Heracles was the son of Zeus and Alcmene, born in Thebes. As an infant, he strangled two snakes sent by Hera. He was trained by Chiron the centaur. As an adult, Heracles killed his family in a fit of madness induced by Hera. To atone for this crime, the oracle at Delphi said Heracles must serve King Eurystheus for 12 years and complete any tasks assigned to him. Eurystheus set Heracles 12 difficult labors including killing the Nemean lion, the Lernaean hydra, and capturing Cerberus from the underworld. After completing these labors, Heracles achieved immortality and became one of the most famous

1. searching for the labours of
hercules

2. Who was heracles?
Heracles was the son of Zeus by
Alcmene of Thebes in Boeotia,
and the favourite of his father.
His stepfather was Amphitryon.
Amphitryon was the son of
Alcaeus, the son of Perseus, and
Alcmene was a grand-daughter
of Perseus. So Heracles
belonged to the family of
Perseus.

3. Alcmena was King Electrion´s
daughter.While Amphitryon, her
husband, was absent from Thebes,
Zeus one night, to which he gave
the duration of three other nights,
visited Alcmene, and assuming the
appearance of Amphitryon, and
relating to her how her brothers
had been avenged, he seduced her
and she became pregnant.

4. Alcmene brought into the world two
boys, Heracles, the son of Zeus, and
Iphicles, the son of Amphitryon,
who was one night younger than
Heracles.

5. HÉRCULES as a child killing the
serpents s. II d.C.
Roma, Musei Capitolini
Heracles was only a few months old
when Hera sent two serpents into the
apartment where Heracles and his
brother Iphicles were sleeping, but
the former killed the serpents with his
own hands. Heracles was brought up
at Thebes.

6. The Birth of the Milky Way

7. Though loved and protected
by his father, he was
repudiated by Zeus´ wife,
HERA. To insure his son's
immortality, ZEUS placed
him in the goddess's arms
so that he could suckle
while she was sleeping next
to her chariot pulled by
peacocks. When, in his
enthusiasm, Hercules bites
her, HERA awakens and
brusquely pulls him away
from her. The milk spilling
out of her breast turned into
the Milky Way. On the left,
Jupiter looks on. He is
identified by his eagle and
lightening bolts.RUBENS (1577-1640)
The Origin of the Milky Way.
El Prado Museum,Madrid

8. His childhood
Hercules’ youth was spent in the
hands of the best teachers in Greece.
His father taught him to ride chariots
and tame horses. His music teacher
was Linus, son of Apollo, although
Hercules’ quick temper was
demonstrated when he killed Linus
with a blow from his stool (or lute).
Being charged with murder, IIeracles
exculpated himself by saying that the
deed was done in self-defence. He
was then sent to live with herdsmen
in the mountains and there he came
into contact with the wise centaur
Chiron.
Heracles attacks Lino, her music teacher
(c. 480 a.C.)

9. The Birth of the Milky Way - Peter Paul R
.
Chiron (Χείρων) was the eldest and
wisest of the Centaurs, a tribe of half-
horse men. He was a great teacher who
mentored many of the great heroes of
myth including Jason, Peleus, Aquilleus
and Heracles. After his death he was
given a place amongst the stars by Zeus
as the constellation Saggitarius or
Centaurus.
Kheiron's name was derived from the
Greek word for hand (χείρ), which also
meant "skilled with the hands." The name
was also closely associated in myth with
kheirourgos or surgeon.

10. Why was he punished to do the labours?
In a fit of madness, induced
by Hera, he killed his own
children by Megara and two
of Iphicles. In his grief he
sentenced himself to
exile.He then consulted the
oracle of Delphi as to where
he should settle. The Pythia
first called him by the name
of Heracles (glory of Hera)--
his name had been Alcides
or Alcaeus,--and ordered
him to live at Tiryns, to
serve Eurystheus for the
space of twelve years, after
which he should become
immortal. Asteas Painter, 4th century
BC Madrid Museum

11. 10 or 12 labours?
Eurystheus who had become
King in his stead and was his
enemy ordered him to carry
out ten tasks .
Herakles successfully carried
them all out, but Eurystheus
considered that two of the
tasks had been failed
because Herakles had been
helped, and allocated two
more, which Herakles also
completed, making 12.
Mosaic with the Labors of Hercules, 3rd century AD
National Archaeological Museum , Madrid

12. 1. The fight with the Nemean lion.

13. 2. Fights against the Lernean hydra.

14. 3. The stag of Ceryneia in Arcadia.

15. Eurystheus ordered Hercules to bring him the Hind of Ceryneia.
Ceryneia is a town in Greece, about fifty miles from Eurystheus' palace in Mycenae.

16. This animal had golden antlers and
bronze feet. It had been dedicated to
Artemis by the nymph Taygete, because
the goddess had saved her from the
pursuit of Zeus. Heracles was ordered to
bring the animal alive to Mycenae. He
pursued it in vain for a whole year: at
length it fled from Oenoe to mount
Artemisium in Argolis, and thence to the
river Ladon in Arcadia.

17. Heracles wounded it with an
arrow, caught it, and carried it
away on his shoulders. While yet
in Arcadia, he was met by Apollo
and Artemis, who were angry
with him for having outraged the
animal sacred to Artemis; but
Heracles succeeded in soothing
their anger, and carried his prey
to Mycenae. According to some
statements, he killed the stag.
British
Museum,
London, United
Kingdom
Artist/Maker
Unknown

18. 4. The Erymanthian boar.

19. 5. The stables of Augeas.

20. 6. The Stymphalian birds.

21. 7. The Cretan bull.

22. 8. The mares of the Thracian Diomedes.

23. 9. The girdle of the queen of the Amazons.

24. 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 women 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.
Amazon wearing trousers
and carrying a shield with
an attached patterned cloth
and a quiver. Ancient Greek
Attic white-ground
alabastron, c. 470 BC,
British Museum, London.

25. The legendary Amazons are believed to have lived in Pontus, which
is part of modern-day Turkey near the southern shore of the Euxine
Sea (the Black Sea). There they formed an independent kingdom
under the government of a queen named Hippolyta or Hippolyte
("loose, unbridled mare").

26. Hippolyte, the queen of the Amazons
possessed a girdle, which she had
received from Ares, and Admete, the
daughter of Eurystheus, wished to
have it. Heracles was therefore sent to
fetch it, and, accompanied by a
number of volunteers, he sailed out in
one vessel.
Hercules Obtaining the Girdle of Hyppolita by Nikolaus
Knüpfer

27. He first landed in Paros, where he became involved in a quarrel with the sons of Minos.
Having killed two of them, he sailed to Mysia, where his aid was solicited by Lycus, king
of the Mariandynians, against the Bebryces. Heracles assisted Lycus, took a district of
land from the enemy, which was given to Lycus, who called it Heracleia.

28. When Heracles at length arrived in the port
of Themiscyra (Thermodon), after having
given to the sea he had crossed the name of
Euxeinus, he was at first kindly received by
Hippolyte, who promised him her girdle.

29. But Hera, in the disguise of an Amazon, spread the report that the
queen of the Amazons was robbed by a stranger. They
immediately rose to her assistance, and Heracles, believing that
the queen had plotted against him, killed her, took her girdle, and
carried it with him.

30. 10. The oxen of
Geryones in Erytheia.
These ten labours were performed by Heracles in the space of eight years and one
month; but as Eurystheus declared two of them to have been performed unlawfully,
he commanded him to accomplish two more.

31. 11. The golden apples of the
Hesperides.

32. 12. Cerberus.

33. 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.

34. T
Heracles, previous to setting out on his
expedition, was initiated by Eumolpus in
the Eleusinian mysteries, in order to purify
him from the murder of the Centaurs.
Accompanied by Hermes and Athena,
Heracles descended into Hades, near
Cape Taenarum, in Laconia.
Diros Caves,Laconia.
The entrance to underworld

35. On his arrival most of the shades fled
before him, and he found only
Meleager and Medusa, with whom he
intended to fight; but, on the command
of Hermes, he left them in peace. Near
the gates of Hades he met Theseus
and Peirithous, who stretched their
arms imploringly towards him. He
delivered Theseus, but, when he
attempted to do the same for
Peirithous, the earth began to tremble.
After having rolled the stone from
Ascalaphus, he killed one of the oxen
of Hades, in order to give the shades
the blood to drink, and fought with
Menoetius, the herdsman. Upon this,
he asked Pluto permission to take
Cerberus, and the request was
granted, on condition of its being done
without force of arms.

36. Cerberus was the gigantic hound which guarded the gates of Hades. He was posted to
prevent ghosts of the dead from leaving the underworld. It was described as a three-
headed dog with a serpent's tail, a mane of snakes, and a lion's claws. Some say he had
fifty heads, though this number might have included the heads of his serpentine mane.

37. This was accomplished,
for Heracles found
Cerberus on the Acheron,
and, notwithstanding the
bites of the dragon, he
took the monster, The
place where he appeared
with Cerberus is not the
same in all traditions, for
some say that it was at
Taenarum, others at
Hermione, or Coroneia,
and others again at
Heracleia.
Heraclea Pontica ( Ἡράκλεια Ποντική ) was an ancient city
on the coast of Bithynia in Asia Minor, at the mouth of the
river Lycus. It was founded by the Greek city-state of
Megara in approximately 560–558.

38. It was named after Heracles whom the Greeks believed entered the
underworld at a cave on the adjoining Archerusian promontory
(Cape Baba). The site is now the location of the modern city
Karadeniz Ereğli, in the Zonguldak Province of Turkey.

39. When Cerberus appeared in the
upper world, it is said that, unable to
bear the light, he spit, and thus called
forth the poisonous plant called
aconitum. After having shown the
monster to Eurystheus, Heracles took
it back to the lower world.
Hercules and Kerberos
Musée du Louvre

40. Sebastiano Conca, Hercules Crowned by Fame

41. In ancient Greek Archaic and Classical art Hercules is often depicted carrying a knotted
club, a quiver full of arrows, and wearing a lion’s pelt with sometimes also a lion’s head
helmet. He is usually bearded (until the late 5th and 4th centuries BCE when he is more
often depicted beardless) and has very large eyes.
Representation in art
Glykon, reproduced from the original by Lysippos c. 216 AD (4th century BCE for original)
Location Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples

42. The earliest complete depiction of Hercules’ twelve labours is from the
metopes of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia (completed in 457 BCE).

43. In Greek Classical comic plays he is often somewhat parodied as a party
reveller.
"Phlyax" scene (Zeus as
Amphitryo) — (source:
Vatican Museum). Aestas
painted a scene from a
phlyax farce: Zeus
carries a ladder in an
attempt to visit one of his
loves. The scene on this
vase probably represents
Zeus visit to Alkmene,
wife of Amphitrion, who
appears at a window.
Hermes holds up a lamp
at the right.

44. On Greek coins (notably 5th century BCE Theban ones)
the infant Hercules strangling two snakes was a
frequent design.
BOEOTIA. Thebes (c.425-395 B.C.), Silver
Stater, 11.80g. infant Herakles.

45. Hercules was particularly esteemed
in Athens, which is reflected in his
frequent depiction on Attic black-
and red-figure pottery in a multitude
of mythological scenes, but his
presence on pottery from all over
Greece is evidence of his popularity.
Heracles & the Nemean Lion, Athenian
red-figure stamnos C5th B.C., University
of Pennsylvania Museum
Heracles & the Hind, Athenian
black-figure
amphora C6th B.C., British
Museum

46. the promontories that flank the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar in Spain, they are the farthermost
limits reached by Heracles.
The Pillars of hercules

47. Hercules in coats of arms
 Andalucía Cádiz

48. Hercules in coats of arms
 España Melilla

51. Heracles in films and tv series

52. Arnold Schwarzenegger Steven Reeves

54. Años 50
Años 60 Años 70
Años
80
Años 90 Actualmente

56. Heracles gives name to many gyms