Christopher Contursi, Garrett Bigham, Dominik Rodriguez Mr. Hill Greek I 14 November 2018 Study Guide Labors of Heracles: 1. Nemean Lion: As first of

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1 Christopher Contursi, Garrett Bigham, Dominik Rodriguez Mr. Hill Greek I 14 November 2018 Study Guide Labors of Heracles: 1. Nemean Lion: As first of the twelve labors of Heracles, King Eurystheus commanded the hero slay the Nemean Lion, whose hide is impenetrable to weapons. The Lion was trained by Hera and placed in the region of Nemea to terrorize the population. Heracles cornered the lion in its cave and strangled it; thereafter the hero skinned the lion and made a cape. Afterwards Hera made placed the lion in the heavens as the constellation Leo. 2. Lernaean Hydra: As part of the second labor, Heracles was to kill the Lernaean Hydra, a nine-headed serpent that preys in the waters of Lernae in Argos. Both Heracles and his servant Iolaos killed the Hydra and a giant crab that had come to the assistance of the serpent. Heracles cut the heads off of the hydra, while Iolaos burned the necks so that the heads may not grow back. Iolaos also killed the crab by crushing it under his heel. Hera placed both of these beasts in the heavens as the constellations Hydra and Cancer. 3. Cerynitian Hind: As part of the third labor, Heracles was to capture (some sources describe killing) the Cerynitian Hind, a gold-horned deer sacred to Artemis. Heracles pursued the hind for a full year until finally capturing it on Mount Artemision in Arcadia. Artemis confronted Heracles concerning how the hide was treated in the chase, as one of its horns broke off in the action. Heracles convinced the goddess for him to keep the deer, and carried it back to Mycenae. 4. Erymanthian Boar: The fourth labor of Heracles was to capture the Erymanthian Boar, a giant boar who had been terrorizing the countryside of Arcadia. Heracles captured the boar in a net after a long pursuit on Mount Erymanthus. 5. Augeas s cattle: As part of the fifth labor of Heracles, the hero was to clean the stables of King Augeas of Elis s cattle, and was promised a tenth of the herd. In this labor, Heracles enlisted the help of the river gods Alpheios and Peneus to wash the manure clean. However, King Augeas was not keen on giving Heracles the promised payment, which sparked a war between Heracles and Augeas, assisted by the twins Molionidai, and Amarynkeus. In the first attempt at invasion, Heracles falls ill, stifling progress. Once he recovers, Heracles kills the twins and launches a second invasion, wherein he kills King Augeas in battle. In commemoration and celebration of his conquest, Heracles founds the Olympic Games in Pisa. 6. Stymphalian Birds: The sixth labor of Heracles was to kill the Stymphalian birds which were human devouring bird-like creatures with metallic feathers and poisonous dung. The land surrounding their lake was marshland however which made it difficult for Heracles 1

2 to travel through. For this reason Athena gave him a rattle created by the god Hephaestus which he used to startle the birds causing them to fly away which then allowed Heracles to kill them with arrows dipped in the blood of the monster Hydra. 7. The Cretan Bull: The seventh labor of Heracles was to capture the Cretan Bull and bring it back to King Eurystheus. After acquiring permission from King Minos to do so, Heracles captured the Cretan Bull with his bare hands and then brought it back to King Eurystheus. Upon seeing the bull, King Eurystheus hid inside a large jar because it frightened him so much. Eurystheus then released the bull who fled to Marathon would it would be known as the Marothnian Bull later. 8. Mares of Diomedes: The eighth labor Heracles was to complete was to steal the mares of Diomedes, human-eating horses that were wild and uncontrollable. Heracles leaves his trusted fighter Abderus to watch the mares as Heracles fights Diomedes. When he returns Heracles finds Abderus has been eaten by the mares and so decides to feed Diomedes to the mares as a punishment. Heracles then took the mares to King Eurystheus who dedicated the mares to Hera. 9. The Girdle of Hippolyta: The ninth labor of Heracles was to obtain the girdle of Queen Hippolyta of the Amazons. This labor was not the idea of King Eurystheus but of his daughter rather as Hera had told her it would make her as strong as an Amazon if she would wear it. When he arrives to capture the girdle, Hippolyta had already heard of Heracles and thinking he would prove to be a useful ally in war, she decided to willingly give him the girdle. As Heracles reached for the girdle, the Amazons thought he was reaching for their queen and attacked Heracles. During the ensuing battle, Hippolyta was accidently killed by her own people and Heracles was able to obtain the girdle and bring it back to King Eurystheus and his daughter. 10. Cattle of Geryon: The tenth labor of Heracles was to obtain the cattle of Geryon. The cattle themselves are not what made this labor difficult, it was who owned the cattle. Geryon was a 3 headed, 6 legged giant who lived on the edge of the world who had a dog, Orthrus that was the brother Hades Cerberus and guarded the red cattle. Heracles was immediately attacked by Orthrus who he defeated rather quickly but was then confronted by Geryon. Heracles dipped his arrows into the blood of the Hydra again and then shot Geryon in all three of his heads killing him. Hera then sent a swarm of gadfly to stir up the cattle, making Heracles spend an entire year collecting them to take back to King Eurystheus. 11. Apples of Hesperides: The eleventh labor was to steal the golden apples of the Hesperides. First to Heracles had to capture the Old Man of the Sea in order to find out where exactly the garden is. Upon arriving Heracles offers to hold the world while Atlas goes and steals the apples as he is related to the Hesperides. Heracles then tricks Atlas back into carrying the world and Heracles returns with the golden apples. 12. Capture Cerberus: The twelfth labor was to capture and bring back Cerberus. Cerberus was the 3 headed dog with a mane of snakes who guarded the entrance to the underworld 2

3 3 so soul could escape. Hades agreed to let Heracles take Cerberus as long as he used no weapons and no harm came to Cerberus. With the help of Athena, Heracles subdued Cerberus and brought him back to King Eurystheus. Characters: Hera: The wife of Zeus who, enraged at her husband for his infidelity, sought to bring an end to Heracles. King Eurystheus: The King of Argos who assigned Heracles with his twelve labors. Megara: Daughter of King Creon of Thebes, given to Heracles as a bride after he defended Thebes from the Minyans. Iolaus: The servant to Heracles who aided him in the killing of the Hydra. The Nemean Lion: A giant lion rampaging through Nemea whose pelt was impermeable to weapons. Heracles strangled it to death during his first labor. The Lernean Hydra: A serpent with nine heads. Each time Heracles cut off one head, two more would grow in its place. Heracles was sent to kill it during his second labor. The Erymanthian Boar: This giant boar rampaged around the countryside of Mount Erymanthus> Heracles captured it for his fourth labor. The Cernitian Hind: Heracles s third labor was to capture this gold-horned deer sacred to Artemis. King Augeas: He was the king of Elis. Heracles uses the river to clean the stables of his cattle for his fifth labor, and declares war on him for denying his payment. The Stymphalian Birds: Heracles s sixth labor was to kill of flock of these voracious birds that lived at lake Stymphalus. The Cretan Bull: Heracles s seventh labor was to capture this large white bull laying waste to the island of Crete. Diomedes: He was King of the Edonians of Thrace and owned a herd of man-eating horses. Heracles s eighth labor was to retrieve one of the horses and kill and feed Diomedes to his mares.

4 4 Hippolyta: She was Queen of the Amazons and a daughter of Ares. Heracle seized her belt and killed her in battle during his ninth labor. Geryon: He was a giant with three bodies who owned a herd of red-skinned cattle. In his tenth labor, Heracles stole one of these cows and killed him. The Hesperides: They were three nymphs who cared for the tree that bore the golden apples Heracles was sent to retrieve in his eleventh labor. Atlas: He was a Titan who had to hold the sky up. He agreed to bring Heracles the Golden Apples of the Hesperides during his eleventh labor if he held up the sky for him. Cerberus: This was a 3-headed dog with a mane of snakes and the tail of a dragon that guarded the entrance to the underworld. Heracles captured him for his twelfth labor. Locations: Thebes: The birthplace of Heracles. The hero would return here after the completion of the twelve labors. Mt. Oite: Where Hercules meets his end; he ordered his son Hyllos to burn him alive on a funeral pyre. Mt. Cithaeron: The place where Heracles kills the lion of Cithaeron Nemea: The place where Heracles strangles the Nemean lion. Lerna: The place where Heracles and Iolaus slay the Hydra. Ceryneia: The place where the Heracles first spots the Cerynitian Hind. Erymantheia: The place where Heracles captures the Erymanthian Boar. Elis: The place where Heracles cleans the oxen-stables of Augeas and subsequently conquers. Lake Stymphalus: The lake where Heracles destroys the Stymphalian Birds. Crete: The island where Heracles captures the Cretan Bull.

5 5 Thrace: The place where Heracles captures the man-eating mares of Diomedes, causing the deaths of Diomedes and Abderus. Pherae: Where Alcestis is from, the princess whom Heracles had to retrieve from The Underworld. Land of Amazons: The place where Heracles acquires the girdle of Hippolyta Troy: The place where Heracles defeats the sea-monster ravaging Troy, along with saving Hesione. Erytheia: The place where Heracles slays Orthus, Eurytion, and Geryon. Strait of Gibraltar: Where Heracles gathers the cattle of Geryon. Italy: Where the cult of Heracles began during the Roman Empire. Land of Hesperides: The place where Heracles slew the serpent drakon and stole the golden apples of Hera. The Underworld: The place where Heracles captures Cerberus. Lydia: The place where Heracles was sold to Omphale as an indentured servant Tiryns: The disputed birthplace of Heracles.

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7 7 Source: Primary Sources: Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca Didorus Siculus, Library of History Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae Pseudo-Hyginus, Astronomica Hesiod, The Shield of Heracles Sophocles, The Women of Trachis Euripedes, Madness of Heracles Theocritus, Idylls

8 8 Seneca, Hercules Furens Seneca, Hercules Oetaeus Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica