Heracles and the 12 labours (Greek) Flashcards
Who sent Heracles on the 12 labours?
King Eurystheus
How many labours were there originally?
10
Why did Heracles complete 12 labours in total?
because 2 of the original 10 were disqualified meaning he had to complete 2 extra labours
What the first Labour?
The Nemean Lion
Who was involved in the Nemean Lion labour?
Heracles and Athena
What was Heracles required to do in his first labour?
kill the Nemean lion
What was Heracles’ first action towards the Lion?
used bows and arrows to attack it
What did Heracles realise about the Nemean lion’s skin?
That it was impossible to penetrate its skin with weapons
How did Heracles kill the Nemean lion?
By strangling it
What was the problem Heracles faced after killing the lion?
He needed to skin it too show King Eurystheus evidence, but his knife was not able to cut through the skin of the lion.
What advice did Athena Give Heracles when he was struggling to skin the Nemean Lion?
She told him to use the claws of the lion to skin it.
What pieces of Heracles’ iconography comes from the labour of the Nemean Lion?
-the lion skin as a cloak
-lion’s head as a helmet
What number labour was the Lernaean Hydra?
second labour
Which people were involved in Heracles’ second labour?
Iolaus
Hera
Heracles
What was the Lernaean Hydra?
A creature with many heads and venom as blood
What was the problem when Heracles cut the Hydra?
2 more of the hydra’s heads would grow
Who did Heracles get help from?
Iolaus
What did Iolaus do?
he would seal the neck with a flaming torch after Heracles cut off a head
How did Heracles defeating the Learnean hydra affect Hera?
This angered Hera
What did Hera send whilst Heracles was fighting the hydra?
a crab
What did Heracles do to the creature Hera sent him whilst fighting the hydra?
he crushed the crab
What did Heracles do to the hydra after killing it?
he buried the heads of it in a pile of rocks
What did Heracles use the venom of the Lernaean hydra for ?
poison for his weapons
TRUE OF FALSE:
Heracles’ second labour was disqualified
True
Why was Heracles’ second labour disqualified?
because he had received outside help
What was Heracles’ third labour?
The Golden Hind
What was the Golden Hind also known as?
Ceryneian Hind
Where was the Golden Hind from?
Mount Ceryneia
Why was the golden hind special? (two reasons)
-larger than a bull
-golden from horns to hooves (fully gold)
Who was the Golden Hind Sacred to?
Artemis
Why was the Heracles’ third task difficult?
he had to track the hind for a whole year before being able to catch it.
Who did Heracles meet on his way back home after getting the Golden hind?
he met Apollo and Artemis
How did Artemis first feel towards Heracles during his third labour? and why?
angry because he had taken her sacred hind
How did Artemis’ feeling towards Heracles change? and why?
her anger subsided because Heracles explained he had been forced to do it by King Eurystheus and was only borrowing the hind.
What number Labour was the Erymanthian Boar?
The fourth Labour
What was the Erymanthian Boar?
a boar much larger than others and terrorised the countryside of Arcadia
What was Heracles instructed to do on his fourth labour?
to bring the Erynamthian Boar back to Mycenae alive
How did Heracles capture the Erymanthian Boar?
He tired the boar by chasing it through the snow. After it was tired he bound it by its legs and carries it back to Mycenae.
How did the king react to the Erymanthian Boar?
he was so frightened he hid in a sunken Pithos
What is a Pithos?
a large clay storage jar
What number labour was the Augean Stables?
Heracles’ fifth labour
What was Heracles tasked to do in his Fifth Labour?
to clean the stables of Augeas in one day
What was Augeas famed for regarding his cattle?
having an enormous herd of cattle that produced extremely large amount of dung/poo
How did Heracles conquer the Augean Stables?
he diverted two rivers through the stables cleaning them instantly.
What were the two rivers Heracles diverted in the Augean Stables?
Alpheios and Peneios
What did Augeas do after Heracles completed the task in the Augean stables?
he refused to pay Heracles what he promised.
How did Heracles retaliate to Augeas in the 5th Labour?
Heracles was enraged and returned with and army to defeat the king
What did Heracles do to commemorate his victory in the 5th labour?
He founded the Olympic Games for his father Zeus.
TRUE OR FALSE
The fifth labour was accepted.
FALSE
it was rejects by king Eurystheus because Heracles accepted payment for the labour
What was the sixth Labour?
Stymphalian Birds
Who where the Stymphalian Birds?
They were ravaging the lands of Stymphalos and eating the residents
Who did Heracles receive help from when he was up against the Stymphalian Birds?
Athena
What did the helper do to help Heracles in the sixth labour?
Athena gave him a rattle made by Hephaistos.
What happened after Heracles used the rattle in the sixth labour to defeat the birds?
The birds flew into the sky and Heracles shot them down using arrows or a sling shot.
What was the 7th labour?
The Cretan Bull
What was Heracles required to do with the Cretan Bull?
bring it to Mycenae
What had the Cretan bull been doing?
it was destroying Cretan homes and farmland.
How did Heracles defeat the Cretan Bull?
he crept up behind it and strangled it, but stopped just before it passes out
What did King Eurystheus do after seeing the Cretan bull?
he hid in his pithos
Where did the Cretan bull go after being brought Mycenae?
it was left to roam around to Marathon
Who later defeats the Cretan bull?
Theseus
What number labour was the Mares of Diomedes?
Labour number 8
Who was Diomedes and what was he know for?
He was the King of Bistones in Thrace.
He was known for a set of horses that he kept tied up in a bronze manger.
What did Heracles do to the stablemen from the 8th labour?
he killed stablemen
Who did Heracles leave the horses to when he went to fight Diomedes in the 8th labour and what happened to him?
Abderos, and he was overpowered by the horses and the horses ate him.
What did Heracles do finding out what had happened to his friend in labour 8?
he defeated Diomedes and fed him to the horses
After Heracles took the mares to Eurystheus in the eighth labour what happened? (2 versions)
-one account suggests the horses completely calm were freed to roam in Argos.
-Another account states they were set free and when they got to Olympus they were killed by wild animals
What was the ninth labour?
The belt of Hippolyte
Who was Hippolyte?
Hippolyte was the queen of the Amazons
Who were the Amazons?
a race of female warriors who lived near the Black sea
What was special about Hippolyte in the ninth labour?
she was given a magical belt by her father Ares.
What was Heracles sent to do in the ninth labour and why?
He was sent to retrieve the magic belt because Eurystheus’s daughter wanted it.
What surprised Heracles about Hippolyte in the ninth labour?
Hippolyte admired the deeds of Heracles and she she freely offered the belt to him.
Who was angry that the ninth the easy was so easy for Heracles?
Hera
What did Hera do during the ninth labour after she got angry?
she took the form of an Amazonian and spread a rumour that Heracles planned to steal the queen
How did the Amazonians react to what Hera had done in the ninth labour?
They rode out to kill Heracles and his men
How did the Belt of Hippolyte labour end?
A battle took place and Hippolyte is killed, Heracles then retrieves the belt and brings it back to Mycenae.
What number labour was the The cattle of Geryon?
it was the tenth labour
Where did Heracles have to go to for the Cattle of Geryon?
he had to go to the edge of the earth
What were the Cattle of Geryon famous for?
They were famous for their red hides (animal skin)
What did Heracles have to do first to get the Cattle of Geryon?
he had to defeat the herdsmen and his dog by beating them with his club
What was the name of the herdsmen and dog from the tenth labour?
Eurytion (herdsmen) and Orthrus (dog)
What happened after Heracles had beaten up the herdsmen in the tenth labour?
The herdsmen informed Geryon about what had happened, and then Heracles and Geryon fought
Why was Geryon from the tenth labour not normal?
he had 3 heads and three sets of arms and legs
How did Heracles defeat Geryon in the tenth labour?
He used his club and bow to defeat him
What happened to the Cattle of Geryon when it was brought to Mycenae
Eurystheus sacrificed the bulls to Hera.
What was the 11th labour?
The apples of Hesperides
What were the apples of Hesperides?
they were a wedding gift presented to Zeus and Hera by Earth (Gaia)
What was special about the apples of Hesperides?
the were golden
Who were the apples of Hesperides guarded by?
the Hesperides
Who were the Hesperides from the 11th labour?
they were nymphs and the daughters of Atlas
Why was the 11th labour Heracles’s longest labour?
he did not know where the garden with the apples was.
Who did Heracles help to find out where the Apples of Hesperides was and how?
he helped Prometheus by killing the eagle.
Who was Prometheus from the 11th labour?
He was a titan who defied the gods and so Zeus punished him by chaining him to a mountain where an eagle would peck on his liver.
Who did Heracles travel to after helping Prometheus in the 11th labour?
Atlas
Who was Atlas?
he was a titan who had been tasked with holding up the skies by Zeus.
What did Heracles offer to Atlas in the 11th labour?
he offered to hold the sky if Atlas went to get the apples
What did Atlas offer when he get back in the 11th labour?
he offered to deliver the apples himself so that he would not have to take back the sky
How did Heracles trick Atlas in the 11th labour?
he accepted Atlas’s offer but asked him to hold the sky for a moment as he got some pillows to cushion his shoulders. Heracles then takes the apples and runs off with it.
How did the Apples of Hesperides labour end?
Heracles took it to Mycenae and Athena took them back to the garden as they were property of Zeus and not allowed to stay with Eurystheus.
What was Heracles’ final labour?
The Cerberus
What was Heracles required to do for his final labour?
he had to retrieve Cerberus from the underworld
Who was the Cerberus?
it was a multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the Underworld to prevent the dead from leaving
Who did Heracles need to gain favour from to be able to take the Cerberus?
Hades and Persephone
What did Hades and Persephone challenge Heracles with in his last labour?
They said if he could capture the Cerberus without any weapons, he would be allowed to take him to Eurystheus
How did Heracles defeat the Cerberus in his last labour?
he use the stranglehold
How did Heracles’ last labour end?
After presenting Cerberus to Eurystheus he returned to the underworld.
What heroic traits does Heracles show through his labour? (list 3)
-bravery
-strength
-resilience
-cunning
-courage
-perseverance
