Editing Labours of Hercules (section)

{{Short description|Series of feats carried out by Heracles}}
{{about|the Greek myth|the short story collection by Agatha Christie|The Labours of Hercules}}
[[File:Twelve Labours Altemps Inv8642.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|[[Ancient Roman sculpture|Roman]] [[relief sculpture|relief]] (3rd century AD) depicting a sequence of the Labours, representing from left to right the [[Nemean lion]], the [[Lernaean Hydra]], the [[Erymanthian Boar]], the [[Ceryneian Hind]], the [[Stymphalian birds]], the [[Girdle of Hippolyta]], the [[Augean stables]], the [[Cretan Bull]] and the [[Mares of Diomedes]]]]
[[File:LLÍRIA (SPAIN) MOSAIC OF THE LABORS OF HERACLES.jpg|thumb|Mosaic of Llíria (Valencia, Spain)]]

The '''Labours of Hercules''' or '''Labours of Heracles''' ({{langx|grc|[[wikt:ἆθλος|ἆθλοι]]}}, {{lang|grc-Latn|âthloi}},<ref>[[A Greek–English Lexicon|LSJ]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aalphabetic+letter%3D*a%3Aentry+group%3D41%3Aentry%3Da%29%3Dqlos ἆθλος].</ref> {{langx|la|Labores}}) are a series of tasks carried out by [[Heracles]], the greatest of the Greek heroes, whose name was later [[romanization|romanised]] as [[Hercules]]. They were accomplished in the service of King [[Eurystheus]]. The episodes were later connected by a continuous narrative.

The establishment of a fixed cycle of twelve labours was attributed by the Greeks to an [[epic poem]], now lost, written by [[Peisander]] (7th to 6th centuries BC).<ref>''[[Brill's New Pauly]]'', [https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/brill-s-new-pauly/peisander-e911920 s.v. Peisander (6)].</ref>

Having tried to kill Heracles ever since he was born, [[Hera]] induced a madness in him that made him kill his wife and children. Afterwards, Heracles went to the [[Pythia|Oracle of Delphi]] to atone, where he prayed to the god Apollo for guidance. Heracles was told to serve Eurystheus, king of Mycenae, for ten years. During this time, he was sent to perform a series of difficult feats, called labours.<ref name="p. 253">Hard, [https://books.google.com/books?id=r1Y3xZWVlnIC&pg=PA253 p. 253].</ref>