Hercules' greatest challenge was to descend into Hades and capture the ferocious three-headed dog Kerberos who guarded the gates.Ī lion with a hide impervious to weapons was terrorizing the region of Nemea, in some accounts because of a lack of piety from the inhabitants. On the other hand, Hercules generally enjoyed divine favour from the Olympian gods - he did, after all, help them in their battle against the Giants - and he was particularly favoured by Athena. Hera also sent two snakes to kill the new-born Hercules, but the baby easily strangled them. The goddess delayed his birth so that his cousin Eurystheus would be born first and so become the ruler of Greece according to Zeus' decree. Hera was (understandably) always jealous of her husband's illegitimate child and she made life difficult for him from an early age. In mythology, though, it was Zeus who lay with Alkmene and so fathered Hercules, explaining the origin of Hercules' great strength. However, following a violent quarrel between Amphitryon and his uncle, resulting in the accidental death of the latter, the family fled to Thebes where Hercules was born. Hercules' mortal father was Amphitryon (nephew of Elektryon, ruler of Mycenae) and his mother was Alkmene both were from Argos. As the greatest of heroes, he has been ascribed a multitude of adventures over the centuries which were probably originally connected to lesser, more local figures. Celebrated as an extraordinary mortal, his success in seemingly impossible labours won him an immortal place amongst the gods. For the story of Aeneas and the Sybil, check the sixth book of Virgil’s “Aeneid.Hercules ( Herakles) was a hero of Greek mythology famous for his great strength and endurance. Sourcesįor Cerberus’ lineage and description, consult Hesiod’s “Theogony.” In his “Library,” Apollodorus describes Heracles’ Twelfth Labour in some detail, while Ovid, in the “Metamorphoses,” offers a memorable description of the moment when Heracles brings Cerberus to the earth and daylight for the first time. The expression “a sop for Cerberus” originates in this story: it means quieting an uncooperative person by giving him a bribe.

When Aeneas visited the Underworld, he had some more than necessary help from the Sybil of Cumae, who threw Cerberus a honey-cake, spiced with few “drowsy essences.” Cerberus ate it and fell asleep in no time.

Cerberus wasn’t going to let him pass, but Orpheus charmed him with his music, and the hound, tamed beyond recognition, stepped aside.

When Eurydice died, Orpheus went to seek his beloved in the Underworld. The earth shook in dread when Heracles tried to raise Pirithous as well from his Chair, so he had no choice but to let go and leave him bound forevermore. After this, Heracles fettered him with adamant chains and dragged the hound to Eurystheus, who was so horrified by the sight that he instantly hid in his great jar.īefore leaving the Underworld, Heracles also managed to rescue Theseus, who had been bound to a Chair of Forgetfulness for daring to help Pirithous kidnap Persephone. Hades allowed this, but only on the condition that Heracles manages to do it without using any weapon.Įven though he was bitten by Cerberus’ serpent-tail, Heracles managed to put the dog in a stranglehold and persevere long enough until Cerberus finally passed out. The last – and, thus, most difficult – of the Twelve Labours of Heracles set for him by Eurystheus was bringing Cerberus up from the Underworld.

12 labours of hercules 4 birds and ho