What a 10 feat of Hercules. Geryon's Cows (Tenth Feat) - Myths of Ancient Greece

Hercules was born in Thebes to Alcmene and Zeus. At the direction of the father, the child who was born was to rule every earthly people. Then Hera made it so that the grandson of Perseus Eurystheus was born before the son of Alcmene. Hercules was forced to serve Eurystheus, but the hero was able to get rid of this obligation by performing a number of feats . He had to show not only strength, but also ingenuity. Let us briefly list all 12 labors of Hercules.

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Tsarevich Hercules ordered to go to the temple of Zeus in Nemea to defeat a huge lion that has terrified all residents.

Attention! All his life, Tsarevich Eurystheus received care and love. He possessed power, but he was neither intelligent nor distinguished.

Hercules went to the deserted lands, walked for a long time along the gorges and slopes. Suddenly, the roar of a giant lion was heard from the cave. The hero managed to hit the monster on the head with a club just before the jump, and then squeezed his neck, and the beast stopped breathing. It was feat number 1.

The winner put on the skin of a lion. People ran away from him in horror, Eurystheus hid in the far corner and shouted to the hero to leave, and he would receive orders from the herald.

2 Hercules' feat was no less brilliant. The next day, the hero had to go to the swamp, where the Hydra with ten heads lived. Iolaus went with him. The hydra wrapped its necks around accidentally wandering travelers, pulled them into its lair and ate them. When Hercules and Iolaus reached the cursed swamp, the monster was asleep. Teasing Hydra, Hercules lured her out and began to chop off her heads one after the other, but in their place two new ones grew. The hero asked Iolaus for help, and he began to burn the place of the severed head with a torch. So the monster was defeated. The hero dipped the arrowheads into the blood of the Hydra, and they turned into a deadly weapon.

A whole year passed without hiking, the hero participated in competitions and was engaged in hunting. Then Heracles received a new punishment from Eurystheus - bring him a live doe, which has hooves of copper and horns of gold... Until now, no one has been able to catch her. This was the 3rd feat of Hercules. The heroes went to the inaccessible wild mountains, and one day they saw the sacred doe, which they hunted. Hercules rushed after her and pursued her for several days. Finally, the fugitive surrendered, but then he met Artemis, who promised that the animal would soon return to her. Upon returning to Mycenae, Eurystheus told the hero to do whatever he wanted with her, and Hercules sacrificed her to Artemis.

Erymanthian Boar

The inhabitants of Mount Erimanth suffered from a monstrous boar - at night he devastated all their fields, trampled crops, broke the land. Then Eurystheus punished Hercules to catch the monster... It was surrounded by centaurs.

Attention! King Ixion, who once lived, killed his father-in-law and asked for help from Zeus, who brought the killer closer to him. Then Ixion decided to seek the location of Hera. Zeus wanted to check the limit of Ixion's dishonor and gave Tuche-Nephele the appearance of Hera. Their union gave birth to the centaurs.

4 the feat of Hercules was accomplished in this way. He went to the mountain, and in the cave he saw the middle-aged centaur Fola. He invited him and treated him to wine. The other centaurs saw the intruder and became furious. Then the hero began to throw poisoned arrows at them and killed many centaurs, but suddenly he accidentally hit the oldest of them, who did not participate in the battle. It was Chiron who forgave the repentant Hercules for involuntary murder. The hero easily caught the boar, brought him to Mycenae, fried and treated people, but Eurystheus did not appear from fear.

Stimphalian birds

Hercules was shocked by the death of Chiron. He spent many days talking with Iolaus about what is truth and what is the meaning of life. He said that the truth is in living life, in her endless struggle with death, and in the dead life, the truth is absent - it is filled with oblivion.

One day the king's herald appeared and said that the Stymphalian birds should be killed... Their strength lay in copper feathers, with which the birds destroyed people, eating their flesh. The 5th feat of Hercules began. He and Iolaus walked to the lake and felt a strange languor take over them. It turned out that about Zero envelops travelers with a poisonous haze, giving oblivion and death.

Then Athena sent a wooden rattle to help - Iolaus shook it, and suddenly a sound, amplified by an echo, swept over the lake and awakened the monstrous birds. They roused themselves, took off and began to throw their feathers at the travelers, but the hero covered himself and Iolaus with the skin of a lion and began to hit the birds with poisoned arrows. Many of them died, and miraculously the survivors flew away and never showed up again.

Augean stables

The herald, who came by order of Eurystheus, punished clear the stables of King Augean, which were filled with manure, have not been cleaned for many years, and the walls, feeders and stalls have long since rotted. The hero promised the king that by the morning the stalls would be cleared, but in return the ruler had to give him a tenth of the horses. Augeas was greedy, but easily agreed, as he thought it was impossible to do so. The hero, with the help of only one shovel, took the course of the river to the stables, and its stream washed away the manure and everything that was rotten. Thus ended the 6th feat of Hercules.

However, the king did not want to share what he had promised, so he ordered his nephews to kill the hero, but they themselves fell at his hands. Then Hercules killed Augus, and the throne was taken by his honest and innocent son. F the inhabitants of Hellas were ordered to conduct, and as long as they walk, everything will be calm in the world.

A new order came from the king - deliver him a snow-white Cretan bull with horns of gold and a rebellious character that brought terror to the entire island of Crete. 7 the feat of Hercules began. He boarded a Phoenician ship, but suddenly a violent storm broke out and smashed the ship on the shore. The hero went to the king, but was captured by the locals and taken to the governor, and he said that he would bring his uninvited guest and his friends as a sacrifice to the gods.

Then Hercules easily broke the heavy chains, hit the priest and stabbed the king. Then he left the palace and easily conquered the Cretan bull, who now obeyed only his tamer, and upon his arrival to King Eurystheus broke free.

Another order of Eurystheus - go to King Diomedes and take the bloodthirsty horses away from him, which the ruler feeds the travelers. 8 the feat of Hercules happened like this. On the way, he stopped at the Tsar Admet. He received the guest, ordered him to feed him well, but he himself went to other chambers. The old servant said that Admet suffered the greatest grief: by agreement with the gods, he could survive if there was someone who wanted to die in his place.

When the hour of death struck, no one volunteered to sacrifice their lives, except for the wife of Admet - Alkesta, who was dearer to him than anything else in the world. So the demon of death took the beautiful girl... The hero decided to snatch her from the hands of the dead and fought Thanatos, who took Alcesta. The revived wife returned to Admet, and he was not happier in the world.

Hercules went on to carry out the order of the king. Diomedes sent a huge army against him, but the hero coped with all with ease, and gave the king himself to be devoured by his own horses. The bloodthirsty animals were delivered to Erisfey, and he ordered to take them to the forest, where the horses were destroyed by wild animals.

Eurystheus had a daughter, Admet, who heard that somewhere in the world women rule - fearless Amazons. They have arrows and war horses, they are not afraid of any enemy, and all because their leader Hippolyte has a leather belt in which strength is hidden. Then Eurystheus ordered the ancient Greek hero to get this magic belt for him... 9 the feat of Hercules also ended in success:

1. He arrived with his comrades to the Amazons, and their queen declared a battle to the uninvited guests.
2. But among the women was the beautiful Antiope, who immediately fell in love with the hero. At night, she stole the belt from Hippolyta and took it to the men's tent.
3. So the Amazons were defeated, and the belt was delivered to Eurystheus. However, his daughter returned the magical gift to the gods.

Geryon's Herd

10 feat of Hercules. Eurystheus punished his subordinate get magenta magenta cows, which were herded by the giant Geryon with three heads. Helios-Sun helped him to get to the desired island by boat. The hero coped with huge dog, and with the shepherds, and with the giant Geryon himself. However, the most difficult thing was ahead - to deliver the whole herd to Mycenae.

Some cows escaped, others were captured, and one day the whole herd disappeared, frightened by a cloud of gadflies sent by the goddess Hero. Echidna helped - half a girl, half a snake - but in exchange for the fact that the hero would become her husband for the night and help conceive three children. According to the instruction of Hercules, the one who can bend his bow and girdle like his father will rule these lands. The Scythian became such a son. The herd was brought to Mycenae- the cows were sacrificed to Hera.

11 feat of Hercules. Eurystheus was getting old and afraid of losing power. Then he punished get golden apples that gave youth. The hero set out on a journey, reached the sea elder Nereus and asked him to help. The elder wanted to deceive by addressing:

• fish,
• stream,
• snake,
• fire
• a seagull.

However, the hero was still more agile. Nereus surrendered, showed the way and even helped to cross to the other side of the sea. Met on the way Atlas that held the firmament and agreed to help the traveler get the golden apples, but if for a while he would take his place. Atlas wanted to leave the hero under the weight of the vault, but he outwitted him: he promised to give a golden skin, and when Atlas raised the firmament, he left him. He returned to Mycenae, but Eurystheus did not even want to look at the golden apples, and then Athena took them.

The taming of Kerber

12 feat of Hercules. When Eurystheus ordered the hero to go to the kingdom of the dead and bring him the dog Cerberus with three heads, guarding the underworld, the hero agreed, but on the condition that after that he would receive freedom. On the way, the messenger of Zeus met - Hermes, who promised to be a guide, showed the traveler the kingdom of the dead: the river of oblivion, Sisyphus, who endlessly lifted a giant stone to the top of the mountain, which fell down, Tantalus, distraught with thirst, who stood almost completely in the water, but never could get drunk.

Hades agreed to give the hero Cerberus, but only if he can take it with his bare hands. The condition was met and the dog was brought to Eurystheus. He got scared and let the subordinate go home - so his service with the king ended.

Feats of Hercules. "Animal Farm of King Avgius"

Feats of Hercules. Apples of the Hesperides

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Difficult tasks Eurystheus prepared for Hercules summary we have outlined them. Each feat later turned into myth, which was passed by word of mouth. The greatest hero of Greece is still of interest today. Cartoons and feature films have been made about the exploits of Hercules.

Hercules did not have to wait long for a new order from Eurystheus. This time he was to go west, where the sun chariot descends in the evening, to the Crimson Island in the middle of the ocean, where the three-headed giant Geryon grazes his herd of purple cows. The king ordered to drive these cows to Mycenae.

And Hercules went to the sunset. He went through many countries and finally came to high mountains at the end of the earth, and began to look for an outlet to the ocean. The high granite mountains stood in a continuous impenetrable ridge. Then Hercules loosened two huge steep slopes and pushed them apart. Water gushed between them, and it was the water of the Ocean. The sea that lay in the middle of the earth and which people call the Mediterranean joined the Ocean. They still stand there on the shore of the strait, like two stone guards, huge, majestic Hercules Pillars.

Hercules passed through the mountains and saw the endless ocean surface. Somewhere out there, in the middle of the ocean, lay the Crimson Island - the island of the three-headed Geryon. But where is the place where the sun goes beyond the boundless waters of the gray ocean?

Hercules waited for the evening, sees: the ancient titan - Helios-Sun - descends on his fiery chariot drawn by four horses. He scorched the body of Hercules with unbearable heat. "Hey! - shouted Hercules to the titan, - don't you want to incinerate me with your rays! Beware, I am the son of Zeus! From my arrows and the gods lose their immortality!" Heracles drew a bow, put an arrow on it and aimed at the solar titan. Instantly freshened up around, Hercules lowered the onion - again the heat began to grow.

The unbearable light made Hercules close his eyes, and when he opened them, he saw Helios standing nearby. "I see now that you really are the son of Zeus, - said Helios, - courage in you beyond human measure. I will help you. Sit in my golden boat, and do not be afraid of my heat, you will not burn with fire, unless your skin turns black a little."

A huge golden boat, similar to a bowl, received the solar titan with his chariot and Hercules.

Soon an island appeared among the waves - indeed Crimson. Everything on it was painted purple-red: rocks, sand, trunks and foliage of trees ...

"Here it is, the island of Erifia, - said Helios. - This is the goal of your path. Farewell, Hercules, I must hurry. During the night I have to go around the whole earth, so that in the morning, as always, ascend to heaven in the east."

Hercules went ashore, and a dark night enveloped him, - Helios sailed away in a golden boat on his eternal road further. And Hercules lay down on the ground, covered himself with a lion's skin and fell asleep.

He slept soundly and woke up only in the morning from a hoarse barking. Above him stood a huge shaggy dog ​​with hair the color of fresh blood and barked ferociously. "Take him, Orff, rip his throat!" - Hercules heard, and the dog immediately rushed at him.

The cudgel of Hercules was always at his fingertips - one swing, and the monstrous dog, spawned by Typhon and the Echidna, rolled on the ground with his head pierced. But then a new adversary appeared - a huge shepherd. His hair, beard, face, clothes, like everything else on this island, were fiery red. He brandished his shepherd's stick and, spewing curses, attacked Hercules. This fight was not long. The son of Zeus hit the shepherd in the chest, so much so that he laid him dead next to the killed dog.

Now Hercules could and look around. He saw a herd at the edge of the forest: the cows in it were red, and the bulls were black. They were guarded by another shepherd, but with a black face, black beard and black clothes. Hercules did not have to fight with him: at the sight of the hero, he rushed off into the forest with a cry.

Only one enemy remained with Hercules - the three-headed giant Geryon. From behind the forest, a terrible triple roar was heard, the owner of the herd himself was in a hurry to the pasture.

Hercules has never seen such a monster! Three bodies were fused in it: three pairs of arms, three pairs of legs, three heads, and only one belly was common - a huge one, like a wine vat at folk games. Quickly moving his legs, like a giant insect, he rushed to Hercules.

Hercules raised his bow - an arrow soaked in the poison of the Lernaean hydra whistled, pierced Geryon's middle chest, and his middle head bent, and two hands hung helplessly. The first arrow was followed by a second, followed by a third. But Geryon was still alive - the blood of his huge body slowly absorbed the poison. Like three lightning bolts, Hercules struck three crushing blows on Geryon's heads, and only then did he come to an end.

The feat was accomplished. All that remained was to bring the herd to Mycenae. Near the killed shepherd, Hercules found a pipe, put it to his lips, played, and the herd obediently followed him to the ocean shore.

In the evening, when Helios sailed to the shore on a golden boat, Hercules asked him to transport him with the herd to the mainland. “How can I do this?” - Helios was surprised. “What will people say when they see the sun coming back? your intercessor Pallas Athena. "

And so Hercules did. He swam the Ocean to the east, to the coast big land and drove the herd of Geryon through the mountains, through foreign countries - to Mycenae. The arduous path lay before him.

When Hercules drove the herd through Italy, one of the cows fell into the sea, but did not drown, and, having crossed the stormy strait, got out to the opposite shore, the shore of Trinacria island smoking with smoke. The king of the island, Eric, was incredibly delighted to see a cow of such an unusual red color and decided to keep it for himself. Hercules, however, left the herd in the care of Hephaestus, whom Athena sent to help her pet and, having moved to the island, began to demand the cow back. King Eric did not want to return the priceless cow. He offered Hercules a duel, and a cow was to be the winner's reward. This single combat did not last long. Hercules Eric defeated, returned with the cow to the herd and drove him further.

Many more difficulties awaited Hercules on the way back: the robber Kakus, who lived on the Avetino hill, stole part of the herd and hid it in his cave, but Hercules killed him and returned the stolen cows; here, in Italy, he killed another robber named Croton and said over his body that the time would come when a great city named after him would arise on this place.

Finally Hercules reached the shores of the Ionian Sea. The end of the arduous journey was near, the native land of Hellas was very close. However, where the Adriatic Gulf protrudes most into the land, Hera sent a gadfly to the herd. As if the whole herd was enraged by his bites, the bulls and cows rushed to run, Hercules followed them. The chase continued for days and nights. Epirus and Thrace were left behind, and a herd was lost in the endless Scythian steppe.

For a long time Hercules searched for the missing animals, but he could not find even a trace of them. One cold night, he wrapped himself in a lion's skin and fell fast asleep on the side of a rocky hill. Through a dream he heard an insinuating voice: "Hercules ... Hercules ... I have your flock ... Do you want me to return it to you ..."

Hercules woke up and saw in the ghostly moonlight a half-virgin-half-snake: her head and body were female, and instead of legs - a snake body.

“I know you,” Hercules said to her. “You are Echidna, daughter of Tartarus and Gaia.

"I do not hold a grudge against you, Hercules," replied Echidna, "not by your will, but by the will of fate, my children died. But be fair, hero, because your hand, even if directed by fate, took their lives. So let in return for the three you killed, three alive. Become my spouse only for one night! Let me give birth to three sons from you! For this I will return your flock to you. " Hercules nodded his head in agreement: "Only for one night ..."

In the morning, Echidna returned the herd to Hercules safe and sound - not a single cow, not a single bull was missing.

"What should I do with three sons, whom I already carry in my womb," Echidna asked. "When they grow big, - answered Hercules, - give them my bow and belt. If any of them bend my bow and girdle like I do, then appoint him as ruler of this vast country."

Having said this, Hercules gave Echidna his bow and belt. Then he played the shepherd's flute and went his own way. Behind him obediently walked and Geryon's herd.

Echidna named the triplets born on time as Agathirs, Gelon and Scyth. Only the Scythian managed to pull the bow of his father, and only the belt of Hercules fit him. He became the lord of the free, green Black Sea steppes, giving this land his name - Great Scythia.

Hercules returned to Mycenae. He fulfilled the tenth order of Eurystheus with dignity. But, as before, Eurystheus did not even want to look at the cows and bulls of Geryon. By his order, the whole flock was sacrificed to the goddess Hera.

Feats of Hercules- a cycle of adventures of the Thunderer's son, without which it is difficult to imagine and reflect the entirety ancient greek mythology... Today they are not only included in general education textbooks, but are also the property of the people. They reflect the essence of many phenomena and concepts. V Ancient Greece Hercules was a hero who was not afraid to go against the will of his father Zeus and managed to prove to everyone that willpower is the main tool in performing the most difficult, sometimes unimaginable tasks. To this day, on the basis of 12 exploits of Hercules, they create films and write books. Ready to find out a summary of each one?

The story begins as follows. Hera decides to teach Zeus a lesson for treason, and while Hercules is to be born, Heracles forces the Thunderer to promise the following: a child born at this hour will become a king. Hera specifically influenced the birth of Hercules' mother. As a result, the fragile and vile king Ephrysheus, who was born at that hour, received all power. Further, the ruler, together with the Hero, decide to get rid of the threat forever. Thus, a dispute took place, within the framework of which Hercules had to fulfill 12 difficult tasks... How it happened, read on.

Myths about the twelve labors of Hercules (Briefly)

The first of the twelve labors of Hercules begins with a confrontation between the demigod and the invincible Nemean lion. The thick-skinned monster has never been defeated. He cannot be wounded by any weapon. The inhabitants of Nemia have long suffered from the attacks of the monster. The king decided to send the most brave warrior to the battle with the left. Of course, not without dastardly intentions. Fortunately, Hercules possessed no less monstrous strength. He strangled the lion and became the hero of Nemia, among whom he found many friends and allies.

The second feat of Hercules took place on the territory of the Lernean swamp, where the son of Zeus had to fight a mythical creature called the Lernaean hydra. Whenever a demigod chopped off her head, two new ones appeared at the site of the wound. Then Hercules called his ally from Nemia, who managed to cauterize the wound with a torch. Thus, after the felling of the head, new ones ceased to grow. Having defeated the hydra, Hercules covered it with sand, and moistened his arrows with blood. Thus, he obtained poisonous arrows, for which no one had an antidote ...

Realizing that in the battles of Hercules there is no equal, Ephrisfeus decided to go for a trick. He offered the most outstanding race. As part of the third feat, Hercules was forced to fight in a race with the fastest animal of ancient Greek mythology. The uniqueness of this mission of the 12 labors of Hercules lies in the complexity of the task. Doe cannot be killed. And it's almost impossible to catch. For a long time, the son of Zeus hunted an animal. As a result, he managed to drive her along a narrow path to a dead end. Then Iolaus arrived in time and threw a rope over the doe. On the way down, the heroes met Artemis, the daughter of Zeus, and gave the Lan to her. But Hercules fulfilled the mission.

Another interesting myth of the 12 labors of Hercules is the battle of Hercules with the Erymanthian boar. For a long time, the huge animal made it difficult for the hunter to get food for their families. Allegedly with noble goals, Ephrysi pointed out to Hercules the need to destroy the enemy. The difficulty was that the boar lived high in the mountains. Only thanks to the help of Artemis, Hercules managed to climb the hills and defeat the monster. Slowly but surely, the son of the Thunderer gained fame, destroying all the cunning plans of Hera. And then...

Realizing all the power of Hercules, the king decided to go for another meanness. In ancient Greek mythology, the god of war, Ares, had his legion of dangerous warriors - the Stimphalia birds. Only by their species, they prompted hundreds of thousands of soldiers to lower their weapons. This flock lived in the depths of a mountain gorge, where Hercules went.
This feat of Hercules of the 12 known, is one of the most interesting and impressive. It was only thanks to joint efforts with Iolaus that he managed to defeat all the predators. To complete this mission, he needed the skin of a lion from the first feat. And, of course, the accuracy of Iolaus's faithful assistant.

Tired of the king trying to defeat Hercules with the danger and power of ancient Greek creatures. Then he decided to give him an simply impracticable mission, providing for the manifestation of completely different qualities, not military ones.
As part of the 6 feat of Hercules, the hero had to go to a proud king named Augeas. He instructed Hercules:

• keep track of three hundred horses;
• feed two hundred red horses;
• catch twelve white horses;
• and another important part of the 12 exploits of Hercules is to prevent the loss of one horse with a shining star in its forehead.

Of course, not without effort, he managed to cope with this goal. After that, the king instructed him to clean the stables, promising a tenth of the state. He did it. Then Augeas became angry that he could not fulfill the instructions of Ephrisfei and deceived Hercules, for which he lost his head.

7 feat of Hercules provides for the battle on the island of Crete. In this place, King Minos saved his people from the curse of Poseidon for a long time. Once he promised the god of water an amazing bull with golden horns, but later decided to deceive the patron saint of the seas and stole the fleece from him. Then Poseidon turned the bull into a real monster. Hercules fought with the demon for a long time, but managed to defeat him with the help of huge shackles and chains.

A truly interesting and instructive feat of Hercules from 12 famous adventures. Tells about the most unpleasant mission for a demigod. This time, the king ordered him to steal horses, which attracted even the gods. Hercules was angry for a long time, but did not go against the will of the king.

To get horses in an honest way, Hercules went to the kingdom of the dead, from where he brought the king his deceased wife. Thus, he was able to offer a compromise and deliver valuable horses to his dastardly king.

Now is the time to consider 9 of the 12 adventures of Hercules. For a long time, Ephrisfei's daughter asked for the belt of Hippolyta herself. So I decided to remember the vile enemy of Hercules about the request of his daughter. Then he decided to send his son Zeus to an island where only women lived. Perhaps you will now learn more about the history of the Amazons. In this place lived women, who were given the belt by the god of war himself - Ares. Long and painful Hercules had to fight with the best warriors in history. But he managed to get a belt, which Admeta did not dare to put on herself.

Imagine trying to rescue a blind person from a burning building, making your way step by step through burning flames and smoke. Now imagine that you are also blind. Jim Sherman, blind from birth, heard cries for help from his 85-year-old neighbor as she was trapped in her burning house. He found his way along the fence. Once he got to the woman's house, he somehow managed to get inside and find his neighbor Annie Smith, also blind. Sherman pulled Smith out of the fire and took him to safety.

Skydiving instructors donated everything to save their students

Few people will survive a fall from several hundred meters. But the two women were able to do it thanks to the dedication of the two men. The first gave his life to save the person he saw for the first time in his life.

Skydiving instructor Robert Cook and his student Kimberley Dear were about to make their first jump when the plane's engine broke. Cook told the girl to sit on his lap and tied their belts together. When the plane crashed to the ground, Cook's body took the brunt, killing the man and leaving Kimberly alive.

Another skydiving instructor, Dave Hartstock, also saved his student from being hit. This was Shirley Dygert's first jump, she jumped with the instructor. Digert's parachute did not open. During the fall, Hearthstock managed to get under the girl, softening the impact on the ground. Dave Hearthstock injured his spine, the injury paralyzed his body from the very neck, but both survived.

Simple mortal Joe Rollino (pictured above) has done incredible, inhuman deeds during his 104-year life. Although he weighed only about 68 kg, in his prime he could lift 288 kg with his fingers and 1450 kg with his back, for which he won various competitions several times. However, not the title of "Most the strong man in the world ”made him a hero.

During World War II, Rollino served in the Pacific and received a bronze and a silver star for his bravery in the line of duty, as well as three purple hearts for battle wounds that caused him to be hospitalized for a total of 2 years. He carried off 4 of his comrades from the battlefield, two in each hand, while also returning to the heat of battle for the rest.

Paternal love can inspire superhuman feats, as two fathers have proven in different parts of the world.

In Florida, Joesph Welch came to the aid of his six-year-old son when an alligator grabbed the boy's arm. Forgetting his own safety, Welch struck the alligator, trying to force it to open its mouth. Then a passerby arrived and began to beat the alligator in the stomach until the beast finally released the boy.

In Mutoko, Zimbabwe, another father saved his son from a crocodile when he attacked him in the river. Father Tafadzwa Kacher began poking the cane in the eyes and mouth of the animal until his son ran away. Then the crocodile aimed at the man. Tafadzwa had to gouge out the animal's eyes. As a result of the attack, the boy lost his leg, but he will be able to talk about his father's superhuman bravery.

Two ordinary women raised cars to rescue loved ones

Not only men are capable of manifesting superhuman abilities in critical situations. Daughter and mother have shown that women can be heroes too, especially when a loved one is in danger.

In Virginia, a 22-year-old girl rescued her father when a jack slipped from under a BMW he was working under and the car fell on a man's chest. There was no time to wait for help, the young woman lifted the car and moved it, then gave her father artificial respiration.

In Georgia, the jack also slipped and the 1,350-pound Chevrolet Impala fell on the young man. Without assistance, his mother, Angela Cavallo, lifted the car and held it for five minutes until neighbors pulled her son out.

Superhuman ability is not only about strength and courage, it is also about the ability to think and act quickly in an emergency.

In New Mexico, a school bus driver had a seizure, putting the children in danger. The girl who was waiting for the bus noticed that something had happened to the driver and called her mother. The woman Rhonda Carlsen took action immediately. She ran next to the bus and gestured to one of the children to open the door. After that, she jumped in, grabbed the steering wheel and stopped the bus. Thanks to her quick reaction, none of the schoolchildren were hurt, not to mention the people passing by.

A truck with a trailer drove along the edge of a cliff in the dead of night. The cab of a large truck stopped right above the cliff, with the driver in it. A young man came to the rescue, he broke the window and pulled the man out with his bare hands.

This happened in New Zealand in the Vayoeka Gorge on October 5, 2008. The hero was 18-year-old Peter Hanne, he was at home when he heard the crash. Without thinking about his own safety, he climbed onto the balancing car, jumped into the narrow gap between the cab and the trailer, and smashed the rear window. He gently helped the injured driver out as the truck staggered under his feet.

In 2011, Hanne was awarded the New Zealand Medal of Bravery for this heroic deed.

The war is full of heroes who risk their lives to save fellow soldiers. In Forrest Gump, we saw a fictional character rescue several of his co-workers, even after being wounded. V real life you can find the plot and abruptly.

For example, here is the story of Robert Ingram receiving the Medal of Honor. In 1966, during a siege by the enemy, Ingram continued to fight and save his comrades even after he was wounded three times: in the head (as a result, he partially lost his sight and was deaf in one ear), in the arm and in the left knee. Despite his injuries, he continued to kill the North Vietnamese soldiers who attacked his unit.

Aquaman is nothing compared to Shavarsh Karapetyan, who saved 20 people from a sinking bus in 1976.

The Armenian Speed ​​Swimming Champion was jogging with his brother when a 92-passenger bus pulled off the road and fell into the water 24 meters from the shore. Karapetyan dived, kicked out the window and began to pull out people who were by that time in cold water at a depth of 10 m. They say that it took 30 seconds for each person he saved, he saved one after another until he lost consciousness in the cold and dark water. As a result, 20 people survived.

But Karapetyan's exploits did not end there. Eight years later, he rescued several people from a burning building, while sustaining severe burns. Karapetyan received the Order of the Badge of Honor of the USSR and several other awards for salvation under water. But he himself claimed that he was not a hero at all, he just did what he had to.

A man lifted a helicopter to rescue his colleague

The set for the TV show turned into a tragedy when a helicopter from the hit TV series Magnum PI crashed into a drainage ditch in 1988.

During the landing, the helicopter suddenly banked, got out of control and fell to the ground, while everything was filmed. One of the pilots, Steve Kux, was trapped under a helicopter in shallow water. And then Warren "Tiny" Everal ran up and lifted the helicopter from Kaks. It was the Hughes 500D, which weighs at least 703 kg empty. Everal's quick reaction and superhuman strength saved Kaks from the helicopter, which pinned him in the water. Despite the fact that the pilot injured himself left hand, he escaped death thanks to a local Hawaiian hero.

Once the evil Hera sent a terrible illness to Hercules. The great hero lost his mind, madness took possession of him. In a fit of rage, Hercules killed all his children and the children of his brother Iphicles. When the seizure passed, deep sorrow seized Hercules. Having cleansed himself of the filth of his involuntary murder, Hercules left Thebes and went to the sacred Delphi to ask the god Apollo what to do. Apollo ordered Hercules to go to the homeland of his ancestors in Tiryns and serve Eurystheus for twelve years. Through the lips of the Pythia, the son of Latona predicted to Hercules that he would receive immortality if he performed twelve great feats at the behest of Eurystheus. Hercules settled in Tiryns and became a servant of the weak, cowardly Eurystheus ...

First feat: Nemean lion

Hercules did not have to wait long for the first order of King Eurystheus. He instructed Hercules to kill the Nemean lion. This lion, begotten by Typhon and the Echidna, was monstrous in size. He lived near the city of Nemea and devastated all the surrounding area. Hercules boldly set out on a dangerous feat. Arriving at Nemea, he immediately set off for the mountains to find the lion's den. It was already noon when the hero reached the slopes of the mountains. Not a single living soul was seen anywhere: neither shepherds nor farmers. All living things fled from these places in fear of the terrible lion. For a long time Hercules searched for on the wooded slopes of the mountains and in the gorges of the lion's lair, finally, when the sun began to lean to the west, Hercules found a lair in a gloomy gorge; it was in a huge cave that had two exits. Hercules filled up one of the exits with huge stones and waited for the lion, hiding behind the stones. Toward evening, when dusk was already approaching, a monstrous lion with a long shaggy mane appeared. Hercules pulled the string of his bow and fired three arrows one after another at the lion, but the arrows bounced off his skin - it was as hard as steel. The lion roared menacingly, its roar rolled like thunder over the mountains. Looking around in all directions, the lion stood in the gorge and looked with burning fury eyes for the one who dared to shoot arrows at him. But then he saw Hercules and rushed with a huge jump at the hero. Like lightning, the club of Hercules flashed and with a thunderous blow fell on the lion's head. The lion fell to the ground, stunned by a terrible blow; Hercules threw himself on the lion, grabbed him with his mighty arms and strangled him. Having shouldered the slain lion on his mighty shoulders, Hercules returned to Nemea, sacrificed to Zeus and instituted the Nemean games in memory of his first feat. When Hercules brought the lion he had killed to Mycenae, Eurystheus turned pale with fear, looking at the monstrous lion. The king of Mycenae realized what superhuman strength Hercules possesses. He forbade him even to approach the gate of Mycenae; when Hercules brought evidence of his exploits, Eurystheus looked at them with horror from the high Mycenaean walls.

Second feat: Lernaean hydra

After the first feat, Eurystheus sent Hercules to kill the Lernean hydra. It was a monster with the body of a snake and nine dragon heads. Like the Nemean lion, the hydra was born of Typhon and the Echidna. The hydra lived in a swamp near the city of Lerna and, crawling out of its lair, destroyed whole herds and devastated all the surroundings. The fight with the nine-headed hydra was dangerous because one of its heads was immortal. Hercules set out on the road to Lerna with Iphicles' son Iolaus. Arriving at the swamp near the city of Lerna, Hercules left Iolaus with a chariot in a nearby grove, and he went to look for the hydra. He found her in a cave surrounded by a swamp. Having red-hot his arrows, Hercules began to shoot them one after another into the hydra. The hydra was enraged by the arrows of Hercules. She crawled out, wriggling a body covered with shiny scales, from the darkness of the cave, rose menacingly on her huge tail and wanted to rush at the hero, but the son of Zeus stepped on her body and pressed her to the ground. With its tail, the hydra wrapped around the legs of Hercules and tried to knock him down. Like an unshakable rock, the hero stood and with the waves of a heavy club, one after another, knocked down the heads of the hydra. A club whistled in the air like a whirlwind; the heads of the hydra flew off, but the hydra was still alive. Then Hercules noticed that the hydra in the place of each knocked off head grows two new ones. Help came to the hydra. A monstrous cancer crawled out of the swamp and dug its ticks into the leg of Hercules. Then the hero called his friend Iolaus for help. Iolaus killed a monstrous crayfish, lit part of a nearby grove and burned the hydra's necks with burning tree trunks, from which Hercules knocked heads with his club. The hydra stopped growing new heads. Weaker and weaker she resisted the son of Zeus. Finally, the immortal head flew off the hydra. The monstrous hydra was defeated and fell dead to the ground. The victor Hercules buried her immortal head deeply and piled a huge rock on her so that she could not come out into the light again. Then the great hero cut the body of the hydra and plunged his arrows into her poisonous bile. Since then, the wounds from the arrows of Hercules have become incurable. With great triumph, Hercules returned to Tiryns. But there a new commission from Eurystheus awaited him.

Third feat: Stymphalian birds

Eurystheus instructed Hercules to kill the Stymphalian birds. Almost all the surroundings of the Arcadian city of Stymphala turned these birds into the desert. They attacked both animals and people and tore them apart with their copper claws and beaks. But the most terrible thing was that the feathers of these birds were of solid bronze, and the birds, flying up, could drop them, like arrows, at anyone who would try to attack them. It was difficult for Hercules to fulfill this order of Eurystheus. The warrior Pallas Athena came to his aid. She gave Hercules two copper tympans, they were forged by the god Hephaestus, and ordered Hercules to stand on a high hill near the forest where the Stymphalian birds nested, and hit the tympans; when the birds take off, shoot them with a bow. And so Hercules did. Ascending the hill, he struck the tympans, and there was such a deafening ringing that the birds flew in a huge flock over the forest and began circling in terror over it. They rained down their feathers, sharp as arrows, on the ground, but the feathers did not fall into Hercules, who stood on the hill. The hero grabbed his bow and began to shoot the birds with deadly arrows. In fear, the Stymphalian birds soared up behind the clouds and disappeared from the eyes of Hercules. The birds flew far beyond the borders of Greece, to the shores of the Euxine Pontus, and never returned to the vicinity of Stymphalus. So Hercules fulfilled this order of Eurystheus and returned to Tiryns, but immediately he had to go on an even more difficult feat.

Fourth feat: the Kerinean doe

Eurystheus knew that a wonderful Kerinean doe, sent by the goddess Artemis to punish people, lived in Arcadia. This fallow deer devastated the fields. Eurystheus sent Hercules to catch her and ordered him to deliver the deer alive to Mycenae. This doe was extraordinarily beautiful, its horns were golden and its legs were copper. Like the wind, she rushed through the mountains and valleys of Arcadia, never knowing fatigue. For a whole year, Hercules pursued the Kerinean doe. She rushed through the mountains, across the plains, jumped over precipices, swam across rivers. Farther and farther north the deer was running. The hero did not lag behind her, he pursued her, not losing sight of her. Finally, Hercules in pursuit of the padu reached the extreme north - the country of the Hyperboreans and the sources of Istria. Here the doe stopped. The hero wanted to grab her, but she escaped and, like an arrow, rushed back to the south. The chase began again. Hercules managed to overtake the doe only in Arcadia. Even after such a long chase, she did not lose her strength. Desperate to catch the doe, Hercules resorted to his arrows that did not miss. He wounded the golden-horned doe with an arrow in the leg, and only then did he manage to catch her. Hercules put a wonderful doe on his shoulders and was about to carry it to Mycenae, when an angry Artemis appeared before him and said: - Didn't you, Hercules, know that this doe is mine? Why did you insult me ​​by wounding my beloved doe? Don't you know that I do not forgive insults? Or do you think that you are more powerful than the Olympian gods? With reverence, Hercules bowed before the beautiful goddess and replied: - Oh, great daughter Latona, don't blame me! I have never insulted the immortal gods living on the bright Olympus; I have always honored the celestials with rich victims and never considered myself equal to them, although I myself am the son of the thunderer Zeus. I did not pursue your doe of my own free will, but at the behest of Eurystheus. The gods themselves commanded me to serve him, and I dare not disobey Eurystheus! Artemis forgave Hercules for his guilt. The great son of the Thunderer Zeus brought the Kerinean fallow deer alive to Mycenae and gave it to Eurystheus.

Fifth feat: the Erymanthian boar and the battle with the centaurs

After the hunt for the copper-footed doe, which lasted a whole year, Hercules did not rest for long. Eurystheus again gave him an assignment: Hercules was to kill the Erymanthian boar. This wild boar, possessing monstrous strength, lived on Mount Erimanth and devastated the surroundings of the city of Psophis. He did not give people mercy and killed them with his huge fangs. Hercules went to Mount Erimanth. On the way, he visited the wise centaur Fall. Foul accepted the great son of Zeus with honor and arranged a feast for him. During the feast, the centaur opened a large vessel of wine to treat the hero better. The fragrance of the wondrous wine spread far away. Other centaurs also heard this fragrance. They were terribly angry with Fool for opening the vessel. Wine belonged not only to Fall, but was the property of all centaurs. The centaurs rushed to Fall's dwelling and attacked him and Hercules by surprise as the two feasted merrily, adorned with ivy wreaths on their heads. Hercules was not afraid of the centaurs. He quickly jumped up from his bed and began to throw huge smoking brands at the attackers. The centaurs fled, and Hercules wounded them with his poisonous arrows. The hero pursued them all the way to Maleya. There the centaurs took refuge with a friend of Hercules, Chiron, the wisest of the centaurs. Hercules followed them into the cave. In anger he drew his bow, an arrow flashed in the air and plunged into the knee of one of the centaurs. Hercules did not hit the enemy, but his friend Chiron. Great sorrow gripped the hero when he saw who he had wounded. Hercules is in a hurry to wash and bandage his friend's wound, but nothing can help. Hercules knew that a wound from an arrow poisoned by the bile of a hydra was incurable. Chiron also knew that he was facing a painful death. In order not to suffer from a wound, he subsequently voluntarily descended into the dark kingdom of Hades. In deep sadness, Hercules left Chiron and soon reached Mount Erimanth. There, in a dense forest, he found a formidable boar and drove him out of the thicket with a cry. Hercules chased the wild boar for a long time, and finally drove him into deep snow at the top of the mountain. The boar got stuck in the snow, and Hercules, rushing at him, tied him up and took him alive to Mycenae. When Eurystheus saw the monstrous boar, he hid in a large bronze vessel out of fear.

Sixth feat: Animal Farm of King Augean

Soon Eurystheus gave a new assignment to Hercules. He had to cleanse the entire cattle yard of Augeus, king of Elis, the son of the radiant Helios, from manure. The sun god gave his son innumerable riches. The herds of Avgius were especially numerous. Among his herds were three hundred bulls with legs as white as snow, two hundred bulls were red as Sidonian purple, twelve bulls dedicated to the god Helios were white as swans, and one bull, distinguished by extraordinary beauty, shone like a star. Hercules proposed to Augeas to cleanse his entire huge stockyard in one day, if he agrees to give him a tenth of his flocks. Augeas agreed. It seemed impossible for him to do such a job in one day. Hercules, on the other hand, broke the wall that surrounded the stockyard on two opposite sides, and took the water of two rivers, Alpheus and Peneus, into it. The water of these rivers in one day carried away all the manure from the barnyard, and Hercules again folded the walls. When the hero came to Augius to demand a reward, the proud king did not give him the promised tenth of the flocks, and Heracles had to return to Tiryns with nothing. The great hero took revenge on the king of Elis. A few years later, having already freed himself from service with Eurystheus, Hercules invaded Elis with a large army, defeated Avgius in a bloody battle and killed him with his deadly arrow. After the victory, Hercules gathered an army and all the rich booty near the city of Pisa, made sacrifices to the Olympic gods and established the Olympic Games, which have been held since then by all Greeks every four years on a sacred plain, planted by Hercules himself with olives dedicated to the goddess Pallas Athena. The Olympic Games are the most important of all Greek festivals, during which world peace was declared throughout Greece. A few months before the Games, ambassadors were sent throughout Greece and the Greek colonies inviting them to Olympia. Games were held every four years. On them there were competitions in running, wrestling, fist fighting, throwing a disc and a spear, as well as in running chariots. The winners of the games received an olive wreath as an award and enjoyed great honor. The Greeks reckoned on the Olympic Games, considering the first events to take place in 776 BC. NS. There were Olympic Games until 393 AD. e., when they were banned by Emperor Theodosius as incompatible with Christianity. Thirty years later, Emperor Theodosius II burned down the Temple of Zeus at Olympia and all the luxurious buildings that adorned the place where the Olympic Games took place. They turned into ruins and were gradually covered by the sand of the Alfea River. Only excavations carried out at the site of Olympia in the 19th century. n. e., mainly from 1875 to 1881, gave us the opportunity to get an accurate idea of ​​the former Olympia and about Olympic Games... Hercules took revenge on all the allies of Avgius. The king of Pylos, Neleus, paid in particular. Hercules, having come with an army to Pylos, took the city and killed Neleus and his eleven sons. Neleus' son Periklimenes, who was given the gift of Poseidon, the ruler of the sea, to turn into a lion, a snake and a bee, was not saved either. Hercules killed him when, turning into a bee, Periklimenes sat on one of the horses harnessed to Hercules' chariot. Only Neleus' son Nestor survived. Subsequently, Nestor became famous among the Greeks for his exploits and great wisdom.

Seventh feat: Cretan bull

To fulfill the seventh order of Eurystheus, Hercules had to leave Greece and go to the island of Crete. Eurystheus instructed him to bring a Cretan bull to Mycenae. This bull was sent to the king of Crete, Minos, the son of Europe, by the earth-shaker Poseidon; Minos had to sacrifice the bull to Poseidon. But Minos is sorry to sacrifice such a beautiful bull - he left him in his flock, and sacrificed one of his bulls to Poseidon. Poseidon was angry with Minos and sent rabies on the bull that came out of the sea. A bull ran all over the island and destroyed everything in its path. Great hero Hercules caught the bull and tamed it. He sat on the broad back of a bull and swam on it across the sea from Crete to the Peloponnese. Hercules brought the bull to Mycenae, but Eurystheus was afraid to leave Poseidon's bull in his herd and set him free. Sensing freedom again, the mad bull rushed through the entire Peloponnese to the north and finally came running to Attica on the Marathon field. There he was killed by the great Athenian hero Theseus.

Eighth feat: The horses of Diomedes

After taming the Cretan bull, Hercules, on behalf of Eurystheus, had to go to Thrace to the king of the Bistones, Diomedes. This king had horses of wondrous beauty and strength. They were chained in stalls with iron chains, as no bonds could hold them. King Diomedes fed these horses with human meat. He threw them to devour all the strangers who, driven by the storm, pestered his city. It was to this Thracian king that Hercules came with his companions. He took possession of the horses of Diomedes and took them to his ship. On the shore, Diomedes himself overtook Hercules with his warlike beastones. Having entrusted the protection of the horses to his beloved Abder, the son of Hermes, Hercules fought with Diomedes. Hercules had few companions, but still Diomedes was defeated and fell in battle. Hercules returned to the ship. How great was his despair when he saw that wild horses had torn apart his favorite Abder. Hercules arranged a magnificent funeral for his pet, made a high hill on his grave, and next to the grave he founded a city and named it after his pet Abdera. Hercules brought the horses of Diomedes to Eurystheus, who ordered them to be released. Wild horses fled to the mountains of Lyceion, covered with dense forest, and were torn to pieces by wild beasts there.

Hercules at Admet

Mainly based on the tragedy of Euripides "Alkestida"
When Hercules sailed on a ship on the sea to the shores of Thrace for the horses of King Diomedes, he decided to visit his friend, King Admet, since the path lay past the city of Fer, where Admet ruled.
Hercules chose a difficult time for Admet. Great sorrow reigned in the house of King Fer. His wife Alkestida was about to die. Once the goddesses of fate, the great moiraes, at the request of Apollo, determined that Admet could get rid of death if at the last hour of his life someone agreed to voluntarily descend instead of him into the dark kingdom of Hades. When the hour of death came, Admet asked his elderly parents that one of them would agree to die in his place, but his parents refused. Not one of the inhabitants of Fer agreed to die voluntarily for the king Admet. Then the young, beautiful Alkestida decided to sacrifice her life for her beloved husband. On the day Admet was to die, his wife prepared for death. She washed the body and put on funeral garments and ornaments. Approaching the hearth, Alkestida turned to the goddess Hestia, who gives happiness in the house, with a fervent prayer:
- Oh, great goddess! The last time I kneel here before you. I pray you, protect my orphans, because today I must descend into the kingdom of gloomy Hades. Oh, do not let them die, as I die, prematurely! May their life be happy and rich here, in their homeland.
Then Alcestis went around all the altars of the gods and decorated them with myrtle.
Finally, she went to her chambers and fell in tears on her bed. Her children came to her - a son and a daughter. They sobbed bitterly on their mother's chest. The maids of Alkestida also cried. In despair, Admet embraced his young wife and begged her not to leave him. Already ready for the death of Alkestides; already approaching with inaudible steps to the palace of king Fer, the god of death, hated by gods and people, Thanat, in order to cut off a lock of hair from Alkestida's head with a sword. The golden-haired Apollo himself asked him to postpone the hour of death of the wife of his beloved Admet, but Tanat is relentless. Alkestida senses the approach of death. She exclaims in horror:
- Oh, the two-oared boat of Charon is already approaching me, and the carrier of the souls of the dead is threateningly shouting to me, ruling the boat: “Why are you delaying? Oh, let me go! My legs are getting weak. Death is approaching. Black night covers my eyes! Oh children, children! Your mother is no longer alive! Live happily! Admet, your life was dearer to me than my own life. Better to let the sun shine on you, not on me. Admet, you love our children no less than me. Oh, do not take your stepmother into their house, so that she does not offend them!
The unfortunate Admet suffers.
- You take all the joy of life with you, Alkestida! - he exclaims, - all my life now I will grieve for you. Oh, gods, gods, what kind of wife are you taking from me!
Alkestida says a little audibly:
- Goodbye! My eyes have already closed forever. Goodbye children! Now I am nothing. Goodbye Admet!
- Oh, take another look! Don't leave your children! Oh, let me die too! - Admet cried with tears.
Alkestida's eyes closed, her body grows cold, she died. Admet weeps inconsolably over the deceased, and bitterly laments his fate. He orders his wife to prepare a magnificent funeral. For eight months he orders everyone in the city to mourn Alkestida, the best of women. The whole city is full of sorrow, for everyone loved the good queen.
Already preparing to carry the body of Alkestida to her tomb, Hercules comes to the city of Fera. He goes to Admet's palace and meets his friend at the palace gates. Admet met with honor the great son of the aegis Zeus. Not wanting to sadden the guest, Admet tries to hide his grief from him. But Hercules immediately noticed that his friend was deeply grieved, and asked about the reason for his grief. Admet gives an unclear answer to Hercules, and he decides that a distant relative who was sheltered by the king after the death of his father died. Admet orders his servants to take Hercules to the guest room and arrange a rich feast for him, and lock the doors to the female half so that the groans of sorrow do not reach Hercules' ears. Unaware of what misfortune befell his friend, Hercules is having a merry feast in Admet's palace. He drinks goblet after goblet. It is difficult for the servants to serve a cheerful guest - after all, they know that their beloved mistress is no longer alive. No matter how hard they try, by order of Admet, to hide their grief, Hercules nevertheless notices tears in their eyes and sadness on their faces. He calls one of the servants to feast with him, says that the wine will give him oblivion and smooth out the wrinkles of sorrow on his brow, but the servant refuses. Then Hercules guesses that a grave grief befell the house of Admet. He begins to question the servant what happened to his friend, and finally the servant tells him:
- Oh, foreigner, Admet's wife went down to the kingdom of Hades today.
Hercules was saddened. It hurt him that he was feasting in an ivy wreath and singing at the house of a friend who had suffered such great grief. Hercules decided to thank the noble Admet for the fact that, despite the grief that befell him, he still so hospitably received him. The great hero's decision quickly ripened to take away from the gloomy god of death Thanat his prey - Alkestida.
Having learned from the servant where the tomb of Alkestida is, he hurries there sooner. Hiding behind the tomb, Hercules waits for Thanat to arrive to drink at the grave of the sacrificial blood. Here were heard the flapping of the black wings of Thanat, a burial chill blew; the gloomy god of death flew to the tomb and greedily pressed his lips to the sacrificial blood. Hercules jumped out of the ambush and rushed to Thanat. He seized the god of death with his mighty arms, and a terrible struggle began between them. Straining all his strength, Hercules fights with the god of death. He squeezed the chest of Hercules Thanat with his bony hands, he breathes his icy breath on him, and the cold of death blows from his wings to the hero. Yet the mighty son of the thunderer Zeus defeated Thanat. He tied Thanat and demanded as a ransom for freedom to bring the god of death back to life Alkestid. Thanat gave Hercules the life of Admet's wife, and the great hero led her back to her husband's palace.
Admet, returning to the palace after his wife's funeral, bitterly mourned his irreplaceable loss. It was hard for him to stay in the empty palace, Where should he go? He envies the dead. He hates life. He calls for death. All his happiness was stolen by Thanat and taken to the kingdom of Hades. What could be more difficult for him than the loss of his beloved wife! Admet regrets that she did not allow Alkestides to die with her, then death would have united them. Hades would receive two loyal souls instead of one. Together these souls of Acheron would swim across. Suddenly Hercules appeared before the mournful Admet. He leads a woman, covered by a veil, by the hand. Hercules asks Admetus to leave this woman, inherited after a hard struggle, in the palace until his return from Thrace. Refuses Admet; he asks Hercules to take the woman to someone else. It is hard for Admet to see another woman in his palace when he lost the one he loved so much. Hercules insists and even wants Admet to bring the woman into the palace himself. He does not allow Admet's servants to touch her. Finally, Admet, unable to refuse his friend, takes the woman by the hand to lead her into his palace. Hercules tells him:
- You took her, Admet! So protect her! Now you can say that the son of Zeus is a loyal friend. Look at the woman! Doesn't she look like your wife Alkestida? Stop longing! Be happy with life again!
- Oh, great gods! - Admet exclaimed, lifting the veil of the woman, - my wife Alkestida! Oh no, it's just her shadow! She stands silently, she has not uttered a word!
- No, it's not a shadow! - answered Hercules, - this is Alkestida. I obtained it in a difficult struggle with the Lord of Souls Thanat. She will remain silent until she is freed from the power of the underground gods, bringing them atoning sacrifices; she will be silent until the night changes the day three times; only then will she speak. Now goodbye, Admet! Be happy and always observe the great custom of hospitality, consecrated by my father, Zeus!
- Oh, great son of Zeus, you gave me the joy of life again! - Admet exclaimed, - how can I thank you? Stay with me as a guest. I will command in all my possessions to celebrate your victory, I will command you to bring great sacrifices to the gods. Stay with me!
Hercules did not stay with Admet; feat awaited him; he had to fulfill the commission of Eurystheus and get him the horses of King Diomedes.

Ninth Feat: Hippolyta's Belt

The ninth feat of Hercules was his campaign to the country of the Amazons behind the belt of Queen Hippolyta. This belt was presented to Hippolyta by the god of war, Ares, and she wore it as a sign of her power over all the Amazons. The daughter of Eurystheus Admet, a priestess of the goddess Hera, certainly wanted to have this belt. To fulfill her desire, Eurystheus sent Hercules for the belt. Gathering a small detachment of heroes, the great son of Zeus set off on a long journey on only one ship. Although the detachment of Hercules was small, there were many glorious heroes in this detachment, I was the great hero of Attica Theseus in it.
A long way lay ahead of the heroes. They had to reach the farthest shores of the Euxine Pontus, since there was the country of the Amazons with the capital Themiscyra. On the way, Hercules landed with his companions on the island of Paros, where the sons of Minos ruled. On this island, the sons of Minos killed two companions of Hercules. Hercules, angry at this, immediately began a war with the sons of Minos. He killed many of the inhabitants of Paros, while driving others into the city, he kept them under siege until they sent the besieged ambassadors to Hercules and asked him to take two of them instead of the killed companions. Then Hercules lifted the siege and instead of those killed he took the grandsons of Minos, Alkeus and Sfenela.
From Paros, Hercules arrived in Mizia to the king Likus, who received him with great hospitality. The king of the bebriks unexpectedly attacked Lika. Hercules defeated the king of bebriks with his detachment and destroyed his capital, and gave all the land of bebriks to Lika. King Lik named this country in honor of Hercules Heraclea. After this feat, Hercules went further, and finally arrived at the city of the Amazons, Themiscira.
The fame of the exploits of the son of Zeus has long since reached the country of the Amazons. Therefore, when the ship of Hercules docked at Themiscira, the Amazons came out with the queen to meet the hero. They looked in amazement at the great son of Zeus, who stood out, like an immortal god, among his companions-heroes. Queen Hippolyta asked the great hero Hercules:
- Glorious son of Zeus, tell me what brought you to our city? Are you bringing us peace or war?
This is how Hercules answered the queen:
- Queen, I did not come here of my own free will with an army, having made a long journey along the stormy sea; I was sent by the ruler of Mycenae Eurystheus. His daughter Admet wants to have your belt, a gift from the god Ares. Eurystheus has instructed me to get your belt.
Hippolyta was unable to deny anything to Hercules. She was already ready to voluntarily give him the belt, but great Hera, wishing to destroy the hated Hercules, took the form of an Amazon, intervened in the crowd and began to convince the warriors to attack the army of Hercules.
“Hercules is not telling the truth,” Hera said to the Amazons, “he came to you with an insidious intent: the hero wants to kidnap your queen Hippolyta and take her as a slave to his house.
The Amazons believed Hera. They grabbed their arms and attacked the army of Hercules. Ahead of the Amazon army was Aella, fast as the wind. She was the first to attack Hercules, like a stormy whirlwind. The great hero repelled her onslaught and put her to flight, Aella thought to escape from the hero by a quick flight. All her speed did not help her, Hercules overtook her and struck her with his sparkling sword. Fell in battle and Protoe. She defeated seven heroes from among the companions of Hercules with her own hand, but she did not escape the arrow of the great son of Zeus. Then seven Amazons attacked Hercules at once; they were companions of Artemis herself: no one was equal to them in the art of wielding a spear. Covering themselves with shields, they launched their spears at Hercules. but the spears flew past this time. All of them were slain by the hero with his club; one after another they struck the ground, flashing their weapons. The Amazonian Melanippe, who was leading the army into battle, was captured by Hercules, and Antiope was also captured with her. The formidable warriors were defeated, their army fled, many of them fell at the hands of the heroes who were pursuing them. The Amazon made peace with Hercules. Hippolyta bought the freedom of the mighty Melanippe at the cost of her belt. The heroes took Antiope with them. Hercules gave it as a reward to Theseus for his great bravery.
So Hercules got Hippolyta's belt.

Hercules rescues Hesione, daughter of Laomedont

On the way back to Tiryns from the country of the Amazons, Hercules arrived on ships with his army to Troy. A grievous spectacle appeared before the eyes of the heroes when they moored to the shore not far from Troy. They saw the beautiful daughter of the King of Troy Laomedont, Hesiona, chained to a rock near the very shore of the sea. She was doomed, like Andromeda, to be torn apart by a monster emerging from the sea. This monster was sent as punishment to Laomedon by Poseidon for refusing to pay him and Apollo a fee for the construction of the walls of Troy. The proud king, whom, according to Zeus' verdict, both gods were supposed to serve, even threatened to cut off their ears if they demanded payment. Then, the angry Apollo sent a terrible pestilence to all the possessions of Laomedont, and Poseidon - a monster that devastated, sparing no one, the vicinity of Troy. Only by sacrificing his daughter's life could Laomedont save his country from a terrible disaster. Against his will, he had to chained his daughter Hesiona to a rock by the sea.
Seeing the unfortunate girl, Hercules volunteered to save her, and for the salvation of Hesiona he demanded from Laomedont as a reward for those horses that Zeus gave the king of Troy as a ransom for his son Ganymede. He was once kidnapped by the eagle of Zeus and carried to Olympus. Laomedont agreed to Hercules' demands. The great hero ordered the Trojans to build a rampart on the seashore and hid behind it. As soon as Hercules hid behind the rampart, a monster swam out of the sea and, opening a huge mouth, rushed to Hesiona. With a loud cry, Hercules ran out from behind the rampart, rushed at the monster and thrust his double-edged sword deep into his chest. Hercules saved Hesione.
When the son of Zeus demanded the promised reward from Laomedont, the king felt sorry to part with the wondrous horses, he did not give them to Hercules and even drove him out with threats from Troy. Heracles left the possession of Laomedont, holding his anger deep in his heart. Now he could not take revenge on the king who had deceived him, since his army was too small and the hero could not hope to soon seize the impregnable Troy. The great son of Zeus could not stay long under Troy - he had to hurry with the belt of Hippolyta to Mycenae.

Tenth feat: Geryon's Cows

Soon after returning from a campaign in the country of the Amazons, Hercules set out on a new feat. Eurystheus instructed him to drive to Mycenae the cows of the great Geryon, the son of Chrysaor and the oceanis Calliroi. The path to Geryon was far. Hercules had to reach the westernmost end of the earth, those places where the radiant sun god Helios descends from the sky at sunset. Hercules set off on a long journey alone. He passed through Africa, through the barren deserts of Libya, through the lands of wild barbarians and finally reached the limits of the earth. Here he erected two giant stone pillars on both sides of the narrow sea strait as an eternal monument of his feat.
After that, Hercules had to wander a lot until he reached the shores of the gray Ocean. In meditation, the hero sat down on the shore by the ever-rustling waters of the Ocean. How was he to reach the island of Erifeia, where Geryon grazed his flocks? It was already late afternoon. Here appeared the chariot of Helios, descending to the waters of the Ocean. The bright rays of Helios blinded Hercules, and an unbearable, scorching heat swept over him. In anger, Hercules jumped up and grabbed his formidable bow, but the bright Helios did not get angry, he smiled at the hero, he liked the extraordinary courage of the great son of Zeus. Helios himself invited Hercules to cross to Erithea in a golden boat, in which the sun god sailed every evening with his horses and chariot from the western to the eastern edge of the earth to his golden palace. The delighted hero boldly jumped into the golden boat and quickly reached the shores of Erifeia.
As soon as he landed on the island, he smelled his formidable two-headed dog Orfo and, with a bark, rushed at the hero. Hercules killed him with one blow of his heavy club. Orfo was not the only one guarding Geryon's herds. Hercules also had to fight with Geryon's shepherd, the giant Eurytion. The son of Zeus quickly coped with the giant and drove the cows of Geryon to the seashore, where the golden boat of Helios stood. Geryon heard the mooing of his cows and went to the herd. Seeing that his dog Orfo and the giant Eurytion were killed, he chased after the thief of the herd and overtook him on the seashore. Geryon was a monstrous giant: he had three bodies, three heads, six arms and six legs. He covered himself with three shields during the battle, he threw three huge spears at once at the enemy. Hercules had to fight with such and such a giant, but the great warrior Athena-Pallas helped him. As soon as Hercules saw him, he immediately shot his deadly arrow at the giant. An arrow stabbed into the eye of one of Geryon's heads. The first arrow was followed by a second, followed by a third. Hercules menacingly swung his all-crushing mace like lightning, the hero of Geryon struck it with it, and a three-body giant fell to the ground like a lifeless corpse. Hercules transported Geryon's cows from Erifeia in Helios' golden boat across the stormy Ocean and returned the boat to Helios. Half of the feat was over.
Much work still lay ahead. It was necessary to drive the bulls to Mycenae. Throughout Spain, through the Pyrenees mountains, through Gaul and the Alps, through Italy, Hercules drove the cows. In southern Italy, near the city of Regium, one of the cows escaped from the herd and swam across the strait to Sicily. There King Eriks, the son of Poseidon, saw her, and took the cow into his flock. Hercules was looking for a cow for a long time. Finally, he asked the god Hephaestus to guard the herd, and he himself crossed over to Sicily and there he found his cow in the herd of King Eriks. The king did not want to return her to Hercules; hoping for his strength, he challenged Hercules to single combat. The reward for the winner was to be a cow. Eriks could not afford such an enemy as Hercules. The son of Zeus squeezed the king in his mighty embrace and strangled him. Hercules returned with the cow to his herd and drove him further. On the shores of the Ionian Sea, the goddess Hera sent fury to all the herd. Mad cows scattered in all directions. Only with great difficulty did Hercules catch most of the cows already in Thrace and finally drove them to Eurystheus in Mycenae. Eurystheus sacrificed them to the great goddess Hera.
The Pillars of Hercules, or the Pillars of Hercules. The Greeks believed that the rocks along the shores of the Strait of Gibraltar were set by Hercules.

Eleventh feat. The abduction of Cerberus.

There were no more monsters left in the land. All were destroyed by Hercules. But underground, guarding the domain of Hades, lived a monstrous three-headed dog Cerberus. It was he who ordered Eurystheus to deliver to the walls of Mycenae.

Hercules had to descend into a kingdom from which there is no return. Everything about him was terrifying. Cerberus himself was so powerful and terrible that the mere sight of it chilled the blood in his veins. In addition to three disgusting heads, the dog had a tail in the form of a huge snake with an open mouth. Snakes wriggled around his neck as well. And such a dog had to be not only defeated, but also taken alive from the underworld. Only the rulers of the kingdom of the dead Hades and Persephone could give consent to this.

Hercules had to appear before their eyes. For Hades, they were as black as coal, formed at the site of the burning of the remains of the dead, for Persephone, they were light blue, like cornflowers on arable land. But in both one and the other one could read genuine surprise: what does this impudent man want, who violated the laws of nature and descended alive into their gloomy world?

Bowing respectfully, Hercules said:

Do not be angry, powerful lords, if my request seems impudent to you! The will of Eurystheus, hostile to my desire, dominates me. It was he who commissioned me to deliver to him your loyal and valiant guard, Cerberus.

Hades's face stretched out in displeasure.

Not only did you come here alive yourself, you set out to show the living one whom only the dead can see.

Forgive my curiosity, - Persephone intervened. - But I would like to know how you think about your feat. After all, Cerberus has not yet been given to anyone.

I don't know, - Hercules honestly admitted. - But let me fight him.

Ha! Ha! - Hades laughed so loudly that the vaults of the underworld shook. - Try it! But only fight on equal terms, without using weapons.

On the way to the gates of Hades, one of the shadows approached Hercules and made a request.

Great hero, said the shadow, you are destined to see the sun. Will you agree to do my duty? I have a sister, Deianira, whom I did not have time to marry.

State your name and where are you from, - Hercules responded.

I am from Calydon, - answered the shadow. - There they called me Meleager. Hercules, bowing low to the shadow, said:

I heard about you as a boy and always regretted not being able to meet with you. Stay calm. I'll take your sister as my wife.

Cerberus, as befits a dog, was in its place at the gate of Hades, barking at souls that tried to approach Styx to get out into the white light. If earlier, when Hercules entered the gate, the dog did not pay attention to the hero, now he pounced on him with an angry growl, trying to gnaw the hero's throat. Hercules grabbed two of Cerberus's necks with both hands, and struck a powerful blow on the third head with his forehead. Cerberus wrapped his tail around the hero's legs and torso, tearing the body with his teeth. But Hercules' fingers continued to clench, and soon the half-strangled dog went limp and wheezed.

Not allowing Cerberus to recover, Hercules dragged him to the exit. When it began to dawn, the dog revived and, throwing up its head, howled terribly at the unfamiliar sun. The earth has never heard such heartbreaking sounds. Poisonous foam was falling from the open mouths. Wherever even one drop of it fell, poisonous plants grew.

Here are the walls of Mycenae. The city seemed deserted, dead, since from afar everyone heard that Hercules was returning victorious. Eurystheus, looking at Cerberus through the crack of the gate, yelled:

Let him go! Let go!

Hercules did not hesitate. He released the chain on which he was leading Cerberus, and the faithful dog of Aida rushed with huge leaps to his master ...

Feat twelfth. Golden apples of the Hesperides.

At the western end of the earth, near the Ocean, where day converged with night, the beautiful-voiced nymphs of the Hesperides lived. Their divine singing was heard only by Atlas, who held the firmament on his shoulders, yes souls of the dead who sadly descended into the underworld. The nymphs walked in a wonderful garden, where a tree grew, bending heavy branches to the ground. Golden fruits glittered and hid in their greenery. They gave everyone who touches them immortality and eternal youth.

These are the fruits that Eurystheus ordered to bring, and not in order to equalize with the gods. He hoped that this order would not be fulfilled by Hercules.

Throwing a lion's skin on his back, throwing a bow over his shoulder, taking a club, the hero walked briskly to the garden of the Hesperides. He is already accustomed to the fact that the impossible is achieved from him.

Hercules walked for a long time until he reached the place where heaven and earth converged on Atlanta, as on a giant support. He looked with horror at the titan, who was holding an incredible weight.

I am Hercules, - said the hero. - I am ordered to bring three golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides. I heard that you alone can pick these apples.

Joy flickered in Atlant's eyes. He's up to something unkind.

I can't reach the tree, - said Atlas. - Yes, and my hands, as you can see, are busy. Now, if you hold my burden, I will gladly fulfill your request.

I agree, - answered Hercules and stood next to the titan, who was many heads taller than him.

Atlas sank, and a monstrous weight fell on the shoulders of Hercules. Sweat covered my forehead and whole body. Feet went ankle-deep into the ground trampled by Atlant. The time it took the giant to get the apples seemed like an eternity to the hero. But Atlas was in no hurry to take back his burden.

If you want, I myself will take the precious apples to Mycenae, - he suggested to Hercules.

The simple-minded hero almost agreed, fearing of offending the titan who had rendered him a favor, but Athena intervened in time - she taught him to respond with cunning to cunning. Pretending to be overjoyed at Atlant's proposal, Hercules immediately agreed, but asked the titan to hold the vault while he made a lining under his shoulders.

As soon as Atlas, deceived by the feigned joy of Hercules, shouldered his habitual burden, the hero immediately raised his club and bow and, not paying attention to the outraged cries of Atlant, set off on his way back.

Eurystheus did not take the apples of the Hesperides, obtained by Hercules with such labor. After all, he did not need apples, but the death of a hero. Hercules gave the apples to Athena, and she returned them to the Hesperides.

This ended the service of Hercules to Eurystheus, and he was able to return to Thebes, where new exploits and new troubles awaited him.