The Story of Heracles
Heracles was the son of Zeus and Alcmene, a mortal princess who was married to the hero Amphitryon. Zeus came to her disguised as her husband, and she gave birth to twins, Heracles and his mortal brother Iphicles. Hera hated the child from the start, and by a trick she made sure his cousin Eurystheus was born first and gained the power meant for Heracles.
When Heracles was still a baby, Hera sent two serpents into his cradle, but he grabbed one in each fist and strangled them. He grew up strong and quick tempered, and he once killed his music teacher Linus with a blow from his lyre. As a young man he killed a lion on Mount Cithaeron and led Thebes to victory over its enemies, and the king of Thebes gave him his daughter Megara as his wife.
Hera had not forgotten him. She sent a fit of madness upon Heracles, and in his frenzy he killed his own children. When he came to his senses, he went to the oracle at Delphi, which told him to serve King Eurystheus of Tiryns and perform whatever labors he was set.
The labors became the most famous adventures in Greek myth. Heracles killed the Nemean Lion and the many headed Hydra, captured the Ceryneian Hind and the Erymanthian Boar, cleaned the stables of King Augeas in a single day and drove off the Stymphalian Birds. He then captured the Cretan Bull and the man eating horses of Diomedes, took the girdle of the Amazon queen Hippolyta, and brought back the cattle of Geryon. Finally he fetched the golden apples of the Hesperides and dragged Cerberus up from the underworld.
His adventures did not end with the labors. He sailed for a time with the Argonauts, shot the eagle that tormented Prometheus, wrestled the giant Antaeus and fought beside the gods in their war against the Giants. With his friend Telamon he also sacked Troy after its king Laomedon cheated him of a promised reward.
Heracles later married Deianira. When the centaur Nessus tried to carry her off, Heracles shot him, and the dying centaur told Deianira to keep his blood as a love charm. Years later, fearing she was losing her husband to the princess Iole, she soaked a robe in the blood and sent it to him, and the poison burned his flesh so terribly that he built his own funeral pyre on Mount Oeta, which his friend Philoctetes agreed to light.
As the flames rose, Heracles was carried up to Olympus and made a god. He was finally reconciled with Hera and married her daughter Hebe, the goddess of youth. The Greeks worshipped him both as a hero and as a god all over their world, the Romans honored him as Hercules, and his name still stands for great strength.
Famous Myths About Heracles
Strangling the Serpents
Hera hated Heracles from birth because he was the son of Zeus by a mortal woman, Alcmene. She sent two serpents into his cradle, but the baby grabbed one in each fist and strangled them, giving the first sign of his incredible strength.
Madness and the Twelve Labors
Hera later drove Heracles mad, and in his frenzy he killed his own wife and children. To atone, the oracle at Delphi ordered him to serve his cousin King Eurystheus, who set him twelve seemingly impossible labors.
The Lernaean Hydra
For his second labor Heracles faced the Hydra, a swamp serpent that grew two new heads for every one cut off. His nephew Iolaus seared each stump with a torch so nothing could regrow, and Heracles buried the last, immortal head under a heavy rock.
Holding Up the Sky
Sent to fetch the golden apples of the Hesperides, Heracles offered to hold up the sky while the Titan Atlas collected them. Atlas returned planning to leave Heracles there forever, but the hero asked him to take the sky back for just a moment to adjust his cloak, then walked away with the apples.
The Poisoned Robe
Heracles once killed the centaur Nessus with an arrow dipped in the Hydra's blood. Years later his wife Deianira, fearing she had lost his love, gave him a robe soaked in the centaur's poisoned blood, and the agony drove Heracles to burn himself on a pyre, after which Zeus raised him to Olympus as a god.
Heracles's Family Tree
Parents of Heracles
Wife of Heracles
Children of Heracles
Frequently Asked Questions About Heracles
Who was Heracles in Greek mythology?
Heracles was the greatest of the Greek heroes, famous for his enormous strength and courage. He is best known for completing the Twelve Labors and was made a god after his death.
Who were Heracles's parents?
Heracles was the son of Zeus and the mortal princess Alcmene. Hera hated him from birth because he was the child of one of Zeus's affairs.
What were the Twelve Labors of Heracles?
The Twelve Labors were nearly impossible tasks set by King Eurystheus of Tiryns as penance after Hera drove Heracles mad and he killed his own family. They included slaying the Nemean Lion and the Hydra, fetching the golden apples of the Hesperides and capturing Cerberus.
What are Heracles's symbols?
Heracles is usually shown with a club, a bow and the skin of the Nemean Lion, which he wore as a cloak.
What is Heracles's Roman name?
The Romans called Heracles Hercules, the name most people know him by today.
How did Heracles die?
His wife Deianira gave him a robe soaked in the blood of the centaur Nessus, believing it was a love charm. The poison burned him so badly that he built his own funeral pyre on Mount Oeta, and Zeus raised him to Olympus as a god.
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