Analysis of the apples of the Hesperides, the twelfth labor. Apples of the Hesperides (twelfth labor)

The Golden Apples of the Hesperides are another adventure, another feat of Hercules, who was the son of Zeus and an earthly woman. Since Hera was jealous, she made sure that Hercules served King Euriseus, who constantly sent Hercules on ridiculous missions, hoping that he would not return back.

Golden apples of the Hesperides

So, once again, immediately after completing the task, the king again sends Hercules on the road, to the garden where he grows unusual tree, courted by the Hesperide nymphs, daughters of Atlas. The uniqueness of the tree is that it bore fruits in the form of golden apples, which gave youth and health.

So Hercules set off on his journey, not knowing the way. This is how the “Golden Apples of the Hesperides” myth continues. He did not know where to go, wandering around Europe, Asia, Libya. Along the way, he met various ill-wishers, with whom Hercules had to measure his strength in “The Golden Apples of the Hesperides.” So, I had to fight the giant Germer, then I had to fight the monster Cycna, who was the son of Ares, and I had to fight directly with the god of war Ares, but Zeus separated the fighters. Hercules continued his journey and would have wandered for a long time if the nymphs had not given practical advice. On their advice, Hercules caught the sea elder Neres and got from him the right way to the gardens of the Hesperides.

On the way to the gardens, Hercules was almost sacrificed, but our hero freed himself and killed Busiris, freed Prometheus along the way, and then came to the country where the desired tree grew. Atlas stood there, and Hercules told him everything. Atlas, who had to hold up the firmament, himself volunteered to pick the golden apples, but at this time Hercules had to hold the firmament for him. Hercules agreed and took the sky on his shoulders. When Atlas brought the apples, he said that he would carry them himself if Hercules would hold up the sky for him. But Hercules realized that Atlas wanted to shift his work onto the shoulders of Hercules and, with the help of cunning, returned the sky back to the shoulders of Atlas, he himself took the apples and went back to King Euriseus.

Euryseus gave the apples to Hercules, and Hercules sacrificed them to Athena, who helped to withstand the weight of the sky when Hercules had to hold up the firmament. Athena returned the apples back to the garden. The ocean itself, where Hercules defeated the sky ruler by cunning, was called the Atlantic. This ends the next feat of the Golden Apples of the Hesperides.

Apples of the Hesperides (twelfth labor)

The most difficult labor of Hercules in the service of Eurystheus was his last, twelfth labor. He had to go to the great titan Atlas, who holds the firmament on his shoulders, and get three golden apples from his gardens, which were watched over by the daughters of Atlas, the Hesperides. These apples grew on a golden tree, grown by the goddess of the earth Gaia as a gift. great Hera, on the day of her wedding to Zeus. To accomplish this feat, it was necessary first of all to find out the way to the gardens of the Hesperides, guarded by a dragon who never closed his eyes to sleep.
No one knew the way to the Hesperides and Atlas. Hercules wandered for a long time through Asia and Europe, he passed through all the countries that he had previously passed on the way to fetch Geryon’s cows; Everywhere Hercules asked about the path, but no one knew it. In his search, he went to the farthest north, to the ever-rolling stormy, boundless

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waters of the Eridanus River1. On the banks of Eridanus, beautiful nymphs greeted the great son of Zeus with honor and gave him advice on how to find out the way to the gardens of the Hesperides. Hercules was supposed to attack the sea prophetic old man Nereus by surprise when he came ashore from deep sea, and find out from him the way to the Hesperides; except Nereus, no one knew this path. Hercules searched for Nereus for a long time. Finally, he managed to find Nereus on the seashore. Hercules attacked the sea god. The fight with the sea god was difficult. To free himself from the iron embrace of Hercules, Nereus took on all sorts of forms, but still his hero did not let go. Finally, he tied up the tired Nereus, and the sea god had to reveal to Hercules the secret of the way to the gardens of the Hesperides in order to gain freedom. Having learned this secret, the son of Zeus released the sea elder and set off on a long journey.
Again he had to go through Libya. Here he met the giant Antaeus, the son of Poseidon, the god of the seas, and the goddess of the earth Gaia, who gave birth to him, fed him and raised him. Antaeus forced all travelers to fight with him and mercilessly killed everyone whom he defeated in the fight. The giant demanded that Hercules fight him too. No one could defeat Antaeus in single combat without knowing the secret from where the giant received more and more strength during the struggle. The secret was this: when Antaeus felt that he was beginning to lose strength, he touched the earth, his mother, and his strength was renewed; he drew them from his mother, the great goddess of the earth. But as soon as Antaeus was torn off the ground and lifted into the air, his strength disappeared. Hercules fought with Antaeus for a long time, several times he knocked him to the ground, but Antaeus’ strength only increased. Suddenly, during the struggle, a mighty

1 Mythical river.

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Hercules Antaeus was high in the air, the strength of the son of Gaia dried up, and Hercules strangled him1.
Hercules went further and came to Egypt. There, tired from the long journey, he fell asleep in the shade of a small grove on the banks of the Nile. The king of Egypt, the son of Poseidon and the daughter of Epaphus Lysianassa, Busiris, saw the sleeping Hercules, and ordered the sleeping hero to be tied up. He wanted to sacrifice Hercules to his father Zeus. There was a crop failure in Egypt for nine years; The soothsayer Thrasios, who came from Cyprus, predicted that the crop failure would stop only if Busiris annually sacrificed a foreigner to Zeus. Busiris ordered the capture of the soothsayer Thrasius and was the first to sacrifice him. Since then, the cruel king sacrificed to the Thunderer all the foreigners who came to Egypt. They brought Hercules to the altar, but he tore great hero the ropes with which he was tied, and killed Busiris himself and his son Amphidamantus at the altar. This is how the cruel king of Egypt was punished.
Hercules had to meet many more dangers on his way until he reached the end of the earth, where the great titan Atlas stood. The hero looked with amazement at the mighty titan, holding the entire vault of heaven on his broad shoulders.
- Oh, the great titan Atlas! - Hercules turned to him, - I am the son of Zeus, Hercules. Eurystheus, the king of gold-rich Mycenae, sent me to you. Eurystheus commanded me to get three golden apples from you from the golden tree in the gardens of the Hesperides.
“I will give you three apples, son of Zeus,” answered Atlas; while I go after them, you must take my place and hold the vault of heaven on your shoulders.
Hercules agreed. He took the place of Atlas. An incredible weight fell on the shoulders of the son of Zeus. He exerted all his strength

1 The myth of Antaeus was brilliantly used by J.V. Stalin in closing remarks at the plenum of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks in March 1937. See “Introduction”.

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and held the firmament. The weight pressed terribly on Hercules’ mighty shoulders. He bent under the weight of the sky, his muscles bulged like mountains, sweat covered his entire body from tension, but superhuman strength and the help of the goddess Athena gave him the opportunity to hold the firmament until Atlas returned with three golden apples. Returning, Atlas said to the hero:
- Here are three apples, Hercules; if you want, I myself will take them to Mycenae, and you hold the firmament until my return; then I'll get up again your place
Hercules understood Atlas's cunning; he realized that the Titan wanted to completely free himself from his hard work, and against cunning he used cunning.
- Okay, Atlas, I agree! - Hercules answered, - just let me make myself a pillow first, I will put it on my shoulders so that the vault of heaven does not press them so terribly.
Atlas stood up again in his place and shouldered the weight of the sky. Hercules picked up his bow and quiver of arrows, took his club and golden apples and said:
- Goodbye, Atlas! I held the vault of the sky while you went for the apples of the Hesperides, but I don’t want to carry the entire weight of the sky on my shoulders forever.

Atlas brings Hercules apples from the garden of the Hesperides. Athena stands behind Hercules, helping Hercules hold up the firmament. (Bas-relief of the 5th century BC)

With these words, Hercules left the titan, and Atlas again had to hold the vault of heaven on his mighty shoulders, as before. Hercules returned to Eurystheus and gave him the golden apples. Eurystheus gave them to Hercules, and he gave the apples to his patroness, the great daughter of Zeus, Pallas Athena. Athena returned the apples to the Hesperides so that they would remain in their gardens forever.
After his twelfth labor, Hercules was freed from service with Eurystheus. Now he could return to the seven gates of Thebes. But the son of Zeus did not stay there long. New exploits awaited him. He gave his wife Megara as a wife to his friend Iolaus, and he himself went back to Tiryns.
But not only victories awaited him; Hercules also faced grave troubles, since the great goddess Hera continued to pursue him.

Prepared according to the edition:

Kun N.A.
Legends and myths of ancient Greece. M.: State educational and pedagogical publishing house of the Ministry of Education of the RSFSR, 1954.

Hesperides apples

(twelfth labor)

No one knew the way to the Hesperides and Atlas. Hercules wandered for a long time through Asia and Europe, he passed through all the countries that he had previously passed on the way to fetch Geryon’s cows; Everywhere Hercules asked about the path, but no one knew it. In his search, he went to the farthest north, to the Eridanus River, which eternally rolls its stormy, boundless waters. On the banks of Eridanus, beautiful nymphs greeted the great son of Zeus with honor and gave him advice on how to find out the way to the gardens of the Hesperides. Hercules was supposed to attack the sea prophetic old man Nereus by surprise when he came ashore from the depths of the sea, and learn from him the way to the Hesperides; except Nereus, no one knew this path. Hercules searched for Nemeus for a long time. Finally, he managed to find Nereus on the seashore. Hercules attacked the sea god. The fight with the sea god was difficult. To free himself from the iron embrace of Hercules, Nereus took on all sorts of forms, but still his hero did not let go. Finally, he tied up the tired Nereus, and the sea god had to reveal to Hercules the secret of the way to the gardens of the Hesperides in order to gain freedom. Having learned this secret, the son of Zeus released the sea elder and set off on a long journey.

Again he had to go through Libya. Here he met the giant Antaeus, the son of Poseidon, the god of the seas, and the goddess of the earth Gaia, who gave birth to him, fed him and raised him. Antaeus forced all travelers to fight with him and mercilessly killed everyone whom he defeated in the fight. The giant demanded that Hercules fight him too. No one could defeat Antaeus in single combat without knowing the secret from where the giant received more and more strength during the fight. The secret was this: when Antaeus felt that he was beginning to lose strength, he touched the earth, his mother, and his strength was renewed: he drew it from his mother, the great goddess of the earth. But as soon as Antaeus was torn off the ground and lifted into the air, his strength disappeared. Hercules fought with Antaeus for a long time. several times he knocked him to the ground, but Antaeus’ strength only increased. Suddenly, during the struggle, the mighty Hercules lifted Antaeus high into the air - the strength of the son of Gaia dried up, and Hercules strangled him.

Hercules went further and came to Egypt. There, tired from the long journey, he fell asleep in the shade of a small grove on the banks of the Nile. The king of Egypt, the son of Poseidon and the daughter of Epaphus Lysianassa, Busiris, saw the sleeping Hercules, and ordered the sleeping hero to be tied up. He wanted to sacrifice Hercules to his father Zeus. There was a crop failure in Egypt for nine years; The soothsayer Thrasios, who came from Cyprus, predicted that the crop failure would stop only if Busiris annually sacrificed a foreigner to Zeus. Busiris ordered the capture of the soothsayer Thrasius and was the first to sacrifice him. From then on, the cruel king sacrificed to the Thunderer all the foreigners who came to Egypt. They brought Hercules to the altar, but the great hero tore the ropes with which he was bound and killed Busiris himself and his son Amphidamantus at the altar. This is how the cruel king of Egypt was punished.

Hercules had to meet many more dangers on his way until he reached the edge of the earth, where the great titan Atlas stood. The hero looked with amazement at the mighty titan, holding the entire vault of heaven on his broad shoulders.

– Oh, great titan Atlas! - Hercules turned to him, - I am the son of Zeus, Hercules. Eurystheus, the king of gold-rich Mycenae, sent me to you. Eurystheus commanded me to get from you three golden apples from the golden tree in the gardens of the Hesperides.

“I will give you three apples, son of Zeus,” answered Atlas, “while I go after them, you must stand in my place and hold the vault of heaven on your shoulders.”

Hercules agreed. He took the place of Atlas. An incredible weight fell on the shoulders of the son of Zeus. He strained all his strength and held the firmament. The weight pressed terribly on Hercules’ mighty shoulders. He bent under the weight of the sky, his muscles bulged like mountains, sweat covered his entire body from tension, but superhuman strength and the help of the goddess Athena gave him the opportunity to hold the firmament until Atlas returned with three golden apples. Returning, Atlas said to the hero:

– Here are three apples, Hercules; if you want, I myself will take them to Mycenae, and you hold the firmament until my return; then I will take your place again.

“Hercules understood Atlas’s cunning, he realized that the titan wanted to be completely freed from his hard work, and he used cunning against the cunning.

- Okay, Atlas, I agree! – Hercules answered. “Just let me make myself a pillow first, I’ll put it on my shoulders so that the vault of heaven doesn’t press them so terribly.”

Atlas stood up again in his place and shouldered the weight of the sky. Hercules picked up his bow and quiver of arrows, took his club and golden apples and said:

- Goodbye, Atlas! I held the vault of the sky while you went for the apples of the Hesperides, but I don’t want to carry the entire weight of the sky on my shoulders forever.

After his twelfth labor, Hercules was freed from service with Eurystheus. Now he could return to the seven gates of Thebes. But the son of Zeus did not stay there long. New exploits awaited him. He gave his wife Megara as a wife to his friend Iolaus, and he himself went back to Tiryns.

But not only victories awaited him; Hercules also faced grave troubles, since the great goddess Hera continued to pursue him.

The victory over the Nemean lion, the Lernaean hydra, the pursuit of a fallow deer, the journey for the apples of the Hesperides - all these are the famous labors of Hercules. Which of the twelve labors do you especially remember? If you still haven't read about all the labors of Hercules, then hurry up, because today you will get to know the last of them.The video lesson will allow you to study the topic “The Labors of Hercules. Apples of the Hesperides." You will get acquainted with the myth that tells about the last labor of Hercules, who is rightfully considered the most difficult of all the heroes accomplished. Why? You will learn the answer from a fascinating story that will tell you what difficulties Hercules faced in order to get the golden apples of the Hesperides from the gardens of Atlas.

Topic: Myths of the peoples of the world

Lesson: Labors of Hercules. Apples of the Hesperides

In the service of Eurystheus, Hercules performs twelve great labors. But the last one is considered the most difficult: The most difficult feat of Hercules in the service of Eurystheus was his last, twelfth labor. Hercules had to go to the great titan Atlas, who holds the firmament on his shoulders, and get three golden apples from his gardens, which were watched over by the daughters of Atlas, the Hesperides. These apples grew on a golden tree, grown by the goddess of the earth Gaia as a gift to the great Hera on the day of her wedding with Zeus.

Rice. 1. A huge snake guarding the entrance to the Gardens of the Hesperides ()

Why did the twelfth labor of Hercules turn out to be the most difficult? Firstly, because this was the last feat and there was very little strength left. Secondly, it was necessary to find out the way, overcome many challenges in order to achieve the goal.

First of all, it was necessary to find out the way to the gardens of the Hesperides, guarded by a dragon who never closed his eyes in sleep.

Hercules was supposed to attack the sea prophetic old man Nereus by surprise when he came ashore from the depths of the sea, and learn from him the way to the Hesperides; except Nereus, no one knew this path. Hercules searched for Nereus for a long time. Finally, he managed to find the old man on the seashore. Hercules attacked the sea god. It was difficult to fight him. To free himself from the iron embrace of Hercules, Nereus took on all sorts of images, but his hero did not let him go. Finally, he tied up the tired Nereus, and the sea god had to reveal to Hercules the secret of the way to the gardens of the Hesperides in order to gain freedom. Having learned this secret, the son of Zeus released the sea elder and set off on a long journey.

In this test, Hercules had to use remarkable strength.

Taken aback- unexpectedly, suddenly ( Dictionary S.I. Ozhegova).

Extraordinary- outstanding, distinguished by his abilities (Explanatory Dictionary of S.I. Ozhegov).

The hero needed incredible strength when he met another giant, Antaeus. Usually, as soon as the enemy is knocked to the ground, he is defeated. Another thing is Antaeus, who fed on power from the Earth, his mother.

Again he had to go through Libya. Here he met the giant Antaeus, the son of Poseidon, the god of the seas, and the goddess of the earth Gaia... Antaeus forced all travelers to fight with him and mercilessly killed everyone he defeated in the fight. The giant demanded that Hercules fight him too. It was impossible to defeat Antaeus in single combat without knowing the secret from where the giant received more and more strength during the fight. The secret was this: when Antaeus felt that he was beginning to weaken, he touched the earth, his mother, and his strength was renewed: he drew them from his mother, the great goddess of the earth. But as soon as Antaeus was torn off the ground and lifted into the air, his strength disappeared. Hercules fought with Antaeus for a long time. Several times he knocked him to the ground, but Antaeus’ strength only increased. Suddenly, during the struggle, the mighty Hercules lifted Antaeus high into the air - the strength of the son of Gaia dried up, and Hercules strangled him.

Rice. 2. Duel of Hercules with Antaeus ()

In Egypt, new trials awaited the hero:

There, tired from the long journey, he fell asleep in the shade of a small grove on the banks of the Nile. The king of Egypt Busiris, the son of Poseidon and the daughter of Epaphus Lysianassa, saw the sleeping Hercules and ordered the sleeping hero to be tied up. He wanted to sacrifice Hercules to his father Zeus. There was a crop failure in Egypt for nine years; The soothsayer Thrasios, who came from Cyprus, predicted that the crop failure would stop only if Busiris annually sacrificed a foreigner to Zeus. Busiris ordered the capture of the soothsayer Thrasius and was the first to sacrifice him. Since then, the cruel king sacrificed to the Thunderer all the foreigners who came to Egypt. They brought Hercules to the altar, but the great hero tore the ropes with which he was bound and killed Busiris himself and his son Amphidamantus at the altar. This is how the cruel king of Egypt was punished.

And so Hercules reached the end of the earth and met the giant Atlas, holding the firmament.

Oh, great titan Atlas! - Hercules turned to him, - I am the son of Zeus, Hercules. Eurystheus, the king of gold-rich Mycenae, sent me to you. Eurystheus commanded me to get three golden apples from you from the golden tree in the gardens of the Hesperides.

“I will give you three apples, son of Zeus,” answered Atlas, “while I go after them, you must stand in my place and hold the vault of heaven on your shoulders.” Hercules agreed.

Rice. 3. Atlas holding the heavenly one on his shoulders ()

The myth emphasizes the inhuman tension of the hero when he held the vault of heaven:

The weight pressed terribly on Hercules’ mighty shoulders. He bent under the weight of the sky, his muscles bulged like mountains, sweat covered his entire body from tension, but superhuman strength and the help of the goddess Athena gave him the opportunity to hold the firmament until Atlas returned with three golden apples.

Hercules needed more than just strength. Hercules responded to Atlas's cunning with cunning. Atlas did not want to hold the firmament again, but wanted to shift it onto the shoulders of Hercules

Returning, Atlas said to the hero:

Here are three apples, Hercules; if you want, I myself will take them to Mycenae, and you hold the firmament until my return; then I will get back to my place. Hercules understood Atlas's cunning, realized that the titan wanted to be completely freed from his hard work, and used cunning against the cunning.

Okay, Atlas, I agree! - Hercules answered. “Just let me make myself a pillow first, I’ll put it on my shoulders so that the vault of heaven doesn’t press them so terribly.”

Atlas stood up again in his place and shouldered the weight of the sky. Hercules picked up his bow and quiver of arrows, took his club and golden apples and said:

Goodbye Atlas! I held the vault of the sky while you went for the apples of the Hesperides, but I don’t want to carry the entire weight of the sky on my shoulders forever.

Mace- ancient (from the Paleolithic era) striking or throwing weapons made of durable and heavy types of wood, later with a stone or bronze pommel. ( encyclopedic Dictionary).

After his twelfth labor, Hercules was freed from service with Eurystheus, but his trials did not end there...

What qualities made Hercules the greatest hero? Ancient Greece? On the one hand - courage, strength, perseverance, and on the other - respect for the will of the gods, intelligence, cunning, ingenuity. Exactly these moral qualities valued by ancient people. These were precisely their ideas about good and evil, about justice.

Humanity borrowed many concepts and images from Ancient Greece. Let us recall the stable expressions and phraseological units: “panic fear”, “Olympic calm”, “titanic work”, “Sisyphean work” and many others.

Phraseologism- stable expression with independent meaning, close to idiomatic (S.I. Explanatory Dictionary)

After reading myths, you will not only learn the history of their appearance, but you will also know how and when they can be used in speech.

1. Abelyuk E.S. Mythological dictionary for schoolchildren. M.: ROST, MIROS, 2000.

2. Ashukin N.S., Ashukina M.G. Winged words. Moscow, " Fiction", 1960.

3. Kun N.A. legends and myths of Ancient Greece. Minsk: Narodnaya Asveta, 1989.

4. Literature. 6th grade. textbook for general education institutions. At 2 hours / (author-composed by V. P. Polukhina); edited by V.Ya. Korovina - M.: Education, 2011.

5. Encyclopedia “Myths of the Peoples of the World”. - M., 1980-1981, 1987-1988.

1. Mythology of Ancient Greece. Legends and myths of Ancient Greece. Heroes ().

2. Encyclopedic Dictionary winged words and expressions. Author-compiler Vadim Serov ().

3. Hellas: mythology of Ancient Greece ().

1. Read the myth “The Labors of Hercules. Apples of the Hesperides” in its entirety, make a quotation plan for it.

Quotation plan- a plan, each point of which is a quotation, that is, a verbatim excerpt from the text (it must be enclosed in quotation marks).

2. *Read other myths about the exploits of Hercules (except for the myth “Apples of the Hesperides”) and create your own illustrations for one of them.

3. Continue compiling the dictionary catch phrases: write down the meaning from the dictionary of phraseological units set expressions. Remember: the use of phraseological units makes speech brighter and more expressive!

Panic fear -

Olympic calm -

Sisyphus's work -

Titanic work -

Sword of Damocles -

Achilles' heel -

Augean stables -

Take off to Helikon -

Pillars of Hercules -

Gordian knot -

Sink into oblivion -

Throw thunder and lightning -

Ariadne's thread -

Palm -

Sing praises -

Horn of plenty -

For a long time Hercules searched for the lion’s lair along the wooded slopes of the mountains and in the gorges; finally, when the sun began to lean towards the west, Hercules found a lair in a gloomy gorge; it was located in a huge cave that had two exits. Hercules blocked one of the exits with huge stones and began to wait for the lion, hiding behind the stones...

After the first feat, Eurystheus sent Hercules to kill the Lernaean hydra. It was a monster with the body of a snake and nine heads of a dragon. Like the Nemean lion, the hydra was generated by Typhon and Echidna. The hydra lived in a swamp near the city of Lerna and, crawling out of its lair, destroyed entire herds and devastated the entire surrounding area...

Eurystheus instructed Hercules to kill the Stymphalian birds. These birds almost turned the entire environs of the Arcadian city of Stymphalus into a desert. They attacked both animals and people and tore them apart with their copper claws and beaks. But the most terrible thing was that the feathers of these birds were made of solid bronze, and the birds, having taken off, could drop them, like arrows, on anyone who decided to attack them...

Eurystheus knew that a wonderful Kerynean doe lived in Arcadia, sent by the goddess Artemis to punish people. This doe devastated the fields. Eurystheus sent Hercules to catch her and ordered him to deliver the doe alive to Mycenae. This doe was extraordinarily beautiful, her horns were golden and her legs were copper...

Eurystheus again gave him an assignment: Hercules had to kill the Erymanthian boar. This boar, possessing monstrous strength, lived on Mount Erymanthes and devastated the surroundings of the city of Psofis. He gave no mercy to people and killed them with his huge fangs. Hercules went to Mount Erymanthus. On the way he visited the wise centaur Fol...

Soon Eurystheus gave a new assignment to Hercules. He had to clear all the manure barnyard Augeas, king of Elis, son of the radiant Helios. The sun god gave his son innumerable wealth. Augeas' herds were especially numerous. Among his herds were three hundred bulls with legs as white as snow...

To fulfill Eurystheus' seventh order, Hercules had to leave Greece and go to the island of Crete. Eurystheus instructed him to bring a Cretan bull to Mycenae. This bull was sent to the king of Crete Minos, son of Europa, by the shaker of the earth Poseidon; Minos had to sacrifice a bull to Poseidon...

After taming the Cretan bull, Hercules, on behalf of Eurystheus, had to go to Thrace to the king of the Bystons, Diomedes. This king had horses of marvelous beauty and strength. They were chained with iron chains in the stalls, since no fetters could hold them. King Diomedes fed these horses with human meat. He threw all the foreigners to them to eat...

Hard times Hercules chose for Admet. Great grief reigned in the house of King Fer. His wife Alcestis was supposed to die. Once upon a time, the goddesses of fate, the great Moirai, at the request of Apollo, determined that Admetus could get rid of death if last hour in his life, someone will agree to voluntarily descend in his place into the dark kingdom of Hades...

The fame of the exploits of the son of Zeus has long reached the land of the Amazons. Therefore, when Hercules’ ship landed at Themiscyra, the Amazons and the queen came out to meet the hero. They looked in surprise at the great son of Zeus, who stood out like immortal god, among his heroic companions. Queen Hippolyta asked the great hero Hercules...

On the way back to Tiryns from the land of the Amazons, Hercules arrived on ships with his army to Troy. A difficult sight appeared before the eyes of the heroes when they landed on the shore near Troy. The saw beautiful daughter King Laomedon of Troy, Hesion, chained to a rock near the seashore. She was doomed, like Andromeda, to be torn to pieces by a monster emerging from the sea...

Soon after returning from a campaign in the land of the Amazons, Hercules set off on a new feat. Eurystheus instructed him to drive the cows of the great Geryon, the son of Chrysaor and the oceanid Callirhoe, to Mycenae. The path to Geryon was long. Hercules needed to reach the westernmost edge of the earth, those places where the radiant sun god Helios descends from the sky at sunset...

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King Electryon ruled in Mycenae. The TV fighters, led by the sons of King Pterelai, stole his herd. The TV fighters killed the sons of Electrion when they wanted to recapture the stolen property. King Electryon then announced that he would give the hand of his beautiful daughter Alcmene to the one who would return his herds and avenge the death of his sons...

On the island of Euboea, in the city of Oichalia, King Eurytus ruled. The fame of Eurytus as the most skilled archer spread far throughout Greece. The archer Apollo himself was his teacher, even giving him a bow and arrows. Once upon a time, in his youth, he learned from Eurytus how to shoot a bow and Hercules...

As soon as Hercules returned to Tiryns, Eurystheus again sent him to the feat. This was already the eleventh labor that Hercules had to perform in the service of Eurystheus. Hercules had to overcome incredible difficulties during this feat. He had to descend into the gloomy, horror-filled underground kingdom of Hades and bring the guard to Eurystheus underground kingdom, terrible hellhound Kerbera...

Hercules

Apples of the Hesperides (twelfth labor)

The most difficult feat of Hercules in the service of Eurystheus was his last, twelfth labor. He had to go to the great titan Atlas, who holds the firmament on his shoulders, and get from his gardens, which were watched by the daughters of Atlas, the Hesperides, three golden apples. These apples grew on a golden tree, grown by the goddess of the earth Gaia as a gift to the great Hera on the day of her wedding with Zeus. To accomplish this feat, it was necessary first of all to know the way to Gardens of the Hesperides, guarded by a dragon who never closed his eyes to sleep.

Again he had to go through Libya. Here he met the giant Antaeus, the son of Poseidon, the god of the seas, and the goddess of the earth Gaia, who gave birth to him, fed him and raised him. Antey forced all travelers to fight with him and killed everyone he defeated in the fight mercilessly. The giant demanded that Hercules fight him too. No one could defeat Antaeus in single combat without knowing the secret from where the giant received more and more strength during the fight. The secret was this: when Antaeus felt that he was beginning to lose strength, he touched the earth, his mother, and his strength was renewed: he drew it from his mother, the great goddess of the earth. But as soon as Antaeus was torn off the ground and lifted into the air, his strength disappeared. Hercules fought with Antaeus for a long time. several times he knocked him to the ground, but Antaeus’ strength only increased. Suddenly, during the struggle, the mighty Hercules lifted Antaeus high into the air - the strength of the son of Gaia dried up, and Hercules strangled him.

Hercules went further and came to Egypt. There, tired from the long journey, he fell asleep in the shade of a small grove on the banks of the Nile. The king of Egypt, the son of Poseidon and the daughter of Epaphus Lysianassa, Busiris, saw the sleeping Hercules, and ordered the sleeping hero to be tied up. He wanted to sacrifice Hercules to his father Zeus. There was a crop failure in Egypt for nine years; The soothsayer Thrasios, who came from Cyprus, predicted that the crop failure would stop only if Busiris annually sacrificed a foreigner to Zeus. Busiris ordered the capture of the soothsayer Thrasius and was the first to sacrifice him. Since then, the cruel king sacrificed to the Thunderer all the foreigners who came to Egypt. They brought Hercules to the altar, but the great hero tore the ropes with which he was bound and killed Busiris himself and his son Amphidamantus at the altar. This is how the cruel king of Egypt was punished.

Hercules had to meet many more dangers on his way until he reached the edge of the earth, where the great Titan Atlas. The hero looked with amazement at the mighty titan, holding the entire vault of heaven on his broad shoulders.

Oh, great titan Atlas! - Hercules turned to him, - I am the son of Zeus, Hercules. Eurystheus, the king of gold-rich Mycenae, sent me to you. Eurystheus commanded me to get from you three golden apples from the golden tree in the gardens of the Hesperides.

“I will give you three apples, son of Zeus,” answered Atlas, “while I go after them, you must stand in my place and hold the vault of heaven on your shoulders.”

Here are three apples, Hercules; if you want, I myself will take them to Mycenae, and you hold the firmament until my return; then I will take your place again.

Hercules understood Atlas’s cunning, he realized that the titan wanted to be completely freed from his hard work, and he used cunning against the cunning.

Okay, Atlas, I agree! - Hercules answered. “Just let me make myself a pillow first, I’ll put it on my shoulders so that the vault of heaven doesn’t press them so terribly.”

Atlas stood up again in his place and shouldered the weight of the sky. Hercules picked up his bow and quiver of arrows, took his club and golden apples and said:

Goodbye Atlas! I held the vault of the sky while you went for the apples of the Hesperides, but I don’t want to carry the entire weight of the sky on my shoulders forever.

But not only victories awaited him; Hercules also faced grave troubles, since the great goddess Hera continued to pursue him.

Notes:

Added approx. 2006-2007

March 4, 2019

Orthodox Christians have a day of remembrance of the apostles Archippus and Philemon and the Equal-to-the-Apostles Martyr Apphia

1493- Pope Alexander VI issued a bull dividing all the colonies of the New World between Spain and Portugal at 50 degrees west longitude

1561- Italian Cardinal Carlo Carafa became the last Catholic prelate sentenced to death by the Pope

1966- John Lennon said that the Beatles had become more popular than Christ; in the “Bible Belt” (South and Midwest of the USA) records with the group’s recordings were lit

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