In our modern society, heroes are everywhere. Some countries have national heroes, who helped in the creation of their nation, and then there is the popular medium of super hero comics, movies, games. In mythology, heroes were often children of a god and a human, and sometimes just regular mortals who were the favourite to a god or goddess. Due to their heritage or the protection, they managed to perform impossible tasks or outshine everyone around them with their brilliance. But unfortunately, most heroes were more or less forced to perform their heroic deeds.

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Our example today is Heracles. Though his name was literally "Glory of Hera", Hera did not like the hero. The reason is simple: Heracles was the son of her husband Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene. So Hera did her best to punish the son of her unfaithful husband for that. According to some myths, Hera struck Heracles with madness, and he killed his wife and children. To pay for this crime, he had to fulfill ten deeds, or labours, as decreed by king Eurystheus.

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Erystheus sent Heracles to destinations all over Ancient Greece. First he had to kill the Nemean Lion followed by the Lernean Hydra in Argolis, he then had to capture the Ceryneian Hind in Achaia and the Erymanthian Boar in Elis. In Elis, he also had to clean the stables of king Augeas. For his sixth task, Heracles had to kill the Stymphalian Birds in Arcadia, then the capture the Cretan Bull on Crete. His eighth task was to steal the Mares of king Diomedes of Thrace, before being sent to obtain the gridle of the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta. For his tenth and final task, he was sen tto obtain the cattle of the monstrous, three-headed giant Geryon. But Eurystheus decided to increase his workload, so he added stealing the golden apples of the Hesperides and abducting Cerberus from the underworld to the hero's workload. Heracles was successful, and he has paid for his crimes. However, that was not the end of Heracles. But that's a story for another day.

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