Editing Labours of Hercules (section)

===Eleventh: Golden apples of the Hesperides===
[[File:Lucas Cranach d.Ä. - Herkules raubt die Äpfel der Hesperiden (Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum).jpg|thumb|Heracles stealing the apples from the Hesperides]]
[[File:Mosaico Trabajos Hércules (M.A.N. Madrid) 11.jpg|thumb|Hercules stealing the golden apples from the Garden of the Hesperides]]
After Heracles completed the first ten labours, Eurystheus gave him two more, claiming that slaying the Hydra did not count (because Iolaus helped Heracles) and neither did cleaning the Augean Stables (either because he was paid for the job or because the rivers did the work).

The first additional labour was to steal three of the golden apples from the garden of the [[Hesperides]]. Heracles first caught the [[Old Man of the Sea]], the shapeshifting sea god,<ref>Kerenyi, ''The Heroes of the Greeks'', 1959, p.172, identifies him in this context as [[Nereus]]; as a shapeshifter he is often identified as [[Proteus]].</ref> to learn where the Garden of the Hesperides was located.<ref>In some versions of the tale, Heracles was directed to ask [[Prometheus]]. As payment, he freed Prometheus from his daily torture. This tale is more usually found as part of the story of the [[Erymanthian Boar]], since it is associated with [[Chiron]] choosing to forgo immortality and taking Prometheus' place.</ref>

In some variations, Heracles, either at the start or at the end of this task, meets [[Antaeus]], who was invincible as long as he touched his mother, [[Gaia (mythology)|Gaia]], the Earth. Heracles killed Antaeus by holding him aloft and crushing him in a bear hug.<ref>[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]] [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0548.tlg001.perseus-eng1:2.5.10 2.5.10]; [[Hyginus (Fabulae)|Hyginus]], ''[[Fabulae]]'' 31.</ref>

[[Herodotus]] claims that Heracles stopped in [[Egypt]], where King [[Busiris (Greek mythology)|Busiris]] decided to make him the yearly sacrifice, but Heracles burst out of his chains.

Heracles finally made his way to the garden of the Hesperides, where he encountered [[Atlas (mythology)|Atlas]] holding up the heavens on his shoulders. Heracles persuaded Atlas to get the three golden apples for him by offering to hold up the heavens in his place for a little while. Atlas could get the apples because, in this version, he was the father or otherwise related to the Hesperides. When Atlas returned, he decided that he did not want to take the heavens back and instead offered to deliver the apples himself, but Heracles tricked him by agreeing to remain in place of Atlas on the condition that Atlas relieve him temporarily while Heracles adjusted his cloak. Atlas agreed, but Heracles reneged and walked away with the apples. According to an alternative version, Heracles slew [[Ladon (mythology)|Ladon]], the dragon who guarded the apples, instead. Eurystheus was furious that Heracles had accomplished something that Eurystheus thought could not possibly be done.