The First 6 Trial of Hercules

Hercules first job was to slay the Nemean Lion, a monster born of the Chimaera. Since the beast could not be killed with sticks, stones, lances, daggers or any other human weapon, Hercules cleverly used his hands to strangle it. Eurystheus thought Hercules was lucky. He thought the brute died of a heart attack. So he assigned Hercules a second task: destroy the Lernaean Hydra.

The Hydra was a hundred-headed water snake whose blood was poisonous. Each time Hercules cut off a head, two would grow in its place. The fiend seemed invincible. But clever Hercules dipped his arrow tips in the Hydra's blood, drew his bow, shot an arrow into the heart of the Hydra and poisoned the monster with its own venom just as Apollo had done to kill the Python. Eurystheus was shocked. He knew Hercules had not been lucky. Hercules had been clever. So a third job was given to Hercules: capture the Ceryneian Hind.

The shy deer was chased by Hercules for a whole year until it fell to the ground exhausted. Then Hercules carried it to Eurytheus who received it in disbelief. He knew Hercules had not been lucky. He had been persistent. So Hercules' was given a fourth task: seize the Boar of Mount Erymanthus and bring it back alive.

Hercules went to the Pig's cave after a deep snowfall. It chased Hercules into the forest. Hercules ran through the woods and into the open fields. He pressed deeper and deeper into the snowy fields until the Boar was trapped in the deep snow drifts. Then Hercules approached the helpless Boar, tied its feet and took it back to Eurystheus. Eurystheus was so terrified of the Boar he hid himself in a jar. Determined to kill Hercules, Eurystheus next ordered him to rid the forest of the fierce, man-eating Stymphalian Birds who used their hideous steel feathers to stab people.

Hercules went to the forest and took castanets with him. When the birds heard the strange clanging of the castanets they were frightened and flew into the sky where Hercules shot them with his bow and sling.

When Hercules returned, Eurystheus was shocked. As the last of Hercules' first six labors, Eurystheus told him to clean the Augean Stables. These stables held 3000 head of cattle and had never been cleaned. Dung was deep. Eurystheus gave Hercules one day to do the job. Hercules dammed a stream then diverted it through the stables cleansing them before sundown.