12 Labors of Hercules

Question 1

What was the first labor of Heracles?

Answer 1

To slay the Nemean Lion

Question 2

Why was the Nemean Lion difficult to kill?

Answer 2

Its skin was impervious to weapons, so Heracles had to strangle it

Question 3

What did Heracles use as armor after killing the Nemean Lion?

Answer 3

The lion’s skin, which he wore as a cloak

Question 4

What was the second labor of Heracles?

Answer 4

To slay the Lernaean Hydra

Question 5

Why was the Lernaean Hydra difficult to defeat?

Answer 5

It had multiple heads that regrew two for each one cut off

Question 6

How did Heracles finally defeat the Hydra?

Answer 6

By cauterizing each neck with a torch after cutting off the heads

Question 7

Who helped Heracles defeat the Hydra?

Answer 7

His nephew, Iolaus, helped by burning the necks

Question 8

What was the third labor of Heracles?

Answer 8

To capture the Ceryneian Hind

Question 9

Why was capturing the Ceryneian Hind a challenge?

Answer 9

The hind was sacred to Artemis and incredibly fast, requiring a year-long pursuit

Question 10

How did Heracles capture the Ceryneian Hind?

Answer 10

He wounded it gently with an arrow to avoid angering Artemis

Question 11

What was the fourth labor of Heracles?

Answer 11

To capture the Erymanthian Boar

Question 12

How did Heracles capture the Erymanthian Boar?

Answer 12

He drove it into deep snow, where it became trapped

Question 13

What was the fifth labor of Heracles?

Answer 13

To clean the Augean Stables

Question 14

Why was the task of cleaning the Augean Stables so difficult?

Answer 14

The stables had not been cleaned in years and housed thousands of cattle

Question 15

How did Heracles clean the Augean Stables in a single day?

Answer 15

By diverting the rivers Alpheus and Peneus to wash out the filth

Question 16

What was the sixth labor of Heracles?

Answer 16

To drive away the Stymphalian Birds

Question 17

Why were the Stymphalian Birds dangerous?

Answer 17

They had bronze beaks and feathers that could be used as weapons

Question 18

How did Heracles drive away the Stymphalian Birds?

Answer 18

He used a rattle given by Athena to scare them into flight, then shot them down

Question 19

What was the seventh labor of Heracles?

Answer 19

To capture the Cretan Bull

Question 20

What was special about the Cretan Bull?

Answer 20

It was a powerful, wild bull that caused havoc on Crete

Question 21

How did Heracles capture the Cretan Bull?

Answer 21

He wrestled it into submission and brought it back to King Eurystheus

Question 22

What was the eighth labor of Heracles?

Answer 22

To steal the Mares of Diomedes

Question 23

What made the Mares of Diomedes dangerous?

Answer 23

They were man-eating horses

Question 24

How did Heracles tame the Mares of Diomedes?

Answer 24

He fed Diomedes to his own horses, which calmed them

Question 25

What was the ninth labor of Heracles?

Answer 25

To obtain the girdle of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons

Question 26

Why was the girdle of Hippolyta significant?

Answer 26

It was a symbol of her power and strength as queen of the Amazons

Question 27

How did Heracles obtain Hippolyta’s girdle?

Answer 27

Hippolyta willingly offered it, but Hera stirred up trouble, leading to a battle

Question 28

What was the tenth labor of Heracles?

Answer 28

To capture the cattle of Geryon

Question 29

Who was Geryon, and why was this task challenging?

Answer 29

Geryon was a three-bodied giant who guarded a herd of red cattle

Question 30

How did Heracles defeat Geryon?

Answer 30

He used his bow and arrow to kill Geryon from a distance

Question 31

What was the eleventh labor of Heracles?

Answer 31

To steal the golden apples of the Hesperides

Question 32

Who guarded the golden apples?

Answer 32

The Hesperides, daughters of Atlas, and a dragon named Ladon

Question 33

How did Heracles retrieve the golden apples?

Answer 33

He convinced Atlas to retrieve them while he temporarily held up the sky

Question 34

What was the final (twelfth) labor of Heracles?

Answer 34

To capture Cerberus, the three-headed guard dog of the Underworld

Question 35

Why was capturing Cerberus particularly difficult?

Answer 35

Cerberus was a fierce creature, and Heracles had to do it without weapons

Question 36

How did Heracles capture Cerberus?

Answer 36

He wrestled Cerberus into submission and brought him back to the surface

Question 37

What was King Eurystheus’s reaction to Heracles bringing Cerberus?

Answer 37

He was terrified and ordered Heracles to return Cerberus to the Underworld

Question 38

Which two labors were initially disqualified by Eurystheus, requiring Heracles to complete two extra labors?

Answer 38

The Hydra (because he had help) and the Augean Stables (because he was offered payment)

Question 39

What is the significance of the twelve labors of Heracles?

Answer 39

They represent redemption and the triumph of strength and resilience over impossible challenges

Question 40

Which goddess frequently tried to interfere with Heracles’s labors?

Answer 40

Hera, who held a grudge against him as Zeus’s illegitimate son

Question 41

How did Heracles’s labors ultimately affect his status in Greek mythology?

Answer 41

They led to his eventual immortality and status as one of the greatest Greek heroes

Question 42

How did the labors reflect the Greek values of courage and perseverance?

Answer 42

Each task involved seemingly impossible challenges that Heracles overcame through bravery and endurance

Question 43

Who assigned Heracles the twelve labors?

Answer 43

King Eurystheus, as a way to purify Heracles for his sins

Question 44

What sin did Heracles seek to atone for through his labors?

Answer 44

The killing of his wife and children in a fit of madness induced by Hera

Question 45

What role did Athena play in Heracles’s labors?

Answer 45

She provided him with guidance, weapons, and tools to complete certain tasks

Question 46

How did Heracles’s labors conclude?

Answer 46

With the successful completion of all twelve tasks, he gained redemption and was later granted immortality