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# |
Labour |
Instructions |
Outcome |
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1 |
The
Nemean Lion |
Slay
the beast and bring its hide |
Hercules
strangled the lion and skinned it. |
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2 |
The
Lernean Hydra |
Slay
the monster |
Hercules burned off its eight heads, buried its immortal
ninth head under a large stone, and then used arrows dipped
in the monster's bile to kill it. This labour was declared
invalid because he was assisted by Iolaus. |
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3 |
The
Erymanthian Boar |
Capture
and bring the boar alive |
Hercules
kept the boar on the run until it was exhausted and then captured
it. |
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4 |
The
Stag of Ceryneia |
Capture
and bring the golden stag dedicated to Artemis |
Hercules
pursued the stag for a year and then wounded it with an arrow,
thus allowing it to be caught. |
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5 |
The
Stymphalian Birds |
Destroy
the voracious birds |
Hercules employed large rattles provided by Athena to startle
the birds into flight and then shot them with arrows. |
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6 |
The
Stables of Augeas |
Clean
the extensive stables in one day |
Hercules
led the rivers Alpheius and Peneius through the stables,
which cleaned them. This labour was declared invalid
because he received payment for his work. |
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7 |
The
Cretan Bull |
Capture
and bring the bull alive |
With
the permission of Minos, king of Crete, Hercules captured the
bull alive. |
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8 |
The
Mares of the Thracian Diomedes |
Steal
and bring the four man-eating mares alive |
Hercules
overpowered the mares' grooms, defeated the local inhabitants
and slew the king Diomedes. He fed the dead king
to his mares, which tamed them, and so he was able to
take them. |
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9 |
The
Girdle of the Queen of the Amazons |
Capture
and bring the girdle of Queen Hippolyte |
Hercules was promised the girdle by the Queen, but Hera instigated
a battle between him and the Amazons. This ended in Hercules
killing the Queen, as he believed she betrayed him, and taking
the girdle. |
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10 |
The
Oxen of Geryones |
Collect
the herds grazing on the island of Erythia |
After
many adventures, Hercules reached Erythia and killed Eurytion,
the giant, and Orthus, the two-headed dog, who were protecting
the herds. He then killed Geryon. After further adventures and
losing some of the herd, he returned with the remainder. |
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11 |
The
Golden Apples of the Hesperides |
Steal
and bring the apples |
Hercules
reached the gardens after a long and perilous journey
and met Atlas, who was busy holding up the sky. Atlas
agreed to collect the apples, as only he could do so,
if Hercules would continue carrying the weight of the
sky for him. Hercules agreed, but afterwards tricked him
and fled with the apples. |
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12 |
Cerberus |
Capture
and bring the monster-dog alive from the Underworld |
Hercules fought the dog and then grasped it by the neck and
so was able to carry him off with him on his return. |
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