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Dromo's Den
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[Up] [Dromo's Den] Hercules Biography HERCULES, or Heracles, celebrated hero of Greek mythology, son of Zeus and Alcmena, and the great-grandson of Perseus. He was born in Thebes, where he was reared, but incurred the animosity of Hera, who was jealous of all who rivaled her in the affection of Zeus. Alcmena, to protect the child, placed it under the care of a faithful servant, but Hera sent two poisonous snakes that crept unperceived to the cradle of the sleeping child. As these reached the infant, he grasped a snake in each hand and strangled both. Later he was assigned to serve Eurystheus, son of Hera, who placed many difficult tasks upon him, and by them developed great strength. The tasks are known as the twelve labors of Hercules, and comprised the following: 1. To capture alive a wild boar that ravaged the vicinity of Erymanthus. 2. To slay a lion spreading desolation near Mycenæ. 3. To clean the stables of Augeas, in which 3,000 oxen had been kept for many years. 4. To capture alive a stag with golden horns and brazen feet, that was noted for its swiftness. 5. To destroy the Lernæan hydra. 6. To capture alive a wild bull in the island of Crete and bring him into Peloponnesus. 7. To kill the birds native to Arcadia, which ate human flesh. 8. To secure from the Amazon queen a girdle she had obtained from Mars. 9. To capture the human-flesh eating mares of Diomedus. 10. To obtain the golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides. 11. To bring to Argos the numerous flocks of the monster Geryon, king of Gades. 12. To bring the three-headed dog, Cerberus, from the infernal regions. Hercules not only did all these tasks, but many others equally celebrated, and aided Zeus in obtaining a victory over the Giants. Afterward he became the slave of Omphale, queen of Lydia, by whom he was restored to liberty, and afterward married her. His death resulted from a poisoned robe infected with the blood of the Centaur, Nessus, ,by which he became crazed, and, after throwing himself upon the funeral pyre of Mount OEta, he was carried into heaven, where he became reconciled with Hera and married her daughter, Hebe. In statuary he is represented in many different conditions and stages of life, but is always presented in a form to convey the idea that he possessed great strength and energy. The Teachers' and Pupils' Cyclopædia, Vol. II (Kansas City: Bufton Book Co., 1909) 822.
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