Heracles
Heracles is a Greek hero, the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene, known for extraordinary strength and twelve difficult labours. His stories matter because they place courage and endurance beside anger, guilt, and suffering. Roman writers usually call him Hercules.
Key stories of Heracles
The twelve labours
In the most common version, Heracles must serve King Eurystheus after killing his family in a madness sent by Hera. His tasks include defeating monsters and bringing back creatures from dangerous places.
In The Library, Heracles strangles the Nemean lion because weapons cannot pierce its skin. He later wears its hide as protection.
In The Library by Apollodorus
Madness and its aftermath
Hera's hostility brings disaster into the hero's home. Different tellings place his madness at different points in his life.
In Euripides' Heracles, the hero kills his wife and children after completing his labours. When he understands what has happened, Theseus offers friendship and help.
In Heracles by Euripides
The poisoned robe
Heracles' wife Deianira sends him a robe treated with what she believes will restore his love. The supposed charm is really a deadly poison left by the centaur Nessus.
In Women of Trachis, the robe causes Heracles terrible pain, and he orders his son to take him to a funeral pyre. Deianira learns too late that Nessus deceived her.
In Women of Trachis by Sophocles
How to recognise Heracles in stories
- Look for a powerful hero carrying a club and wearing a lion's skin.
- Notice impossible tasks involving monsters, wild creatures, or the underworld.
- Watch for strength set against suffering, guilt, or Hera's hostility.
Free for 3 months
200,000+ classics. Every format, free to start.
eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and any book printed at cost, large print too.
Are Heracles and Hercules the same person?
Heracles and Hercules are the Greek and Roman names for the same hero. English books use both names, so either may appear with the lion's skin, club, and twelve labours. Individual writers can still tell his adventures differently.
Why does Hera hate Heracles?
Hera persecutes Heracles because he is a child of her husband Zeus and another woman. Her anger falls on the child rather than only on Zeus. This hostility helps explain the dangers and suffering that follow Heracles throughout his stories.
Related terms
Free for 3 months
200,000+ classics. Every format, free to start.
eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and any book printed at cost, large print too.
200,000+ classics to read and hear, and printed books, large print included, at cost.
Try 3 months free
