Heracles 1--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Heracles 1 (behind his back he is holding the Golden Apples of the HESPERIDES)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Relevant links
Alcmena
Amphitryon
Eurystheus
Madness
Heracles Album
Heracles 1 in Hades
HERACLES 1's LABOURS
HERACLIDES
Walt Disney's Hercules
Cartoon-like illustrations
Heracles 1 in GROUPS
ARGONAUTS
CONSTELLATIONS
ZEUS' OFFSPRING
METAMORPHOSES
ODYSSEUS IN HADES
SERVANTS
Alcides was the first name of Heracles 1 until a Pythian priestess first called him Heracles 1. This priestess told him to serve Eurystheus for twelve years, and to perform the LABOURS imposed on him; and when the tasks were accomplished, he would become immortal. Amphitryon was married with Alcmena, and during his absence Zeus took his form and lay with her. Before Amphitryon returned home from war, Zeus came, and prolonging the one night threefold, he assumed the likeness of Amphitryon and made love to Alcmena. But when Amphitryon arrived and she told him that he had come the night before and slept with her, Amphitryon went to Tiresias, and the seer told him how Zeus had enjoyed her.
Summary of Heracles 1's exploits (LABOURS in red):
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Eight months old kills the Serpents
When Heracles 1 was about to be born, Zeus declared that a descendant of Perseus 1, then about to be born, would be king of Mycenae. But Hera, out of jealousy, persuaded Ilithyia, goddess of childbirth, to retard Alcmena's delivery, and contrived that Eurystheus, also a descendant of Perseus 1, should be born a seven-month child. This is how Heracles 1 lost the throne of Mycenae.
When Heracles 1 was eight months old, Hera, desiring his death, sent two serpents to his bed. But he strangled the beasts with his hands. And when he was eighteen years old, he slew the Lion of Cithaeron, which harried the kine of Amphitryon and Thespius.
http://homepage.mac.com/cparada/GML/Heracles1.html