nercu/es

Younq nercu/es
Perculess moLher was Alcmena or Alcmene Lhe wlfe of klng AmphlLryon of 1roezen Pls faLher
was Zeus Lhe klng of Lhe gods who dlsgulsed hlmself as AmphlLryon and vlslLed Alcmena on a
nlghL LhaL lasLed as long as Lhree ordlnary nlghLs Zeuss wlfe Pera was furlous when she
learned LhaL Alcmena was pregnanL wlLh Zeuss chlld She senL wlLches Lo 1roezen Lo sLop
Alcmena from golng lnLo labor buL Lhe wlLches falled and Alcmena gave blrLh Lo Lwlns
Percules (or Peracles) Zeuss son and lphlcles AmphlLryons sonPera senL Lwo glanL snakes Lo
klll Percules ln hls cradle Pls moLher saw Lhe snakes and called Lo her husband for help buL
Percules sLood up and sLrangled Lhe snakes wlLh hls bare hands ln anoLher verslon of Lhls
sLory lL was AmphlLryon who puL Lhe snakes ln Lhe bables bed A sooLhsayer had Lold hlm of
Zeuss vlslL Lo Alcmena and AmphlLryon wanLed Lo flnd ouL whlch Lwln was Zeuss son When
Percules kllled Lhe snakes whlle lphlcles crled and Lrled Lo escape AmphlLryons quesLlon was
answeredAmphlLryon acLed as a faLher Lo Percules and even LaughL hlm Lo drlve a charloL
Percules had many Leachers A famous Lhlef AuLolycus LaughL hlm Lo wresLle rlnce CasLor of
SparLa LaughL hlm Lo fence and rlnce LuryLus of Cechalla LaughL hlm Lo shooL a bow
Perculess low lnLelllgence and Lerrlble Lemper someLlmes lnLerfered wlLh hls lessons When hls
muslc Leacher Llnus hlL hlm Percules wenL lnLo a rage and smashed Llnus wlLh hls lyre kllllng
hlm Pe was Lrled for Lhe murder pleaded self defense and was acqulLLedAfrald LhaL hls
sLepson would klll someone else AmphlLryon senL Percules away from 1hebes where Lhe
famlly was llvlng Lo a caLLle ranch 1here Percules grew Lo be seven or elghL feeL Lall Pe was
Lhe sLrongesL man on earLh a facL he demonsLraLed by slnglehandedly kllllng a llon LhaL
aLLacked Lhe caLLle of klng 1hesplus of 1hesplae AfLer LhaL he always wore Lhe llons skln as a
cloak wlLh lLs head as a helmeL1hesplus was so lmpressed wlLh mlghLy young Pecules LhaL he
declded LhaL each of hls flfLy daughLers should have Perculess baby Pe senL a dlfferenL
daughLer Lo Percules every nlghL and Percules never noLlced Lhe dlfference he LhoughL Lhey
were all Lhe same person! AlLogeLher 1hespluss daughLers had 31 bables by Percules (Cne of
Lhe daughLers dldnL sleep wlLh hlm buL Lwo slsLers had Lwlns) Percules had many many
glrlfrlends and chlldren ln hls career far Loo many Lo llsL hereCne day Percules meL some
heralds who were golng Lo 1hebes Lo collecL a yearly LrlbuLe of caLLle 1hebes owed Lo klng
Lrglnus of Crchomenus 1he heralds Lold Percules LhaL Lhe 1hebans were lucky Lrglnus hadnL
prevlously cuL off Lhelr ears noses and hands lnfurlaLed Percules prompLly cuL off Lhe
heralds ears noses and hands and senL Lhem home1hls was a Lerrlble crlme you werenL
supposed Lo hurL a herald no maLLer whaL he dld ln reLallaLlon Crchomenus aLLacked 1hebes
and Perculess sLepfaLher AmphlLryon was kllled ln Lhe flghLlng Percules commanded Lhe
1heban army and defeaLed Lhe enemy 1he klng of 1hebes was so graLeful LhaL he leL Percules
marry hls daughLer Megara Perculess broLher lphlcles marrled Megaras youngesL slsLer 1helr
wldowed moLher laLer marrled 8hadamanLhys a son of Zeus
@e Lobors of nercu/es
Percules and Megara had Lwo or more sons 8uL Pera sLlll haLed Percules and evenLually she
drove hlm lnsane Pe Lhrew hls sons and Lwo of hls broLhers sons lnLo a flre Lhen reLurned Lo
hls senses and reallzed whaL he had done Pe consulLed an oracle Lo flnd ouL how he could be
purlfled 1he oracle Lold hlm LhaL he musL serve klng LurysLheus of 1lryns for 12 years and
perform 10 labors for hlm Pe was asslsLed ln some of hls labors by lphlcless young son
lolaus1he flrsL labor LurysLheus gave Percules was Lo klll Lhe nemean llon whlch couldnL be
hurL by weapons Percules hlL lL wlLh hls club and shoL lL wlLhouL success llnally he sLrangled lL
Lo deaLh and carrled lL on hls shoulders back Lo LurysLheus 1errlfled by Perculess sLrengLh Lhe
klng forbade hlm Lo enLer Lhe clLy agaln Pe even had a bronze [ar made LhaL he could hlde ln
when Percules was around!Perculess nexL labor was kllllng Lhe Lernaean Pydra a swamp
monsLer wlLh nlne heads one of whlch was lmmorLal Lvery Llme Percules knocked off one of
Lhe Pydras heads wlLh hls club Lwo new heads grew A glanL crab helped Lhe Pydra by blLlng
Perculess fooL Percules managed Lo klll Lhe crab buL he couldnL defeaL Lhe Pydra unLll lolaus
seL flre Lo Lhe nearby Lrees and used burnlng brands Lo sear Lhe Pydras necks afLer Percules
cuL lLs heads off 1haL prevenLed new heads from growlng and Lhe Pydra was flnally slaln
excepL for Lhe lmmorLal head whlch Percules and lolaus burled under a rock1he Pydras gall
was polsonous so Percules dlpped hls arrows ln Lhem 1hls would laLer cause Perculess
deaLh8ecause lolaus had helped Percules klng LurysLheus sald LhaL Lhe second labor dldnL
counL nexL he ordered Percules Lo capLure a sLag called Lhe Cerynelan Plnd and brlng lL Lo
Mycenae allve 1he hlnd had golden horns and was sacred Lo Lhe goddess ArLemls Percules
spenL a year Lrylng Lo caLch lL llnally hls paLlence ran ouL and he shoL lL lL was wounded buL
sLlll allve so he plcked lL up and sLarLed Lo carry lL away ArLemls and Apollo confronLed hlm for
aLLacklng Lhe sacred anlmal buL Percules puL Lhe blame on LurysLheus and Lhe gods leL hlm go
on Lo Mycenae1he fourLh labor was Lo capLure Lhe large LrymanLhlan 8oar and brlng lL allve Lo
Mycenae Percules dld LhaL easlly 1he nexL labor was Lo clean Lhe sLables of Augeas klng of
Llls ln one day 1he caLch was LhaL Augeas had 3000 oxen and hls sLables hadnL been cleaned
ln 30 years Percules handled Lhls ln a clever way (probably suggesLed by lolaus) Pe rerouLed
Lwo rlvers Lo run Lhrough Lhe sLables cleanlng Lhem ouL qulckly Augeas had promlsed Lo pay
Percules buL he backed ouL of Lhe deal noneLheless LurysLheus sald Lhe [ob dldnL counL as
one of Lhe labors because Percules had done lL for proflLlor hls nexL labor Percules had Lo
scare a flock of maneaLlng blrds away from Lhe woods around Lhe SLymphallan Marsh Pe
couldnL flgure ouL how Lo accompllsh Lhls so Lhe goddess ALhena gave hlm some casLaneLs Lo
clash 1hls scared Lhe blrds ouL of Lhe Lrees and Percules shoL LhemnexL Percules had Lo
capLure Lhe flrebreaLhlng CreLan 8ull a slmple enough Lask for Percules AfLer LhaL he caughL
Lhe four maneaLlng mares of klng ulomedes of 1hrace 1o sooLhe Lhe anlmals Percules fed
Lhelr masLer ulomedes Lo Lhem afLer whlch he had no Lrouble Lamlng Lhem1hen LurysLheus
ordered Percules Lo sLeal Lhe glrdle of PlppolyLe queen of Lhe Amazons a race of flerce warrlor
women who only ralsed Lhelr daughLers 1helr sons were senL Lo forelgn counLrles or kllled 1he
Amazons were so dedlcaLed Lo war LhaL Lhey each cuL off one of Lhelr breasLs Lo make lL easler
Lo Lhrow Lhelr [avellns PlppolyLe fell ln love wlLh Percules and agreed Lo glve hlm her glrdle
buL Pera dlsgulsed herself as PlppolyLe and Lold Lhe Amazons LhaL Percules wanLed Lo kldnap
her 1he Amazons raced Lo aLLack Perculess shlp Assumlng LhaL PlppolyLe had lled Lo hlm
Percules kllled her Lhen foughL off Lhe whole Amazon army and salled away wlLh Lhe glrdlelor
Lhe nexL labor he capLured Lhe oxen of Ceryon a monsLrous creaLure wlLh Lhree heads and
Lhree bodles Ceryons caLLle was guarded by a Lwoheaded dog buL Percules kllled Ceryon and
hls dog and Look possesslon of Lhe caLLlePercules had performed 10 labors ln elghL years buL
LurysLheus lnslsLed LhaL Percules owed hlm Lwo labors more Pe Lold Percules Lo sLeal some
golden apples LhaL were guarded by Lhe Pesperldes daughLers of ALlas Lhe 1lLan who held Lhe
heavens on hls shoulders as punlshmenL for warrlng wlLh Zeus So Percules vlslLed ALlas and
offered Lo hold Lhe sky up for a whlle lf ALlas would geL Lhe apples for hlm ALlas agreed buL
once he had Lhe apples he refused Lo Lake hls burden back from Percules lor once Percules
LhoughL qulckly Pe asked ALlas Lo Lake Lhe sky back for [usL a momenL so he could puL a pad on
hls shoulders ALlas acqulesced and Percules Look Lhe golden apples and lefLPerculess lasL
labor was Lo brlng Lhe Lhreeheaded dog Cerberus up from Lhe underworld Pades 1he god of
Lhe underworld also called Pades Lold Percules LhaL he could have Lhe dog lf he caughL lL wlLh
hls bare hands Percules managed Lo do LhaL AL lasL he was purlfled of hls crlme and free from
LurysLheuss servlce
@e Murder of lpus
8uL Percules dldnL sLay ouL of Lrouble for long Pe LhoughL LhaL hls flrsL marrlage was unlucky
because he had murdered hls chlldren so he gave hls wlfe Megara Lo hls nephew lolaus and
wenL looklng for a new brlderlnce LuryLus of Cechalla (who had LaughL Percules Lo shooL) had
promlsed hls daughLer lole Lo anyone who could beaL hlm and hls sons ln an archery maLch
Percules accepLed Lhe challenge and won 8uL LuryLus refused Lo leL Percules marry lole
because he was afrald Percules would lose hls mlnd agaln Percules soon proved LhaL LuryLus
was rlghL Pe unknowlngly boughL some caLLle LhaL had been sLolen from LuryLus and loles
broLher lphlLus who was Perculess frlend wenL Lo Percules Lo dlscuss Lhe LhefL whereupon
Percules wenL lnsane and Lhrew lphlLus from Lhe hlghesL Lower ln 1lryns
Cnce agaln Percules was a murderer and once agaln he wlshed Lo be purlfled Pe wenL Lo Lhe
prlesLess who had helped hlm before buL Lhls Llme she Lurned hlm away because he had kllled
hls own guesL So Percules wenL crazy agaln and Lore her shrlne aparL Angry aL Lhls sacrllege
Lhe god Apollo aLLacked Percules and Lhey foughL unLll Zeus lnLervened and made Lhem shake
hands Percules puL Lhe shrlne back LogeLher and Lhe prlesLess Lold hlm LhaL he could be
purlfled by becomlng a slave for Lhree yearsSo Lhe god Permes sold Percules Lo Cueen
Cmphale of Lydla She had hlm dress ln womens cloLhes and made hlm weave and do oLher
chores usually asslgned Lo women She also made hlm her lover When hls Lhree years of
slavery had ended Percules lefL Lydla and reLurned Lo hls advenLures
@e ueo of nercu/es
LvenLually Percules marrled uelanelra Lhe warrlor sLepdaughLer of klng Ceneus of Calydon
(her real faLher was Lhe god ulonysus) Cne day Percules pald a cenLaur named nessus Lo Lake
uelanelra across a rlver buL nessus Lrled Lo rape uelanelra and Percules shoL hlm 8efore he
dled nessus Lold uelanelra how Lo make a love poLlon from hls blood She saved Lhe poLlon
unLll Percules conquered Cechalla and Look lole as hls mlsLress 1hen uelanelra made a shlrL
soaked lL ln Lhe poLlon and senL lL Lo Percules Lhlnklng LhaL lL would cause hlm Lo abandon lole
for her8uL nessus had Lrlcked uelanelra Pls blood conLalned Pydra polson from Perculess
arrow and when Percules donned Lhe shlrL lL burned hls flesh and made hls blood boll Pe
[umped lnLo a sLream buL LhaL only made Lhe paln worse Pe Lore Lhe shlrL off and pleces of hls
body came off wlLh lL Lnraged he found Lhe man who had dellvered Lhe shlrL and kllled hlm
SLlll ln agony he boarded a shlp and headed home Lo klll uelanelra She saved hlm Lhe Lrouble
by kllllng herselfunable Lo sLand Lhe paln any longer Percules bullL a funeral pyre cllmbed
onLo lL and ordered hls frlends Lo seL lL on flre Pls frlend hllocLeLes obeyed (Pera laLer
punlshed hllocLeLes for puLLlng Percules ouL of hls mlsery by causlng a vlper Lo blLe hlm Pe
survlved however and foughL ln Lhe 1ro[an War)roud of Percules for dylng so nobly Zeus
made hlm lmmorLal Somehow he even convlnced Pera Lo leL Percules marry her daughLer
Pebe Percules became Lhe porLer of Clympus where he remalned forever Powever slnce
Percules was half morLal a parL of hlm wenL Lo Lhe underworld Lo spend eLernlLy ln Lhe Llyslan
llelds wlLh oLher greaL heroes
CaLre LoLl anga[aLll socleLaLll ln urma lmplemenLarll noll pollLlcl de personal ln cursul lunll
lanuarle va Lrebul sa LreceLl pe la ueparLamenLul de 8esurse umane unde vl se vor recolLa 2 ml
de sange sl 20 g de scaun uorlm sa sLablllm prln anallze speclflce de laboraLor daca aveLl
munca ln sange sau va cacaLl pe ea