The Twelve Labours of Heracles

The complete Greek myth of the Twelve Labours of Heracles: the origin of the penance, each of the twelve tasks in turn, and the hero’s path from madness to immortal glory. Retold from classical sources with clear explanations for new readers. Table of Contents Myth at a Glance Tradition: Ancient Greek Main Figures: Heracles (Hercules), Eurystheus, Hera, Zeus, Athena, Iolaus Themes: Penance and purification • Superhuman strength and ingenuity • Divine hostility and assistance • The civilising hero who clears the world of monsters • Mortality and eventual apotheosis Setting: The Argolid, the wider Greek world, and distant regions at the edges of the known earth N o hero of Greek mythology is more famous for sheer physical power and relentless endurance than Heracles (known to the Romans as Hercules). His name is attached to a cycle of twelve labours that took him from the Peloponnese to the ends of the earth and down into the underworld itself. The labours began as a punishment and became the …