Hercules: 12 Labors Of Hercules :: essays research papers

Hercules 12 Labors of Hercules     Hercules, in Greek mythology, was a hero known for his potentiality andcourage and for his legendary adventures. Hercules is the Roman name for theGreek hero Heracles. He was the son of the god Zeus and a human mother Alcmene,married woman of the Theban general Amphitryon. Hera, Zeus wishful wife, was determinedto come out Hercules, and after Hercules was born, she sent two big serpents tokill him. Hercules, while he was still a baby, strangled the snakes. Herculesconquered a tribe that had been demanding silver from Thebes. As a reward, he wasgiven the hand in marriage of the Theben princess Megara and they had threechildren. Hera, still filled hatred of Hercules, sent him into madness, whichmake him kill his wife and children. In horror and remorse at what he did,Hercules was about to kill himself. But he was told by the oracle at Delphithat he should purge himself by becoming the servant of his cousin Eurystheus,king of Mycenae. Eurystheus, urged by Hera, planned as a punishment the 12impossible childbeds, the "Labors of Hercules."The Twelve Labors     The first off task was to kill the lion of Nemea, a lion that could not behurt by any weapon. Hercules knocked out the lion with his club first, then hestrangled it to death. He wore the skin of the lion as a cloak and the head ofthe lion as a helmet, a trophy of his adventure.     The second task was to kill the ophidian that lived in a swamp in Lerna.The Hydra had nine heads. One head was timeless and when ace of the others waschopped off, two grew patronage in its place. Cancer, one of the Hydras guards, bitHercules on the foot when he came near, and was crushed by Hercules, but she wasrescued by Hera. Hercules scorched each mortal bang with a earnest torch toprevent it from growing two heads and he buried the immortal head under a rock.He then dip his pointers in the Hydras split to make them poisonous.     Hercules next labor is to experience alive a stag with golden horns andbronze hoofs that was sacred to Artemis, goddess of the hunt.     The fourth labor was to capture a great boar in Mount Erymanthus.Hercules used the poison arrows with the Hydras blood to shoot at theErymanthian boar. One of the poison arrows wounded Hercules friend Cheiron, animmortal centaur, half-horse and half-man. Cheiron feared the poison arrow wouldhurt him for eternity, but Zeus rewarded him for his service to the gods byHercules 12 Labors Of Hercules essays research papers Hercules 12 Labors of Hercules     Hercules, in Greek mythology, was a hero known for his strength andcourage and for his legendary adventures. Hercules is the Roman name for theGreek hero Heracles. He was the son of the god Zeus and a human mother Alcmene,wife of the Theban general Amphitryon. Hera, Zeus jealous wife, was determinedto kill Hercules, a nd after Hercules was born, she sent two great serpents tokill him. Hercules, while he was still a baby, strangled the snakes. Herculesconquered a tribe that had been demanding money from Thebes. As a reward, he wasgiven the hand in marriage of the Theben princess Megara and they had threechildren. Hera, still filled hatred of Hercules, sent him into madness, whichmade him kill his wife and children. In horror and remorse at what he did,Hercules was about to kill himself. But he was told by the oracle at Delphithat he should purge himself by becoming the servant of his cousin Eurystheus,king of Mycenae. Eurystheus, urged by Hera, planned as a punishment the 12impossible tasks, the "Labors of Hercules."The Twelve Labors     The first task was to kill the lion of Nemea, a lion that could not behurt by any weapon. Hercules knocked out the lion with his club first, then hestrangled it to death. He wore the skin of the lion as a cloak and the head ofthe lion a s a helmet, a trophy of his adventure.     The second task was to kill the Hydra that lived in a swamp in Lerna.The Hydra had nine heads. One head was immortal and when one of the others waschopped off, two grew back in its place. Cancer, one of the Hydras guards, bitHercules on the foot when he came near, and was crushed by Hercules, but she wasrescued by Hera. Hercules scorched each mortal neck with a burning torch toprevent it from growing two heads and he buried the immortal head under a rock.He then dipped his arrows in the Hydras blood to make them poisonous.     Hercules next labor is to capture alive a stag with golden horns andbronze hoofs that was sacred to Artemis, goddess of the hunt.     The fourth labor was to capture a great boar in Mount Erymanthus.Hercules used the poison arrows with the Hydras blood to shoot at theErymanthian boar. One of the poison arrows wounded Hercules friend Cheiron, animmortal centau r, half-horse and half-man. Cheiron feared the poison arrow wouldhurt him for eternity, but Zeus rewarded him for his service to the gods by