike other monsters that crossed the path of the legendary hero, Cerberus was returned safely to Hades, where he resumed guarding the gateway to the Underworld.
The most dangerous labor of all was the twelfth and final one. Eurystheus ordered Hercules to go to the Underworld and kidnap the beast called Cerberus. The ancient Greeks believed that after a person died, his or her spirit went to the world below and dwelled for eternity in the depths of the earth. The Underworld was the kingdom of Hades, also called Pluto, and his wife, Persephone. Depending on how a person lived his or her life, they might or might not experience never-ending punishment in Hades. All souls, whether good or bad, were destined for the kingdom of Hades.
Cerberus was a vicious beast that guarded the entrance to Hades and kept the living from entering the world of the dead. According to Apollodorus, Cerberus was a strange mixture of creatures, he had three heads of wild dogs, a dragon or serpent for a tail, and heads of snakes all over his back. Hesiod, though, says that Cerberus had fifty heads and devoured raw flesh. Cerberus' parents were the monster Echinda (half woman, half serpent) and Typhon (a fire breathing giant covered with dragons and serpents). Even the gods of Olympus were afraid of Typhon. Among the children attributed to this awful couple were Orthus (or Othros), the Hydra of Lerna, and the Chimaera. Orthus was a two headed hound which guarded the cattle of Geryon. With the Chimaera, Orthus fathered the Nemean Lion and the Sphinx. The Chimaera was a three headed fire breathing monster, part lion, part snake, and part goat. Hercules seemed to have a lot of experience dealing with this family, he killed Orthus, when he stole the cattle of Geryon, and strangled the Nemean Lion.
Before making the trip to the Underworld, Hercules decided that he should take some extra precautions. This was, after all, a journey from which no mortal had ever returned. Hercules knew that once in the kingdom of Hades, he might not be allowed to leave and rejoin the living. The hero went to Eleusis and saw Eumolpus, a priest who began what were known as the Eleusinian Mysteries. The mysteries were sacred religious rites which celebrated the myth of Demeter and her daughter Persephone. The ancients believed that those who learned the secrets of the mysteries would have happiness in the Underworld. After the hero met a few conditions of membership, Eumolpus initiated Hercules into the mysteries.
Hercules went to a place called Taenarum in Laconia. Through a deep, rocky cave, Hercules made his way down to the Underworld. He encountered monsters, heroes, and ghosts as he made his way through Hades. He even engaged in a wrestling contest. Then, finally, he found Pluto and asked the god for Cerberus. The lord of the Underworld replied that Hercules could indeed take Cerberus with him, but only if he overpowered the beast with nothing more than his own brute strength.
A weaponless Hercules set off to find Cerberus. Near the gates of Acheron, one of the five rivers of the Underworld, Hercules encountered Cerberus. Undaunted, the hero threw his strong arms around the beast, perhaps grasping all three heads at once, and wrestled Cerberus into submission. The dragon in the tail of the fierce flesh eating guard dog bit Hercules, but that did not stop him. Cerberus had to submit to the force of the hero, and Hercules brought Cerberus to Eurystheus. Unlike other monsters that crossed the path of the legendary hero, Cerberus was returned safely to Hades, where he resumed guarding the gateway to the Underworld.
Roman Imperial. Probus. AD 276-282. AV Aureus 22mm, 5.90g. Herakles and the capture of Kerberos. (image courtesy of CNG)
EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Drachm Hercules 12th labor Cerberus
BITHYNIA, Heraklia Pontica. Anonymous ca. 2nd Cent A.D. Hercules 12th labor Cerberus
(image courtesy of CNG; ex. Bill Hearn collection)
LYDIA. Saitta. Gordian III. AD 238-244. AE 24mm. Herakles & the capture of Kerberos
Coins of Eurystheus, the king of Tiryns
ARGOS, Tiryns. Æ Chalkous. 12mm 1.43g 350-330 B.C. Apollo, palm tree. BCD Peloponnesos 1282; BMC 4; SNG Copenhagen 152 (Author's collection)
Hercules Wrestling Antaeus the Giant
As mentioned above, although not one of Hercules' labors, while searching for the location of the Apples of Hesperides, Hercules encountered Antaeus, the son of the sea god, Poseidon, who also challenged him to fight. Hercules defeated him in a wrestling match, lifting him off the ground and crushing him, because when Antaeus touched the earth he became stronger.
As mentioned above, although not one of Hercules' labors, while searching for the location of the Apples of Hesperides, Hercules encountered Antaeus, the son of the sea god, Poseidon, who also challenged him to fight. Hercules defeated him in a wrestling match, lifting him off the ground and crushing him, because when Antaeus touched the earth he became stronger.
EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Drachm Hercules wrestling giant Antaeus. (image courtesy of CNG/Triton XI)
CILICIA, Tarsus. Caracalla 193-211 AD AE 28mm 20.28g Herakles wrestling Antaeus SNG Levante 1057. (image courtesy of Roma)
CILICIA. Tarsus
Caracalla, 198-217 AD
Æ Tetrassarion 33mm, 18.23 g, 7 h
Obv: AYT KAI M AVP CЄOYHPOC
ANTΩNЄINOC CЄB / Π - Π
Laureate and cuirassed bust of Caracalla r.
Rev. ΑΝΤΩΝΙΑΝΗC CЄYΗ ΑΔΡ ΜΗΤP /
TAPCOY / Є - Δ / K Herakles grasping
the giant Antaios around the waist and raising
him from the ground; to right, club.
Ref: SNG Levante 1057; SNG Paris 1520
(Author's collection)
CILICIA, Tarsus. Pupienus 238 A.D. Herakles and Giant Antaeus. (image courtesy of Gorny & Mosch)
CILICIA, Tarsus. Philip I 244-249 AD. AE 34mm, 23.82g. Obv: Draped bust of emperor right, with ropes, l. and r. in the field Π-Π. Rev: Herakles wrestles with the Libyan giant Antaeus, whom he lifts in the air; so he robs him of the power that Antaeus draws from his mother Gaia (the earth). Ref: SNG Levante 1152 (stgl.), Ziegler 798, Voegtli, Heldenepen p.66,17h, Lindgren 922a (Vs. stgl.), Winterthur 4722 (Vs. stgl.). SNG Righetti 1699-1670
Ex. Munzen un Medaillon 48, lot 1307
CALABRIA, Tarentum. Circa 280-228 BC. AR Diobol Hercules wresting Antaeus
BITHYNIA, Heracleia Pontica. Caracalla. 198-217 AD. 35mm Hercules wrestling Antaeus Cornell 97
Hercules as an infant
When Hercules and his twin brother Iphicles were infants Hera introduced two large snakes into their nursery. While Iphicles started to cry upon seeing the snakes, his brother Hercules seized each snake and suffocated them in his grip. In this way, Amphitryon discovered which of the boys was Zeus' offspring.
When Hercules and his twin brother Iphicles were infants Hera introduced two large snakes into their nursery. While Iphicles started to cry upon seeing the snakes, his brother Hercules seized each snake and suffocated them in his grip. In this way, Amphitryon discovered which of the boys was Zeus' offspring.
 BOEOTIA, Thebes. Circa 395 BC. Hemidrachm Electrum, 3.04g Dionysos, infant Herakles. (image courtesy of CNG)  MYSIA, Cyzicus. Stater, EL ca 430-415 BC 16.02g. Heracles and Iphicles. SNG BN Paris 361 (image courtesy of NY sale)  BOEOTIA. Thebes (c.425-395 B.C.), Silver Stater, 11.80g. infant Herakles. (image courtesy of NY sale 27)  Bruttium , The Bruttii (c.400-325 B.C.), Silver Stater, 7.59g. infant Hercules. (image courtesy of NY Sale 27) 
Brutium, Kroton. 390-360 B.C. Didrachme (7.69g). (image courtesy of Gorny & Mosch)
 British Museum statuette of infant Hercules  Hercules wrestling snake 1st cent bronze  Roman sculpture of infant Hercules and snake |
 IONIA. Ephesos (c.394-387 B.C.), Silver Tridrachm, 11.20g,. infant Herakles. (image courtesy of NY sale 27)  SAMOS Tetradrachm. Infant Hercules wrestling with snakes.  CARIA. Knidos (c.405 B.C.), Silver Tridrachm, 11.06g,. infant Herakles. (image courtesy of NY sale 27)  CALABRIA, Tarentum. Circa 280-228 BC. AR Diobol Head of Athena; infant Hercules. Vlasto 1455 (formerly Author's collection)  THRACE, Serdica. Caracalla. 198-217 AD. AE 19mm (image courtesy of Gemini)  MOESIA INFERIOR, Kallatis. Commodus 177-192 A.D. Herakles wrestling snakes. (image courtesy of Helios 5)  THRACE, Pautalia. Geta 198-217 AD. AE 19mm. unpublished. (formerly Author's collection) |