The best works of world literature. The labors of Hercules: a brief summary (Greek myths)

Greek and Roman civilization considered the cradle of European culture. The literature of the time, preserved in myths and legends, hand-written scrolls and retold the lists is evident in virtually all types of art-painting, sculpture, architecture, music, cinema. Popular Greek and Roman mythology. And Herakles, aka Hercules, the fearless athlete, was altogether a figure of a household name!

Biography of the hero

The Greeks Themselves loved to retell to each other the labours of Hercules. Summary (myths of Ancient Greece and other sources) can be found in various written documents of subsequent eras. Home character these stories – face a difficult. He is the son of the God Zeus, the Supreme ruler of mount Olympus, thunder, and Lord of all other deities and mortals. And his mother – an ordinary woman. The offspring of such unions were called heroes. Because they are endowed with great physical strength, military prowess, and most importantly, immortality. And about how we can all take advantage of it, we can tell of the labours of Hercules (short content). The myths of Ancient Greece say that he had to commit them at the behest of a jealous wife of Zeus, Hera. After this she turned to the illicit son of her unfaithful husband and commanded him to be in the service of the cowardly and foolish Evrisfey. 12 the most difficult tasks was to take hero for his release.

Table of Contents myths

The Story about them and included in the concept of “the labours of Hercules”. Summary (myths of Ancient Greece – main source of information) their is.

1. Kieronska the mountains roams a ferocious lion-eater with a durable skin that does not break. Hercules has managed to lure the beast into a trap, strangle it, and the skin taken from the Nemean lion, the hero began to use as their basic clothing.
2. Massacre of the Lernaean Hydra striking episode is included in the labours of Hercules. Summary (myths of Ancient Greece, by the way, explain where in the sky it came from the constellation of Cancer and Hydra!) it is very interesting. Hydra – a monstrous multi-headed serpent form devouring all life or poisoning your poison (gall). When Hercules fought with her, supported him all the inhabitants of the land, water and sky. Cancer crawled out of his hole and bit the hero. For which he was crushed. However, the generous giant threw him high into the sky, and the obstinate became a constellation.
3. Enumerating the labors of Hercules, a summary of them, worth to mention about the victory over the birds, with steel feathers, sharp as arrows – Stimfaliyskie. And cleaning the Augean stables, the extraction of the magical apples of the Hesperides, for which our hero had to stay in the role of Atlanta, the taming of the mighty boar of Arimunai and the same terrible bull from Crete – all this, too, added to the glory and honor the strength and courage of Hercules!

…And other stories

The more interesting feats of Hercules? The content of the myths told to us such stories: the hero got the favourite of Artemis, Irinasku DOE; managed by Diomedes, the cruel king who fed his horses rowdy travelers and strangers; stole the belt itself Hippolyta, matriarch of the Amazons-dev wayward warriors. And even cows have a three-headed Geryon – a scary giant – managed to steal! In total, on account of the character about 50 miraculous feats. No wonder that in Greece there was even a cult of Hercules! That's what the popular character of myth!

In Russian the most complete account of the content of most myths of the ancient Greeks, the historian-writer B. Kuhn.