Being strong - The labours of Hercules

Long ago there lived a man who was taller, braver and stronger than any man that lived and his name was: Hercules!

Hercules served a king called Eurystheus. The gods told Hercules that he had to do everything Eurystheus asked. But Eurystheus was cruel and greedy and jealous of Hercules’ super strength. “I want that Hercules gone”, he roared, “he’s far too strong and handsome. So I’ll set him some tasks which he’ll never be able to complete. That’ll finish him off!”

He summoned Hercules to his palace. “I have some tasks for you,” he said. “What would you like me to do?” asked Hercules. “Well, first I want you to kill the Nemean lion”, said Eurystheus, with a sly grin.

The Nemean lion was huge and fierce, and its skin was protected by magic so that it could not be pierced. But Hercules set out bravely on his task. “Go on Hercules! You can do it!” his admirers called.

When Hercules reached Nemea no one came to greet him because the lion had eaten the whole village. Hercules searched for the lion and suddenly saw it returning to its lair. “Hey, greedy lion, now you’re for it!” shouted Hercules. He shot a flight of arrows at the lion, but they just bounced off its thick skin.

So he lunged at the lion with his sword, but the sword simply bent and made no mark on the lion at all.

“Thank goodness I have my club!” thought Hercules. But when he struck the lion with an enormous blow, the club just shattered into thousands of pieces.

“Ok lion, I’m going to have to wrestle you,” cried Hercules. He leapt at the lion and locked his arms around its neck. Then there was a struggle. The air was a tangle of arms and legs and lion limbs. Claws flashed, teeth gnashed and fur flew. It was a fight to the death. There could only be one winner and that winner was … Hercules!

Hercules returned to King Eurystheus wearing the Nemean lion’s pelt as armour. He was missing a finger, but he was victorious. “Oh no!” groaned King Eurystheus, “I never thought he’d complete that task. I’ll have to think of an even trickier one.

“For your next task you must destroy the Hydra that lives in the Lernaean swamp!” he told Hercules, slyly.

The Lernaean Hydra had the body of a dog and at least nine hissing snake heads – one of which was immortal. A single sniff of the Hydra’s foul, fuggy, fungal breath was enough to kill all life - human, plant or animal. Hercules set out bravely on his task, but this time he took his nephew, Iolaus, with him to drive the chariot. “Go on Hercules! You can do it!” called his admirers.

When Hercules reached the swamp at Lerna there was no sign of life. Nothing lived long enough to make a sound. The breath of the Hydra even killed crows before they could finish their first caw. “Hey Hydra, that’s just mean!” called Hercules. When Hercules reached the Hydra’s lair he forced it out by pelting it with flaming arrows.

The horrible Hydra appeared. Hercules held his breath and grabbed it. He battered at the seething snake heads with his club, but as soon as one head was destroyed, two sprang up in its place. To make things worse, an enormous crab scuttled out of the swamp and nipped Hercules’ foot. Hercules crushed the giant crab with a violent stamp of his foot.

Then he asked Iolaus to set the swamp on fire. “I can’t hold my breath much longer!” thought Hercules, “I need to finish this Hydra off!” So he brandished his sword and swiped at the Hydra’s immortal head. But even when the head fell to the ground, it was still hissing. So Hercules took it and buried it. He had destroyed the Lernaean Hydra.

But King Eurystheus was a really bad loser and he told Hercules the task didn’t count because Iolaus had helped him. Eurystheus set Hercules twelve tasks in all, including destroying man-eating birds; capturing an enormous fire belching bull single-handed; oh! and holding the world on his shoulders. It took Hercules twelve years to complete the tasks and, in return, he earned his immortality and became known as the strongest hero that ever was.