The Twelve Labours of Heracles are a series of episodes concerning a penance carried out by Heracles, one of the greatest heroes from classical mythology. They were accomplished over 12 years at the service of King Eurystheus.
After Heracles killed his wife and children, he went to the oracle at Delphi. He prayed to the god Apollo for guidance. Heracles was told to serve the king of Mycenae, Eurystheus, for twelve years. During this time, he is sent to perform twelve difficult feats, called labours.
The episodes were later connected by a continuous narrative. The establishment of a fixed cycle of twelve labours was attributed by the Greeks to an epic poem, now lost, written by Peisander, dated about 600 BC. This collection of stories gave name to a set of short stories written by Agatha Christie. Her short story collection was called The Labours of Hercules, since the Roman name of Heracles, Hercules, reminded more of the name of her character Hercule Poirot.
The Labours and the corresponding short stories[]
- Slay the Nemean lion - The Nemean Lion
- Slay the nine-headed Lernaean Hydra - The Lernean Hydra
- Capture the Ceryneian Hind - The Arcadian Deer
- Capture the Erymanthian Boar - The Erymanthian Boar
- Clean the Augean stables in a single day - The Augean Stables
- Slay the Stymphalian birds - The Stymphalean Birds
- Capture the Cretan Bull - The Cretan Bull
- Steal the Mares of Diomedes - The Horses of Diomedes
- Obtain the girdle of Hippolyta - The Girdle of Hyppolita
- Obtain the cattle of the monster Geryon - The Flock of Geryon
- Steal the apples of the Hesperides - The Apples of the Hesperides
- Capture and bring back Cerberus - The Capture of Cerberus (this replaced another short story with the same name, which had been rejected by The Strand Magazine)