The Twelve Labours of Herakles

Server Costs Fundraiser 2023

Running a website with millions of readers every month is expensive. Not only do we pay for our servers, but also for related services such as our content delivery network, Google Workspace, email, and much more. We would much rather spend this money on producing more free history content for the world. Thank you for your help!
$10263 / $21000

Illustration

Simeon Netchev
by
published on 13 February 2023
The Twelve Labours of Herakles Download Full Size Image

A map illustrating the Twelve Labours of Herakles (Heracles, romanized as Hercules), probably the most famous of the ancient heroes in Greek mythology. Born as a demi-god (son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmene,) Herakles was tricked out of his kingdom and constantly pursued by Hera, which culminated in a fit of madness that drove him to murder his wife and children. As a penance, he was urged by the Oracle of Delphi to enter into service of Eurystheus, the king of Tiryns and Mycenae, for twelve years and perform a sequence of Twelve Labours that seemed impossible (the fixed narrative of Twelve Labours, as well as Herakles' signature lion's skin attire and a club is attributed to the ancient poet Peisander, from c. 600 BCE).

Remove Ads

Advertisement

About the Author

Simeon Netchev
Simeon is a freelance visual designer with a deep interest in the human side of history. He believes that every image should be an interaction, a commentary, and a narrative, and every map should lead on an exciting journey of exploration and discovery.

Cite This Work

APA Style

Netchev, S. (2023, February 13). The Twelve Labours of Herakles. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/17052/the-twelve-labours-of-herakles/

Chicago Style

Netchev, Simeon. "The Twelve Labours of Herakles." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified February 13, 2023. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/17052/the-twelve-labours-of-herakles/.

MLA Style

Netchev, Simeon. "The Twelve Labours of Herakles." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 13 Feb 2023. Web. 28 Mar 2023.

Membership