Hercules

Also known as: Hercules Buraicus / Hercules Charops / Hercules the son of Amphitryon / the Theban / the son of Alcmena · Family: Greek mythology · Role: hero · First appears: Book 1 · Chapter 2

In Book 1, Chapter 2, Hercules besieged Themiscyra with Theseus, but could not take it; Antiope handed the place over to Theseus. In Chapter 27, Hercules slew Cycnus near the river Peneus and fetched the bull from Crete for Eurystheus, as one of his twelve Labours. Later, he named his son Hyllus after a river, and in Book 2 shot Eurytus and Cteatus during the Isthmian games.

In Book 3, Hercules killed Iphitus (killed by Hercules), then went to Sparta seeking clearance and was refused. Afterwards he took vengeance on Hippocoon and his sons for the killing of Œonus. He defeated Eryx in their agreed contest and killed him, and later killed Diomede. During another labour he was wounded and, according to the Lacedæmonians, hidden by Æsculapius while his wound was treated. After a contest for the tripod, Hercules and Apollo jointly built Gythium.

In Books 4 and 5, Hercules defeated the Dryopes and took them to Delphi as an offering to Apollo; an oracle later led him to return them to the Peloponnese. At Elis he cleared the country of dung by diverting a river, but Augeas refused his reward and expelled Phyleus, who had defended him. Hercules later captured and sacked Elis, gave it to Phyleus, granted him the captives, and forgave Augeas. He also slew the eagle tormenting Prometheus and released him from his chains.

In Books 8–10, Hercules was expelled from Tiryns by Eurystheus, captured Elis riding Arion, and later gave the horse to Adrastus. At Thebes, in a tradition recorded in Book 9, madness led him to wish to kill Amphitryon, but Athene stopped him by striking him with a stone. In Book 10, Xenoclea refused him an oracle because he had murdered Iphitus; Hercules took the tripod from the temple, then restored it to Apollo and received the answer he sought. He eventually repudiated Megara, his wife, after losing all their children.