Heracles, also known as Hercules, was the son of Zeus and Alcmene. Due to a fit of madness induced by Hera, he killed his own children and was exiled. He then consulted the oracle at Delphi, who ordered him to serve King Eurystheus for twelve years and complete twelve tasks. Eurystheus claimed two tasks were failed and assigned two more, making twelve total tasks that Heracles completed to become immortal. Heracles is one of the most famous heroes of antiquity, known for his superhuman strength in completing difficult tasks.

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assuming the appearance of
Amphitryon,he seduced her. As a
result, Alcmene brought into the
worldtwo boys, Heracles, the son
of Zeus, and Iphicles, the son of
Amphitryon one night younger
than Heracles.
Herculesisoften depicted
carrying a knotted club, a quiver
full of arrows,and wearingalion’s
pelt with sometimes also a lion’s
head helmet. He is usually
bearded and has very large eyes.
WHY 12 LABOURS?
In a fit of madness,
inducedbyHera,he killedhisown
children by Megara and two of
Iphicles. In his grief he sentenced
himself toexile.He thenconsulted
the oracle of Delphi as to where
he should settle. The Pythia first
called him Heracles (glory of
Hera)-- his name had been
Alcides,--andorderedhimtoserve
Eurystheus, the king of Tiryns and
Mycenae for twelve years, after
which he should become
immortal.
Eurystheus, who had
become King in his stead and was
his enemy, ordered him to carry
out ten tasks.
Heracles carried them all
out, but according to Eurystheus
two of the tasks had been failed
because Heracles had been
helped, and allocated two
more,which Heracles also
completed, making 12.
Hercules at the Andalucian Parliament,
Sevilla
ERASMUS+ KA2
Searching for the Labours of Hercules
2014-1-TR01-KA201-012990
Spain– INTRODUCTION : THE LABOURS
OF HERCULES
HERACLES (Ἡρακλῆς in
ancient Greek), and in Latin
Hercules,wasthe mostcelebrated
of all the heroes of antiquity. The
traditions about him are the most
widely spread; for we find them
not only in all the Mediterranean
countries, but his deeds were
known in the most distant
countries of the ancient world.
Every nation of antiquity
as well as of modern times had or
has some traditions of heroes of
superhuman strength and power.
While in the earliest Greek
legends Heracles is a purely
human hero, as the conqueror of
men and cities, he afterwards
appears as the subduer of
monstrous animals, and is
connected in a variety of ways
with astronomical phaenomena.
Heracles was the son of
Zeus by Alcmene of Thebes in
Boeotia, and the favourite of his
father. While Amphitryon, her
husband, was absent from
Thebes, Zeus one night, to which
he gave the duration of three
othernights,visitedAlcmene, and
Zeus temple at Olimpia. Reconstruction of Metopes by students of IES Jándula