The most popular Greek hero, he was famous for strength and courage. The son of Alcmene and Zeus, he was hated by Hera, who sent serpents to his cradle to strangle him, but he strangled them. Later Hera drove Heracles mad, and he killed his wife and children. He sought redemption from King Eurystheus, who set him 12 mighty labors:
1. Kill the Nemean lion- Heracles strangled the animal and wore the lion's skin.
2. Kill the Hydra-a terrible serpent with nine heads.
3. Drive off the Stymphalian birds.
4. Clean the Augean stables, which had not been cleaned for 30 years. He turned two rivers, the Alpheus and the Peneus, through the stables, finishing the work in a single day.
5. Capture the Cerynean hind, with the golden horns.
6. Capture the Cretan bull.
7. Capture the flesh-eating wild mares of Diomedes, king of Thrace. Hercules killed Diomedes and fed him to the horses.
8. Capture the wild Erymanthian boar.
9. Capture the cattle of the monster Geryon, which dwelt on the fabled island Erytheia.
10. Capture Cerberus, the many-headed dog who guarded the gates of the underworld. He brought Cerberus to Eurystheus, but the king was so terrified that Heracles had to return to Hades to take the monster back.
11. Procure the girdle of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons. He defeated the Amazons, killed the queen, and took the belt.
12. Procure the golden apples of the Hesperides guarded by the four sister nymphs called the Hesperides. Their father was Atlas, who supported the heavens on his back. To obtain the apples Heracles took Atlas's place while Atlas took the apples.
Later, the centaur Nessus tried to carry off Heracles' wife, Deianeira. Heracles shot Nessus with a poisoned arrow. The dying centaur had Deianeira keep some of his blood as a love charm. When Heracles fell in love with another maiden, Deianeira sent him a robe steeped in the blood. Heracles put it on, and poison spread through his body like fire. He led to Mount Oeta, built a funeral fire, and threw himself on it to die. At his death he rose to Olympus, where he was reconciled with Hera and married Hebe. He is more familiarly known by his Roman name Hercules.