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The Twelve Labours of Herakles, are a series of stories connected by a continuous narrative, concerning a penance carried out by Herakles.

The narrative

Zeus, having made Alcmene pregnant with Herakles, proclaimed that the next son born of the house of Perseus would become king. Hera, Zeus' consort, hearing this, caused Eurystheus to be born two months early as he was of the house of Perseus, while Herakles, also of the house, was three months overdue. When he found out what had been done, Zeus was furious; however, his rash proclamation still stood.

In a fit of madness, induced by Hera, Herakles slew his wife and children; the fit then passed. Realising what he had done, he isolated himself, going into the wilderness and living alone. He was found (by his brother Iphicles) and convinced to visit the Oracle at Delphi. The Oracle told him that as a penance he would have to perform a series of ten tasks set by King Eurystheus,the man who had taken Herakles' birthright, the man he hated the most.

The traditional order of the labours is

• 1 - Slay the Nemean Lion and bring back its skin.
• 2 - Slay the Lernaean Hydra.
• 3 - Capture the Erymanthian Boar.
• 4 - Capture the Cerynian Hind.
• 5 - Clean the Augean stables in one day.
• 6 - Slay the Stymphalian Birds.
• 7 - Capture the Cretan Bull.
• 8 - Steal the Mares of Diomedes.
• 9 - Obtain the Girdle of Hippolyte.
• 10 - Obtain the Cows of Geryon
• 11 - Steal the Apples of the Hesperides
• 12 - Capture Cerberus

In his labours, Heracles was often accompanied by his boyfriend (an eromenos), according to some, Licymnius, or by others Iolaus, his nephew. Although he was only supposed to perform ten labours, this assistance led to him suffering two more. Eurystheus didn't count the Hydra, because Iolaus helped him, or the Augean stables, as he received payment for his work (in other versions it is because the rivers did the work).

Inner meaning

Behind its outer meaning, Greek religion often hid an inner mystical tradition, and thus the labours could be interpreted as a symbolization of the spiritual path. This is particularly evident in an analysis of the eleventh, in which Hercules travels to a garden in which grows an apple tree with magical fruit, the tree of life, guarded by a dragon and some sisters - a parallel to the biblical legend of the garden of Eden where a snake encourages the use of an (unnamed) fruit tree, granting the knowledge of good and evil <!-- leaving this in as someone saw to mention it, but I don't see the parallel myself at all, other than the fact that both stories have gardens with magic trees in, like many many other stories-->. The last 3 labours (10-12) of Herakles are generally considered metaphors about death.

Origin of the stories

Geographic locations

Pointing to a possible location for their origin, or at least their formalisation, is the fact that most of the geographic locations, are all located in, or on the borders of Arcadia, or connected with it significantly.

• the town of Nemia, close by, and west of, Argo (the capital of Arcadia).
• lake Lerna to the south (which is now dry).
• the mountain Erymanthos, currently also called Olonos.
• the town Ceryneia, in the far North West of the Peloponnese, 55 from Argo
• lake Stymphalia, close by, and west of, Nemia. In ancient times it was marshy.
• the river Alphaeus feeds the bay at Argo, and drains the north western mountains.
• the city of Sparta to the south west. It features as the entrance to the underworld, which may be a satirical comment on Spartan culture.
• the island of Crete, a sea trading nation, is located in the same direction as the long thin bay that Argo sits at the head of.
• the nation of Thrace, is described as being the enemy of Argo during the Trojan War, and in that situation is associated with Diomedes.

Connection to the Zodiac

The labours also have a strong connection to the constellations encountered by the transit of the sun through the year, many being connected to the zodiac. most of them having an association with one constellation, and as a whole, representing the passage of the sun (personified as Herakles) through the year and the zodiac. Starting at the zodiac contellation of cancer, in which the sun's solstice occurs, and passing through each zodiac sign in the order the sun passes through them,

The Lernaean Hydra

When the sun is in the sign of Cancer, the constellation Hydra is has its head near it. Also close by, beneath the sun, is the constellation of Cancer, which is a crab. The story of the Lernaean Hydra states that the hydra, and the crab, were put into the sky after Herakles slew them

Mythology about fighting giant snakes, and snake-like animals, that are invincible, appear to be a general archetype in reference to a solid extensive battle line with an indefatigable opposing army, (e.g. the Lambton worm represents the mediaeval Scottish army's raids into England). Since Lerna is in the direction of Sparta, the most war-like of all nations, tales of Sparta's might (from the point of view of a victim) may have formed such a snake myth, making the choice of the location for the story.

It is uncertain as to what the cauterising of the snake heads means, but it may derive from tales concerning a battle connected to Lerna, possibly indicative of setting fire to parts of the enemy (possibly the corpses) so as to disperse them. It may also derive from the choice

The Nemean Lion

The great lion of the constellation Leo was said by the greeks to have been the Nemean Lion, placed in the sky after Herakles' slaying of it.

The Erymanthian Boar

When the sun is in the sign of Virgo, it sits directly above the constellation Centaurus. The greeks considered that the centaur Chiron, who was accidentally poisoned and died due to Herakles, while herakles took a detour from hunting the Erymanthian Boar, was put in the sky as a mark of pity.

The constellation Lupus is next after Centaurus in the sun's transit, and was to the Greeks an arbitrary hunted animal (Therion)- it became a wolf under the Romans. Centaurus appears to have fired an arrow, the constellation Sagitta, towards Aquila, the eagle that tortured Prometheus, thus appearing to release Prometheus from his torment. Centaurus is also under the ecliptic, and thus considered to be in the underworld.

Erymantias is a mountain, and is nearby to another, Pholus, the name given to another incidental centaur.

The Apples of the Hespirides

Directly above Libra the constellation Ursa Minor. Ursa Minor was only considered a constellation after the 6th century BC, at which point it was thought of as a small bear. Before that time it was considered to be seven sisters, specifically, the Hespirides, who also formed the wing of the constellation Draco (although in since Roman times, the wing has been no longer thought of as part of Draco).

The constellation Ursa Major lies between Ursa Minor and the ecliptic of Libra. In ancient times it was thought of as an apple tree, having its three apples, the brightest stars in its constellation, in what is now considered the bear's tail. Between Ursa Minor and Ursa Major is the constellation Draco, the dragon, which appears to be protecting both the tail stars, the apples, of Ursa Major, and sits as the front line behind which are the stars of Ursa Minor. Draco looks menacingly toward the sun when it is in Libra.

Intimately associated with this group of constellations is the constellation of Boötes, which is between them and Libra. Early legends concerning the constellation of Boötes reflected the fact that parts of it are close to Polaris, the pole star, and as such, it was considered to be the man who held up the heavens, Atlas. His three sets of seven daugters were considered to be the groups of small constellations of seven stars, the Hespirides, the Hyades, and the Pleides. Boötes appears to be heading toward Ursa Major and Ursa Minor (which is why it is also known as the Bear Watcher).

The greeks did not consider Libra as a seperate constellation (considering it part of Scorpio), it is uncertain as to what took its place, but it may have been Boötes, since it is a large constellation in the approximate area. Since Boötes is not actually on the ecliptic, or part of the zodiac band, the place it should occupy in the zodiac itself is vacant, and thus the sun, when in Libra, can be said to have taken its place.

The Cerynian Hind

When the sun is in the sign of Scorpio, the constellation Hercules rises. The greeks referred to the constellation of Hercules as the Stag (hind is another word for stag), the identification of the constellation with Hercules was made by the Romans.

Immediately next to the constellation Hercules, is the constellation Sagitta, the arrow, the owner of which varies amongst the various versions of each part of greek mythology. Artemis (to whom the Cerynian Hind was said to have been sacred, causing her to draw an arrow at Herakles), is a key player in the myth discussing the origin of Scorpio and death of Orion, and so has an association with this area of sky.

The Stymphalian Birds

When the sun is in the sign of Sagittarius, the constellations Lyra, Aquila, and Cygnus, rise. Aquila is an eagle, and Cygnus is a swan, wheras Lyra is a lyre, but originally Lyra was a vulture, gaining the lyre over time, and eventually becoming it. At this time of year (i.e. during Sagittarius), the evenings darken, and thus the bird constellation were considered evil. Also around this time, the rain season in Greece starts, creating swampland from previously drier areas.

To the Greeks, Sagittarius (the constellation) had various different interpretations, including as a rattle, but not including a whole archer (which was the interpretation of the Romans). Also, the next constellation on the sun's transit after the birds is Delphinus, whose myth concerns the saving of Arion, a court musician, by a dolphin. Herakles scared off the Stymphalian Birds (who lived in a swamp) with noise.

The Augean Stable

The Romans gave the constellation of Capricorn its name, taking it from part of a myth also concerning Pisces. To the Greeks, it was called the Augean Stable, since the sun appears goes to rest (i.e. stable) there during winter, and the sun appears heading towards the North West at this time (where Augeas was living).

Since this time was so dark, early greek religious ideas were that the darkness of the sky was due to the accumulation of sin throughout the year, thus the stable is extremely dirty and never cleaned before that year. These sins were said to be washed away as the sun arose again, and the next sign of the Zodiac is Aquarius, who is implicated in greek mythology as causing a great flood. The, factual, river Alphaeus drains the mountains, but runs mostly underground, thus was seen as having been diverted.

The Mares of Diomedes

When the sun is in the constellation of Aquarius, the constellation Pegasus rises. Pegasus in early greece was considered to contain 4 very bright stars, making a square, it was only in later times that the 4th star (Alpheratz) was considered part of Andromeda. By reassigning the 4th star, Pegasus changed from being a horse with a square body, into being a horse with a wing (the square body changing into a triangular wing), giving rise to the winged horse myth.

Bright stars were considered to be malevolent and wild, thus leading to the earlier pegasus square being considered 4 evil horses (the animals being horses due to the overall shape assigned to the constellation). Pegasus, as a whole, appears to be feeding, in particular, it aims its head towards Aquarius, a man, suggesting a man-eating nature. Since the horses are above the ecliptic, they cannot be said to have died, and thus must have been caught, since the sun is able to pass them.

According to the Trojan War epics, King Diomedes, the hero of Argo, who fought against the god Ares during the war, stole horses from the stables of King Rhesus of Thrace. Since Herakles was the hero of Argo, and since Diomedes (of Argo) was percieved as already owning the horses, Diomedes had to take the place of Rhesus in the story of the Mares of Diomedes, becoming the villainous enemy of Argo, descended from Ares.

Cerberus

The constellation of Pisces was not always associated with two fish, the original sky fish was Pisces Austrinus. It was considered also to be two people, tied together (who in some stories were turned into fish, thus evolving into just being fish). They are tied together under the ecliptic, the area considered to represent the underworld. The ecliptic, of the sun's transit, cuts through the bond. One clearly has mostly escaped (the western one), the other appears to still be bound to the ecliptic and heading downwards (the eastern one). However, part of the western one is still bound.

The naming, of the person Herakles successfully released, from being bound in the underworld, as Theseus, marks an awareness that myths surrounding Theseus connect him to the queen of the Amazons, and that he thus had to appear in the following story as a companion of Herakles. This emphasis on continuity is possibly connected to the fact that the constellation which features in the subsequent story also partly exists in Pisces.

Under Pisces is the constellation Cetus, usually considered as a sea monster, or a whale. However, it is equally possible to view it as two closed gates with their gateposts, with a set of three stars behind the centre of the gate. Since they face the ecliptic, and are extremely close to it, such gates would be gates to the underworld (which was below the ecliptic). The guard of the gates to the underworld was traditionally Cerberus, who had three heads, an association requiring use of the three main (but comparatively faint) stars, in the modern constellation Fornax, as a tail.

Since Cerberus was considered a permanent fixture of Hades, nothing much could happen to him that was damaging. There being no other constellations in this region, little more story could be given other than doing something non permanent to Cerberus, such as moving him to the other side of the gates.

The Girdle of Hippolyte

When the sun is in the constellation of Aries, the constellation Andromeda sets. Andromeda, having an apparant long skirt, is considered by greek mythology, to be female. It also has three bright close stars forming a line, leading to the impression of a belt (as do the three in Orion). Girdle is just another word for belt.

The full constellation appears to have something long attached to its upper body, in the greek myth of the Boast of Cassiopeia, it is identified as a chain. Other tales identify it as a sword (discarding parts of the chain from being part of the constellation), implying that the constellation is an amazon warrior. The queen of the amazons was given the name Hippolyte in greek mythology.

Heading in the direction of the sun's transit moves next after Andromeda to the Pleiades, considered in Greek mythology to be the seven sisters. After Herakles obtained the girdle of Hippolyte, he had to face a band of women (more amazons).

The Cretan Bull

When the sun has reached the constellation of Taurus, it has passed over an area that the ancients referred to as the sea - the region from Capricorn to the region containing Aries. It was referred to as the sea due to the high concentration of constellations identified as sea creatures within it, Aries being identified as a flying ram who flew over the sea. Crete is in a direct line from the natural harbour of Argo, a direction which the shape of Argo's harbour, and surrounding coastline, requires all ships initially take.

Apart from being a bull, Taurus contains a very bright and red star, meaning that many took it to be evil. Some forms of Greek mythology associated the constellation with the tame white bull, in some versions Zeus in disguise, that seduced Europa and took her to Crete (Minos), wheras others associate it with the white bull that fathered the Minotaur. The cretan bull which fathered the Minotaur was originally calm and sent from Poseidon, but the king (Minos) whom it was sent to fell out of favour with Poseidon, and so in some versions of the story, Poseidon made the bull angry.

The myth of Poseidon sending the bull (which seduced Minos' wife) may simply be an earlier version of the myth of Zeus seducing Europa, as in earlier Mycenean times, Poseidon had significantly more importance than Zeus. The change of gods was due to the replacement of the Mycenean culture and religion, with a later one favouring Zeus. Poseidon and Zeus, which have the same etymological origin (Poseidon deriving from Posei-Deion which means Lord God, and Zeus deriving from Deus which also means God), may be the result of the parallel evolution of the same original God in seperate cultures, one (Poseidon - who is also associated with horses) becoming associated more with the sea (due to change in the main source of trade), and thus eventually becoming noticably different.

The Cows of Geryon

When the sun reaches the constellation of Gemini, it meets the constellation of Auriga. Many ancient beliefs associated the daily path of the sun across the sky with the sun god using a fiery chariot, and so, here, the sun's yearly path (its transit) obtains the fiery chariot (Auriga) of the sun's daily path. Later greek mythology considered the sun to use a cup to traverse the sky.

Also in this region of the sky is a vast space without easily visible stars (now occupied by the new constellations of Lynx, and by Camelopardalis), which the ancient greeks described as a desert. A story based on this region of the sky therefore requires a vast desert, the best know of which to the ancient greeks was that of Libya. However, even though the deserted area is past much of the constellations, in this region of the sky, setting a story in the desert requires someone to travel through it to the main location. Since Auriga is the nearest constellation from the start of the sun's transit to border on the empty space, a solar-chariot (later adjusted into a cup) becomes the method of traversing the desert.

The milky way was so named by the ancient greeks because it appears to be a smear of milk across the sky. Some, however, were able to discern some individual stars in the sky, and as such, it became to them a vast herd of cattle, whose milk filled the gaps between them. The star Capella, which is part of Auriga, was known to the greeks as the Shepherd's star (as some groups considered Auriga to be a shepherd driving a chariot, as well as the chariot, whilst keeping a goat slung over its left shoulder). Capella is very close to, but just outside, the milky way, and as such, considered a shepherd, appears to be herding it.

In gemini, the constellation Canis Major (the great dog), sits close to the milky way. The head of the constellation faces away from the sun. However, at the other end of the constellation (where the tail should be) sits the star Sirius, considered evil by many ancient mythologies due to its flickering and redness, which was itself considered a dog (the dog star), by association with the constellation. As such, the constellation has two heads, one is the normal head of the constellation, and the other is Sirius on the other side.

Nearer to the sun than Canis Major, and also appearing to guard the milky way in this area of the sun's transit as well as Canis Major and Capella, is Orion the giant. Traditionally Orion is considered a single giant, but it also equally possible to differentiate it into three seperate whole bodies joined at the belt, as Geryon is described, particularly as the legs appear in quite distinct direction, and alternative drawings (taking into account slightly fainter stars than basic diagrams) of the constellation normally depict three rather than two arms, the third and second sharing the same right shoulder.

The sun manages to pass these obstacles, passing through the milky way. Auriga appears to be parked in the milky way itself, and as such some of the cows of the milky way herd are in it. After the milky way, the sun meets Gemini itself. Depictions of Gemini vary as to whether it leans east or west, in the westerly direction it is possible to draw the constellation as two stick man, and Gemini's feet rest in the milky way. In the easterly depictions, one of the twins is in the milky way, and the other is outside it, and as such, one twin has stolen some cows, and the other, the one whom the sun's transit crosses, has not. In the myth of Castor and Pollux (the usual names of the twins in gemini), their deaths are due to an argument over the theft of cattle.

The order of the stories

As a representation of the sun's transit along the zodiac, the best place to start the journey would be at the summer solstice, which falls in Cancer. The order of the stories implied by the zodiac, starting at Cancer, is

• 1 - The Lernean Hydra
• 2 - The Nemean Lion
• 3 - The Erymanthian Boar
• 4 - The Apples of the Hesperides
• 5 - The Cerynian Hind
• 6 - The Stymphalian Birds
• 7 - The Stable of Augeas
• 8 - The Mares of Diomedes
• 9 - Cerberus
• 10 - The Girdle of Hippolyte
• 11 - The Cretan Bull
• 12 - The Cows of Geryon

There are some locations that are necessary for the story to be possible - the Atlas mountains for Atlas, Thrace for Diomedes, Crete for the Minotaur's father, Libya for a desert. The others fill the blanks to create a continuous journey from south Arcadia towards the north west, then off across the sea to north west africa and back, return to Argo via from the north west of Arcadia, off to Thrace, then Sparta, Athens, Crete, and finally Libya.

Altering the story so that Herakles goes to Crete via the natural port of Argo, the town he centres on, the issue of there only being 10 tasks originally arises, due to his return to his home at this point. The arrangement of the story also means that, for most tasks, Herakles is obliged to carry the evidence of his prior ones with him. This burden implies that by the time he reaches home he is carrying an excessive amount of items, and thus Herakles was made to return after each task. By Herakles returning after each task, and implying that there were only meant to be 10, the connection to the Zodiac, and the continuity of the stories, is lost, and the stories are able to be moved around.

Since Herakles is said to wear the Nemean Lion's skin after his defeat, thus in most of the labours, depictions of him carrying out the labours mostly featured him in the skin, leading to a common idea of this as the starting point. Since the Nemean Lion then starts the sequence, and clearly has a connection to Leo, the other stories also with strong connections to the Zodiac (the Cretan bull with Taurus, and the Stable of Augeas, which is the early greek name for Capricorn) needed to be moved back into their appropriate position relative to Leo.

As greek religion became more esoteric towards the second centuries BC, emphasis on esoteric meaning in the stories became more important. Thus by moving the story concerning the Hesperides, taken to represent heaven, and Cerberus, to represent hell, to the end, produces the suggestion of teachings moving from the basic, to addressing more esoteric concerns, such as death, towards the end. In addition, the stories concerning war and treachery (the story of the Mares of Diomedes, and the nearby story of the Girdle of Hippolyte), made more sense together, and make more sense being placed next to the 3 stories concerning death, thus producing the traditional order.

See Also

List of Constellations